Toland, Gregg

Toland, Gregg

(born May 29, 1904, Charleston, Ill., U.S.—died Sept. 28, 1948, Hollywood, Calif.) U.S. cinematographer. He got his start in the film industry at the age of 15, working as an office boy at the Fox studio, and he soon became a cameraman, working for Samuel Goldwyn and others in the 1930s and '40s. As director of photography for Dead End (1937), Wuthering Heights (1939, Academy Award), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Citizen Kane (1941), and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), he was noted for his brilliant use of chiaroscuro and his deep-focus camera work. He codirected the war documentary December 7th (1943, Academy Award) with John Ford.

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Toland, Gregg (1904–48) cinematographer; born in Charleston, Ill. He entered films at the age of 15 and became an assistant cameraman the next year. By 1929 he had distinguished himself as an inventive and creative artist. Working mainly for Samuel Goldwyn, he won the Oscar for his camera work in Wuthering Heights (1939).