Oswald Morris | |
---|---|
Born |
Oswald Norman Morris 22 November 1915 Ruislip, United Kingdom |
Died | 17 March 2014 Dorset, England, United Kingdom |
(aged 98)
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Cinematographer |
Years active | 1947–1982 |
Oswald Norman Morris, OBE, DFC, AFC, BSC (22 November 1915 – 17 March 2014) was a British cinematographer. Known to his colleagues by the nicknames "Os" or "Ossie", Morris' film cinematography career spanned six decades.
Morris grew up in what was then Middlesex (now the London Borough of Hillingdon), and attended the Bishopshalt School. His interest in the cinema began at an early age; during summer vacations, he would work as a projectionist at the local movie theatre. Dropping out in 1932, he started working in the film industry at Wembley Studios as an unpaid gofer for Michael Powell, among others, eventually graduating to the positions of clapper boy and camera assistant on quota quickies. His career was interrupted by World War II, during which he served as a bomber pilot with the RAF, achieving the rank of Flight Lieutenant and winning both the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Force Cross.