A. Arnold Gillespie
| A. Arnold Gillespie | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Albert Arnold Gillespie October 14, 1899 El Paso, Texas |
| Died | May 3, 1978 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) |
| Occupation | Special effects artist |
| Years active | 1926–1965 |
| Spouse(s) |
Ruth Elder 1 son Nell Hill (1944–?) 1 son Dora Ingram (?–1973) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards |
Academy Award for Visual Effects 1944 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo 1947 Green Dolphin Street 1959 Ben-Hur Academy Award for Technical Achievement 1964 |
Albert Arnold Gillespie (October 14, 1899 – May 3, 1978) was an American cinema special effects artist.
He was born on October 14, 1899 in El Paso, Texas. Gillespie joined MGM as a set designer in 1925, a year after it was founded. He was educated at Columbia University and the Arts Students League. His first project was the silent film Ben-Hur, released that same year. He worked at the studio in various capacities until 1962. In 1936, he became the head of MGM's Special Effects Department.
He died on May 3, 1978 in Los Angeles, California.
He wrote a book, The Wizard of MGM: Memoirs of A. Arnold Gillespie. Gillispie's nickname was "Buddy."
Gillespie married Nell Hill in 1944. She died in 2000. They had one child, Thomas Scott Gillespie (1944-61). A. Arnold was previously married to aviator Ruth Elder, with whom he had a son, William Trent Gillespie (1940-2008).
Inasmuch as he worked on numerous films (IMDb credits him with 203), only some of the better known ones and ones involving prominent special effects are listed below.
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