Began his career as a commercial photographer and entered film in 1919, serving a three-year stint as cameraman for Cecil B. DeMille. Struss then went freelance and gained renown for his work on "Ben Hur" (1926), particularly in his use of filters to effect visual transformations--a technique he repeated to great effect in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1932).Struss received widespread recognition for his collaboration with Charles Rosher on F. W. Murnau's "Sunrise" (1927) and, following several collaborations with D.W. Griffith, began a fruitful 18-year association with Paramount. Other memorable work includes his contributions to the atmospheric thriller, "Island of Lost Souls" (1932) and Charlie Chaplin's "Limelight" (1952).
Profession(s):
director of photography, still photographer, cameraman
Sometimes Credited As:
Education
DeWitt Clinton High School New York, New York
Columbia University New York, New York photography
Oscar Best Cinematography "Sunrise" 1927 - 1928
1959 Last film prior to retirement, "The Rebel Set"
1920 First film as co-cinematographer, "Something to Think About"
1919 Went to Hollywood; hired by Cecil B. DeMille
1914 - 1917 Set up own photographic studio in Manhattan; shot portratis and advertisements
1914 Took over Clarence H. White's Photography Studio where he developed the Struss-Lens which provided a diffused, soft-focus look
Worked at father's bonnet-wire manufacturing plant while studying photography