Born in Illinois in 1904, the only child of Jennie and Frank Toland, Gregg and his mother moved to California several years after his parents divorced in 1910. Through Jennie's work as a housekeeper for several people in the movie business, Gregg may had gotten a $12-a-week job at age 15 as an office boy at William Fox Studios. Soon he was making ...
September 28, 1948, Los Angeles, California, United States
Place Of Birth
Charleston, Illinois, USA
Height
5' 1" (1.55 m)
Profession
Cinematographer, Camera Department, Director
Spouse
Virginia Thorpe (m. 1945–1948), Helen Barclay (m. 1934–1945)
Children
Lothian Toland, Gregg Toland Jr., Timothy Toland
Parents
Jennie Toland, Frank Toland
Star Sign
Gemini
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Trademark
1
Deep focus cinematography, depicting a broad and clear foreground, middleground, and background.
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Fact
1
He, posthumously, became the father-in-law of Red Skelton when his daughter, Lothian, married the comedy legend in 1973.
2
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) issued the "Toland ASC Digital Assistant" iPhone App in honor of his memory.
3
On February 28, 2012, Toland's Oscar statuette was auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Memorabilia, fetching $226, 876.
4
Orson Welles once said that everything he knew about the art of photography a great cameraman - Gregg Toland - taught him in half an hour. In truth, before the filming of "Citizen Kane" Toland invited Welles to his house and spent a weekend teaching Welles everything about lens and camera positions that he thought his novice director should know. For the remainder of his life Welles always paid Toland the ultimate compliment: "Not only was he the greatest cameraman I ever worked with," Welles often said,"he was also the fastest.".
$1.2 Million
