Willis H. O'Brien
Willis O'Brien | |
|---|---|
O'Brien in 1931 | |
| Born | March 2, 1886 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 8, 1962 (aged 76) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Chapel of the Pines Crematory |
| Other names | "Obie" |
| Occupations | Oscar Award winning Stop motion model animator |
| Years active | 1915–1962 |
| Known for | Story telling, and special effects |
| Successor | Ray Harryhausen |
| Opponent | Herbert M. Dawley |
| Spouse(s) | Hazel Ruth Collette (1925–1930; divorce) Darlyne Prenett (1934–1962; his death) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Academy Award Best Visual Effects (1950); Winsor McCay Award (1997) |
Willis Harold O'Brien (March 2, 1886 – November 8, 1962), known as Obie O'Brien, was an American motion picture special effects and stop-motion animation pioneer, who according to ASIFA-Hollywood "was responsible for some of the best-known images in cinema history," and is best remembered for his work on The Lost World (1925), King Kong (1933), The Last Days of Pompeii (1935) and Mighty Joe Young (1949), for which he won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.