An image from How the West Was Won, one of the productions that also features Joseph LaShelle.

Joseph LaShelle

July 9, 1900 — Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joseph LaShelle, A.S.C. (July 9, 1900 - August 20, 1989) was a Los Angeles born film cinematographer.

He won an Academy Award for Laura (1944), and was nominated on eight additional occasions.

LaShelle's first job in the film industry was as an assistant in the Paramount West Coast Studio lab in 1920. Instead of going to college as planned he remained in the film industry after a promotion to supervisor of the printing department.

In 1925 Charles G. Clarke convinced him he should be a cameraman. He went to work with Clarke and after 3 months he was promoted to 2nd cameraman and he worked for various cinematographers at the Hollywood Metropolitan Studios. LaShalle was transferred from Metropolitan to Pathé where he began a 14 years association with Arthur C. Miller. He later went with Miller to Fox Films.

After working as a camera operator on such Fox productions as How Green Was My Valley (1941) and The Song of Bernadette (1943) he was promoted and became a cinematographer in 1943. He was a member of the A.S.C.

Some of his well known work include the film noirs: Laura (1944), for which he won an Oscar, Fallen Angel (1945), and Road House (1948). He is remembered for his work with Otto Preminger.