William H. Clothier

Born and raised in Illinois, Clothier moved to California when he turned twenty in 1923. He began his career in films as a set painter at Warner Brothers before gaining work as an assistant cameraman at several Poverty Row studios. Clothier worked on the aerial photography crew of the Oscar-winning "Wings" (1927) for Paramount. He continued working there until 1929 when he moved to RKO. Because of a strike, he relocated to Mexico City in 1933 and moved to Spain the following year. In 1938, he was imprisoned by the Spanish Communist forces. Upon his release and return to the US, Clothier returned to work as a camera operator and as a second unit director of photography and aerial cameraman.