Our mystery guest has 66 credits on imdb and is an Oscar winner. Update:
This is Gregg Toland with his first wife, Helene Barclay. They later divorced and he married Virginia Thorpe in 1945.
Los Angeles Times file photo
Here's another picture of our mystery fellow.
Los Angeles Times file photo
Update: Toland poses with Loyola High School junior Bob Mathewson during Boys Week activities at the Goldwyn studios, 1948.
Congratulations to Calum McFarlane, Sam O'Neal and Alexa Foreman for identifying him. I'll wait until Friday just to give other folks a chance.
"The Best Years of Our Lives"
And here's some of his work. Many people have recognized him now. Congrats!
UCLA Special Collections has Toland's annotated script from "Best Years," but it's difficult to locate in the library's incredibly clunky online catalog.
"Citizen Kane"
Yes, as everyone finally guessed, this is Gregg Toland, who died of a heart ailment at his home, 1257 Sunset Plaza Drive, in 1948 after returning from scouting locations in Sonora, Calif. He was 44.
Note that in "Best Years" and "Citizen Kane," the music (Hugo Friedhofer/ Bernard Herrmann) and the photography tell the story, with minimal dialogue.
Comments (44)
Olivia de Havilland? I don't know who the guy is, but he looks mighty familiar....
While I don't have the answer, the open Mitchell camera must be a clue. In the days when the film unions were particularly strong, only a D.P. or camera operator was allowed to touch the equipment. A D.P. was regal on the set, second only in importance to the director.
Wish I knew which Director of Photography it is, if it is...
I can't believe I didn't realize it was Gregg Toland. Not until i saw the picture of him with the camera. He shot many famous movies, including Citizen Kane and Song of the South.
Olivia de Havilland? I don't know who the guy is, but he looks mighty familiar....
Posted by: Gregory Moore | October 20, 2008 at 08:41 AM
Which one is the mystery guest?
Posted by: Rinky Dink | October 20, 2008 at 08:44 AM
Van Heflin!
Posted by: D. Webb | October 20, 2008 at 08:52 AM
Joan Bennett?
Posted by: zabadu | October 20, 2008 at 09:46 AM
ronald colman? Whatever....the style of these celebrities is so elegant! Those days are gone forever. Also Greer Garson?
Posted by: william | October 20, 2008 at 09:59 AM
gotta be the great Greg Tolland!
Posted by: Calum McFarlane | October 20, 2008 at 10:06 AM
It's glorious black and white so it must be the great Greg
Tolland!
Posted by: Calum McFarlane | October 20, 2008 at 10:25 AM
Tom Neal?
Posted by: Barry O'Brien | October 20, 2008 at 11:07 AM
The woman is Mary Astor, a.k.a. Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke. Dunno about the guy.
Posted by: Joe Gannon | October 20, 2008 at 11:15 AM
Joseph Schildkraut could be the Oscar Winner
Gail Patrick the woman in the picture
Posted by: mg | October 20, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Is it Joseph Schildkraut and Gale Sondergaard during the making of "The Life of Emile Zola"?
Posted by: Mary Mallory | October 20, 2008 at 02:45 PM
Dalton Trumbo?
Posted by: D. Webb | October 20, 2008 at 06:32 PM
Van Heflin, seen with Rosalind Russell. They were in The Feminine Touch (1941).
Posted by: David Warheit | October 20, 2008 at 09:25 PM
dalton trumbo
Posted by: herb nichols | October 21, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Geo. James Hopkins
Posted by: Dewey Webb | October 21, 2008 at 03:22 PM
I think maybe Dalton Trumbo and his wife Cleo Fincher early, maybe 1937ish.
Posted by: MichaelRyerson | October 22, 2008 at 04:31 AM
Gregg Toland?
Posted by: Sam O'Neal | October 22, 2008 at 07:47 AM
While I don't have the answer, the open Mitchell camera must be a clue. In the days when the film unions were particularly strong, only a D.P. or camera operator was allowed to touch the equipment. A D.P. was regal on the set, second only in importance to the director.
Wish I knew which Director of Photography it is, if it is...
Posted by: Arye Michael Bender | October 22, 2008 at 09:51 AM
The best thing that ever happened to Orson Welles: Gregg Toland.
Posted by: zapgun | October 22, 2008 at 12:33 PM
Michael Curtiz
Posted by: Nancy | October 22, 2008 at 01:31 PM
cinematographer gregg toland
Posted by: herb nichols | October 22, 2008 at 02:25 PM
I can't believe I didn't realize it was Gregg Toland. Not until i saw the picture of him with the camera. He shot many famous movies, including Citizen Kane and Song of the South.
Posted by: Joe Gannon | October 22, 2008 at 05:20 PM
Dana Andrews.
Posted by: Rinky Dink | October 22, 2008 at 07:54 PM
Gregg Toland - Giveaway was the pic with the camera. Also I did a little reverse engineering with IMDB!!
Posted by: Gary Hertzberg | October 22, 2008 at 08:33 PM
Greg Toland
Posted by: D. Webb | October 22, 2008 at 08:54 PM