Biography
Leonard Smith was an American cinematographer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on 19 April 1894, he began his career in 1915 on the silent film The Battle Cry of Peace and accumulated over 70 credits before retiring in 1946.
He worked frequently at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and was known for his Technicolor work on films including A Day at the Races (1937), Tarzan Escapes (1936), Lassie Come Home (1943), National Velvet (1944) and The Yearling (1946). Smith shared the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Color) for The Yearling with Arthur Arling and Charles Rosher. He received earlier nominations in the same category for Billy the Kid (1941), Lassie Come Home and National Velvet.
Smith served as president of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1941 until his death on 20 October 1947 in Los Angeles, aged 53.
