Born in Oakland, California. Former marble-cutter, prizefighter and cartoonist who began using stop motion photography to make short films, often featuring models of dinosaurs, in the early teens. O'Brien's efforts attracted the attention of the Edison company, for whom he made ten five-minute shorts on Stone Age subjects before applying his talents to feature films in the 20s. O'Brien pioneered the use of rubber (rather than clay) models, an innovation that first reached the screen in THE LOST WORLD (1925). Other outstanding examples of his work include the oversized apes of KING KONG (1933) and MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (1949). Other notable credits include MORPHEUS MIKE and THE DINOSAUR AND THE MISSING LINK (both 1915), R.F.D. 10,000 B.C. and PREHISTORIC POULTRY (both 1916), THE GHOST OF SLUMBER MOUNTAIN (1918), CREATION (1931), SON OF KONG (1933), THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII (1935), THE ANIMAL WORLD (1956), THE BLACK SCOPION (1957), BEHEMOTH, THE SEA MONSTER (1959) and THE LOST WORLD (1960).  Special Effects 1949: MIGHTY JOE YOUNG -- No names listed, but film credits Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen 1 uncredited nomination, 1 Award