Born February 26, 1922 in Chicago, Illinois, Haskell Wexler was one of four children of Simon and Lottie Wexler. Educated at the University of California, Berkeley, he served a stint with the United States Merchant Marine during World War II. He briefly made industrial films in Chicago before becoming an assistant cameraman in 1947. His early career included documentary films as well as television work on such shows as The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. His early Hollywood films included 1961’s The Hoodlum Priest and Angel Baby. His first big budget film was 1963’s America America, followed by 1964’s The Best Man and 1965’s The Loved One.

Wexler won an Oscar for best black-and-white cinematography on his first nomination for 1966’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He wasn’t nominated for his next film, but that film, 1967’s In the Heat of the Night won the Oscar for Best Picture. Then came 1968’s Faces and The Thomas Crown Affair and his first job as director of a major Hollywood film, 1969’s landmark Medium Cool filmed in his native Chicago during the turmoil of the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention.

In the 1970s Wexler continued to act as director of photography on some of the most influential films of the era including 1974’s The Conversation, 1975’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (his second Oscar nomination), 1976’s Bound for Glory (his third nomination and second win) and 1978’s Coming Home. Interspersed were his equally influential documentaries including 1971’s Interviews With My Lai Veterans, 1972’s The Trial of the Catonsville Nine, 1974’s Introduction to the Enemy, 1976’s Underground, 1977’s STP Oil Treatment and 1978’s John Wayne for Western Savings and War Without Winners, many of which he also directed.

The 1980s brought the documentaries No Nukes, Richard Pryor on the Sunset Strip, Hail Columbia! and Bruce Springsteen: Video Anthology 1978 to 1988 as well as several narrative films including 1987’s Matewan and 1989’s Blaze, both of which brought him additional Oscar nominations.

The next decade brought such films as 1991’s Other People’s Money and 1996’s Mulholland Falls and 1999’s Limbo.

Wexler won an Emmy for his cinematography on the 2001 TV movie, 61*. 2004’s Silver City would be his last narrative theatrical film, though he would continue to work on documentaries for the remainder of his life. His last film, the 2016 TV documentary To Begin the World Over Again: The Life of Thomas Paine was in post-production at the time of death.

Haskell Wexler was married three times and had three children. His sons Mark and Jeff work in the industry, Mark as a writer-producer-director and Jeff as a sound mixer. He died on December 27, 2015 at the age of 93.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

America America (1963), directed by Elia Kazan

Wexler’s superb black-and-white cinematography was the single most evocative aspect of Kazan’s last major film, but although the film was nominated for four Oscars including Best Picture, Director, Original Screenplay and Black-and-White Art Direction and Set Decoration, which it won, Wexler’s contribution was not recognized by the Academy. That despite the fact that the look he gave the film was more unique and interesting than any of the actual nominees except perhaps the winner, Hud.

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), directed by Mike Nichols

Wexler received his first Oscar nomination and win for Nichols’ first film in the last year in which black-and-white and color cinematography were split into separate awards categories. Although the film took place mostly in a single apartment, Wexler kept the camera moving, with enough outside scenes to make audiences forget that they were watching what was essentially a filmed stage play. Despite the extent of this achievement, however, legend has it that he won for making Elizabeth Taylor look haggard.

In the Heat of the Night (1967), directed by Norman Jewison

Jewison’s classic murder mystery set against the backdrop of racial prejudice in the Deep South was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won five. Missing among its impressive haul of nominations was one for Wexler’s once again superb cinematography. In order not to nominate him, they had to reach out to the pretty but stagnant cinematography of the musicals Camelot and Doctor Dolittle. It would be another eight years before Wexler would be nominated again.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), directed by Milos Forman

Wexler’s clashes with Forman eventually got him fired before completing the film, but he was responsible for most of the film’s cinematography, enough so that whoever came in to replace him couldn’t mess up the iconic look he gave the film. He was once again nominated for an Oscar for his contribution, as was his replacement, Bill Butler whose only nomination was on Wexler’s coattail. They lost to John Alcott for Barry Lyndon. Wexler would win his second Oscar for the following year’s Bound for Glory.

Coming Home (1978), directed by Hal Ashby

Wexler spent much of his career photographing and directing anti-war documentaries, so much so that he was right at home directing old pal Asby’s consciousness raising treatise that many saw as an antidote to the same year’s The Deer Hunter which took home five Oscars out of nine nominations vs. Coming Home’s three out of eight. A nomination for Wexler would have given the film nnen nominations, tying it with The Deer Hunter, but that was not to be. The Oscar for cinematography went to Days of Heaven.

HASKELL WEXLER AND OSCAR

• Oscar – Best Black and White Cinematography – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
• Nominated – Best Cinematography – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
• Oscar – Best Cinematography – Bound for Glory (1976)
• Nominated – Best Cinematography – Matewan (1987)
• Nominated – Best Cinematography – Blaze (1989)