Hollywood’s Stradling Jr. diesat92

LOS ANGELES — Harry Stradling Jr., a two-time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer for “1776” and “The Way We Were,” died Oct. 17 at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 92.

He was the son of cinematographer Harry Stradling, who has more than 130 credits to his name, including “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” and “My Fair Lady.” His great uncle was a cinematographer in the silent era, known for films starring Mary Pickford.

“Harry was a giant in the business,” Steven Poster, president of the International Cinematographer Guild said in a statement. “Between him and his father, they spanned almost the entire history of motion picture industry before the end of last century. I first remember his name from watching ‘Gunsmoke’ as a kid. When I first met him, it was like meeting a star, and I will never forget that.”

During his prolific film career, Stradling Jr. worked heavily in Westerns, including cinematography for 87 episodes of “Gunsmoke,” 21 of the 23 episodes of “Cimarron Strip,” and the feature film “Support Your Local Sheriff!”

Stradling Jr. started out as a camera assistant and camera operator on George Cukor’s 1944 film “Gaslight.” Later, he worked with his dad on titles including, “Guys and Dolls,” “The Pajama Games,” and “Gypsy.”

In 1965, Stradling Jr. worked as a cinematographer on the film “Synanon,” followed by 1967’s “Welcome to Hard Times” starring Henry Fonda.

He collaborated with Blake Edwards on four films: “S.O.B.,” “A Fine Mess,” “Blind Date,” and “Micki + Maude.” Stradling Jr. also worked with Burt Kennedy on six films, including “The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing,” “Support Your Local Gunfighter,” and “Rooster Cogburn.”

Stradling Jr. scored an Oscar nomination in 1973 for the musical drama “1776,” and again in 1974 for “The Way We Were” starring Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford. He also received an Emmy nomination for the 1984 television miniseries “George Washington,” starring Barry Bostwick.