Harold Wenstrom

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Harald Oscar Ludwig Wenstrom, known as Harold Wenstrom or "Wennie," was an American cinematographer. He was born January 4, 1893, in Brooklyn, New York, to Swedish immigrant parents Ludwig Wenstrom and Ida Petersen. He started as a cameraman for Sidney Drew at Metro in New York around 1914. In World War I, he served as a seaman and later worked in the Navy's photographic division, accompanying President Woodrow Wilson on his first trip to Europe. After the war, he moved to Hollywood to work for Maxwell Karger.

In 1919 he became known for his work with actress Alla Nazimova and for taking bold shots, including footage filmed while strapped to a plane’s fuselage.

In World War II, he rejoined the Navy and reached the rank of lieutenant commander. He died on April 26, 1944, in his room at the Ambassador Hotel in Washington, D.C. The cause of death was a heart attack after pneumonia.

He was married to Ella "Bill" Williams, a studio manager at Cosmopolitan Pictures and a former secretary to actress Marion Davies.