LONDON, April 23 (UPI) -- British cinematographer Jack Cardiff, who won an Oscar for his work on "Black Narcissus" in 1947, has died in Ely, England. He was 94.
The Los Angeles Times said the former child actor and some-time film director, who worked until about three years ago, died Wednesday of age-related causes.
Craig McCall, the producer and director of an upcoming documentary about Cardiff, described him as "a great ambassador to film."
"He loved it; it was his entire life and almost all the great people that we can mention crossed paths with him," McCall told the Times. "He literally almost worked for 90 years, which is quite extraordinary in an industry that is just over 100 years old."
Cardiff was the cinematographer on film classics like "The Red Shoes," "The African Queen," "The Barefoot Contessa," "The Prince and the Showgirl" and "The Vikings." He earned Oscar nominations for his cinematography in 1957 for "War and Peace" and in 1962 for "Fanny," and for directing in 1960 for "Sons and Lovers." He received an honorary Academy Award in 2000.
"He photographed several of the most beautiful Technicolor movies ever made," film critic and historian Leonard Maltin noted. "I think 'Black Narcissus' is breathtaking, and that's the one that always stands out in my mind."
Cardiff is survived by his wife, Nikki, and their son, Mason, as well as his sons John, Rodney and Peter from a previous marriage, the Times said.
