Ernest Beaumont Schoedsack (June 8, 1893 – December 23, 1979) was an American motion picture cinematographer, producer, and director. Schoedsack worked as a cameraman in World War I, where he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. At the conclusion of the war, he stayed in Europe to further his career. He worked on several films with Merian C. Cooper including King Kong, Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, and The Most Dangerous Game. He also collaborated with screenwriter Ruth Rose, whom he later married.
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Early life
Ernest B. Schoedsack was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on June 8, 1893. He ran away from home at age fourteen and worked with road gangs. He went to San Francisco, where he worked as a surveyor. He grew to be 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), and his friends called him "Shorty".
Film career
Schoedsack began his career thanks to his brother Felix that helped him get a job as a cameraman in films in 1914 for Mack Sennett. He continued working as a cameraman in World War I. He served in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army in France in 1918. He also flew in combat bombing missions. After the war, he stayed in Europe furthering his career as a cameraman. In 1920, Schoedsack helped refugees in Poland escape the Polish–Soviet War. He worked with the American Red Cross. During 1921 and 1922, he also helped refugees from the Greco-Turkish War. After training at the Columbia University School of Military Cinematography, he was hired by The New York Times as a cameraman on an expedition around the world.
