Ralph Woolsey

Ralph Woolsey was an American cinematographer.

He began his career while a student at the University of Minnesota, making conservation films for the state and industrials for Bell Aircraft; some of the latter were used to train U.S. Air Force personnel during World War II. By 1950, he was teaching cinematography at USC, a job he kept for seven years.

Ralph Woolsey was an American cinematographer.

He began his career while a student at the University of Minnesota, making conservation films for the state and industrials for Bell Aircraft; some of the latter were used to train U.S. Air Force personnel during World War II. By 1950, he was teaching cinematography at USC, a job he kept for seven years.

Woolsey worked on several TV westerns such as Sugarfoot, Lawman, Bronco, Cheyenne, and Maverick, for which he received his first Emmy nomination. Other television work included Batman, 77 Sunset Strip, Hawaiian Eye, The Name Of The Game, and It Takes a Thief, which garnered him an Emmy award.

Woolsey switched his focus to feature films in the 1970s, including work on Little Fauss and Big Halsy, The New Centurions, The Mack, The Iceman Cometh, Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins, Mother, Jugs & Speed, The Great Santini, and his last feature credit, Oh, God! Book II, in 1980.

Woolsey died March 23, 2018, in Woodland Hills, California. He was 104.

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Awards & Nominations

3 Nominations | 1 Emmy

The Television Academy database lists prime-time Emmy information. Click here to learn more

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