Was the original cinematographer for Alien 3 (1992). Because his slow shooting
pace irked studio executives at Twentieth-Century Fox, he was replaced
by Alex Thomson less than two weeks into the shoot.
He was misdiagnosed and treated for multiple sclerosis. It was later discovered that he was actually suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Began in the industry in 1957. Worked in the still photo lab at Columbia until 1961, when he became camera assistant to Conrad Hall.
He was the original cinematographer for The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984), but producer David Begelman had him replaced with Fred J. Koenekamp after a few weeks. As a result, the film moved from a high quality visual appearance to a flat and campy look, which was something the filmmakers didn't intend. Some of his scenes are still present in the finished film, such as the famous nightclub scene near the beginning of the film.