Cinematographer. William Clarence Mellor began his career in the photographic labs at Paramount Pictures in the mid 1920s. In 1934, he finally reached status as a director of photography for the studios lesser productions while working as first camera operator on A -grade productions. In 1943 during World War II (WWII), he joined the U.S. Army Photography Unit shooting documentary footage under the auspices of director George Stevens. After the war, he worked for many of the great studios, among them: United Artists, Universal Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950-54) and finally, from 1957 to 1962, 20th Century-Fox, acquiring a reputation as an excellent professional in his craft in almost every genre of filmmaking from outdoor and location photography in western and action pictures to black & white melodramas and indoor chamber dramas. His film credits include: "Elmer and Elsie" (1934), "Champagne Waltz" (1936), "The Great McGinty" (1940), "My Favorite Blonde" (1942), "Westward the Women" (1951), "The Naked Spur" (1953), "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1954), "Giant" (1956), "Love in the Afternoon" (1957), "The Best of Everything"(1959) and "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" (1962), winning two Academy Awards in Best Black & White Cinematography for the films, "A Place in the Sun" (1951) and "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959) and another Oscar nomination for "Peyton Place" (1957). He died of a heart attack after a surgery performed 10 days previously, at this time working on "The Greatest Story Ever Told," getting - together with his replacement Loyal Griggs - an additional (posthumous) Oscar - nomination.
Cinematographer. William Clarence Mellor began his career in the photographic labs at Paramount Pictures in the mid 1920s. In 1934, he finally reached status as a director of photography for the studios lesser productions while working as first camera operator on A -grade productions. In 1943 during World War II (WWII), he joined the U.S. Army Photography Unit shooting documentary footage under the auspices of director George Stevens. After the war, he worked for many of the great studios, among them: United Artists, Universal Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1950-54) and finally, from 1957 to 1962, 20th Century-Fox, acquiring a reputation as an excellent professional in his craft in almost every genre of filmmaking from outdoor and location photography in western and action pictures to black & white melodramas and indoor chamber dramas. His film credits include: "Elmer and Elsie" (1934), "Champagne Waltz" (1936), "The Great McGinty" (1940), "My Favorite Blonde" (1942), "Westward the Women" (1951), "The Naked Spur" (1953), "Bad Day at Black Rock" (1954), "Giant" (1956), "Love in the Afternoon" (1957), "The Best of Everything"(1959) and "Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation" (1962), winning two Academy Awards in Best Black & White Cinematography for the films, "A Place in the Sun" (1951) and "The Diary of Anne Frank" (1959) and another Oscar nomination for "Peyton Place" (1957). He died of a heart attack after a surgery performed 10 days previously, at this time working on "The Greatest Story Ever Told," getting - together with his replacement Loyal Griggs - an additional (posthumous) Oscar - nomination.
Bio by: Fritz Tauber
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