Clothier, William H. (1903)

Cinematographer. A newsreel cameraman and camera  assistant at Paramount, Clothier did some aerial work on Wings (1927), was camera operator on Cimarron (1931), worked on several features in Spain, and served with the Army Air Corps during World War II (shooting Memphis Belle for William Wyler in 1944). Required to qualify as a director of photography, he worked as camera assistant on Ford's Fort Apache, after which his career blossomed. Following his work on Stern?berg's Jet Pilot, William Wellman (director of Wings) gave him his first Western chance on Track of the Cat, where his striking experiments in bleached-out colour and the sensuous sheen of his landscapes led to regular employment, not only with Well-man and Ford but with John Wayne (pro?ducer of Track of the Cat) and the Batjac Company.