Former child actor, the son of pioneer British cameraman D.P. "Dippy" Cooper. Began working behind the camera as an assistant to Georges Perinal at Alexander Korda's Denham Studio. Promoted to Director of Photography in the 1940's, he went on to work with top film makers like Hitchcock, Balcon, Launder & Gilliatt, Raoul Walsh (whom he addressed as 'General') and Ray Harryhausen, among others.