Jack Hildyard

The traditional entree into the British cinematographer's fraternity was as a clapper boy; thus did 17-year-old Jack Hildyard launch his movie career in 1932. Hildyard then moved on to camera operator, distinguishing himself in the Technicolor field with such films as The Divorce of Lady X (1938), Henry V (1945) and Caesar and Cleopatra (1946) (coincidentally, he would later handle several scenes in the 1963 Cleopatra). A full lighting cameraman from School for Secrets (1946) onward, Hildyard alternated between British and American films for the rest of his career. In 1957, Jack Hildyard won an Oscar for his work on David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai; he continued to flourish until voluntarily packing up his equipment after 1981's Lion of the Desert.

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide