In Remembrance: Arthur Widmer

     Arthur Widmer, whose work in developing special effects technology culminated in the blue screen compositing process, has passed away on May 28, 2006 in Hollywood, CA. He was 92.

     Born on July 25, 1914 in Washington, D.C., Widmer entered the University of Michigan at the age of 16, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. After graduation he was hired by Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories in Rochester, NY. During World War II, Kodak sent him to Oak Ridge, TN where he worked on the Manhattan Project. After the war he worked for Kodak in Los Angeles. Working on new methods of enhancing the picture quality of film, Widmer helped to introduce the new Eastman Color Negative and Color Positive films that would replace the 3-strip Technicolor process to the film industry.

     In 1950, Widmer went to work for Warner Brothers Studios where he helped to develop the Ultra Violet Traveling Matte process as well as worked on refinements to the 3-D and widescreen processes. Widmer also began developing the blue screen process of optically combining multiple film elements into one picture. One of the first films to use the technique was the 1958 film The Old Man And The Sea with Spencer Tracy.

     Widmer went on to work at Universal Studios in 1964, where he opened their optical department. While at universal he continued his development of the blue screen process.

     Widmer retired in 1979. In February 2005, he received a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.