Skip to content
MovieCove
Oswald Morris

Oswald Morris

Cinematographer, also actor · Died March 17, 2014, aged 98 · Ruislip, England, UK

Oscar winner · 4 BAFTA Awards

Oscar-winning cinematography Oswald Morris was one of the most outstanding directors of photography of the 20th Century, making his reputation by expanding the parameters of color cinematography. Born in November 1915 in Hillingdon, Middlesex, England, a month short of his 17th birthday, he became a factotum and clapper boy at Wembley Studios, which churned out quota quickies. The studio made one movie a week at a cost of one pound per foot of film. He left the studio in the spring of 1933 to go to work at British International Pictures at Elstree Studios, but soon returned to Wembley after it was taken over by Fox and became a camera assistant. In World War II, he served as a Royal Air Force bomber pilot, flying missions over France and Germany before being transferred to transport planes. After being demobilized, Morris joined Independent Producers at Pinewood Studios in January 1946, where he became a camera operator for director of photography Ronald Neame. When Neame became a director, he was promoted to d.p. on Golden Salamander (1950) (1950). He soon made his name shooting Moulin Rouge (1952) (1952) for John Huston, which was famous for its use of color suggesting the palette of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the subject of the film. The British Society of Cinematographers awarded him its Best Cinematography Award for his work on the film. "Ossie" Morris had a distinguished career as a director of photography for 30 years, working with some of the top directors in English-language film, including Huston, Stanley Kubrick and Sidney Lumet. He was nominated three times for an Academy Award, for Oliver! (1968), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and The Wiz (1978). He won an Oscar for "Fiddler" plus three BAFTA Awards and was honored with the International Award by the American Society of Cinematographers in 2000.

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
November 22, 1915
Died
March 17, 2014 (aged 98)
From
Ruislip, England, UK
Works as
Cinematographer, also actor
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 64 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Down 26% in 30 days

What are Oswald Morris' films like?

Across their 45 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama20 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 42nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
27%
Bonds
26%
Self
22%
Power
9%
Survival
8%
Society
5%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession5 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 45 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 10 · Dark 22

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 18 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 25 · Intense 15

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 22 · Whiplash 7

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 14 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 15 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 8

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 12 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 18

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 30 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
31
Melancholic
25
Dread
9
Bittersweet
10
Absurd
7
Other
46

How their films linger

Bittersweet20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic11
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Oswald Morris' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (17).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Oswald Morris' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

64 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Inside 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • The Dark Crystal(1982)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Great Muppet Caper(1981)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Just Tell Me What You Want(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Wiz(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Equus(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Seven-Per-Cent Solution(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Would Be King(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Man with the Golden Gun(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Odessa File(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Dracula(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The MacKintosh Man(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Sleuth(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Lady Caroline Lamb (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Cinematographer

  • Fiddler on the Roof(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Scrooge(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Fragment of Fear(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Goodbye, Mr. Chips(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Great Catherine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Oliver!(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Winter's Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Reflections in a Golden Eye(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Taming of the Shrew(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Stop the World: I Want to Get Off(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Spy Who Came in from the Cold(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Life at the Top(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Hill(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Battle of the Villa Fiorita(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Mister Moses(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Of Human Bondage(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Pumpkin Eater(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Ceremony(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Come Fly with Me(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Term of Trial (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • Lolita(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Satan Never Sleeps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • The Guns of Navarone(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Entertainer(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Our Man in Havana(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Look Back in Anger(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Roots of Heaven(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Key(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • A Farewell to Arms(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Moby Dick(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Never Was(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Beau Brummell(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Monsieur Ripois (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Beat the Devil(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Stazione Termini(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • South of Algiers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • Moulin Rouge(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • So Little Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Saturday Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • The Card (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Circle of Danger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Fortune in Diamonds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Cairo Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • Golden Salamander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Passionate Friends(1949)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Blanche Fury(1948)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Captain Boycott (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Camera Operator

  • Old Roses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Assistant Camera

  • Rolling in Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Clapper Loader

Career shape

A full career of 64 titles from 1934 to 2000.

Biggest box office

The Dark Crystal (1982)

$45M worldwide

Highest rated

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Lolita (1962)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 64: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleCinematography58 of 64: 58 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew5 of 64: 5 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s2 · crew1940s3 · crew1950s20 · crew1960s22 · crew1970s13 · crew1980s3 · crew2000s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

an Oscar and 4 BAFTA Awards from 10 major nominations, 1965–1997.

WinNomination
  1. 1997
    • BAFTA Award, won · Film
  2. 1979
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  3. 1976
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  4. 1974
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  5. 1972
    • Oscar, won · Best Cinematography
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Cinematography
  6. 1969
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Cinematography
  7. 1967
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best British Cinematography (B/W)
  8. 1966
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best British Cinematography (B/W)
Show 1 earlier year
  1. 1965
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best British Cinematography (B/W)

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Oswald Morris' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 77th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 45 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Approval · how many liked their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Reach · how many have seen their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up24
  • 50th to 74th13
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser27
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Wiz (1978)

73rd percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 73/100 in their films, across 42 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 57. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Oswald Morris' work okay for kids?

Across up to 18 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles10–53 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity18 titles3–44 · median 15 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity13 titles6–43 · median 16 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles15–33 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles36–64 · median 46 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Oswald Morris work with?

People who share at least 2 of Oswald Morris' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Huston shares the most, 9.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles