Fred Waller
American inventor and film pioneer who created Cinerama.
Fred Waller, born in 1886 and died on May 18, 1954, was an American inventor and film pioneer. While at Paramount Pictures, he made key advances in film special effects. He also created the Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer and developed Cinerama, a wide, curved screen that fills a viewer’s peripheral vision—a feat that won him an Academy Award. An avid skier and boater, Waller secured the first U.S. patent for a water ski in 1925 (though earlier unpatented designs existed). He produced and directed two hundred one-reel shorts for Paramount, among them *Hi-De-Ho* (1934) with Cab Calloway and *Symphony in Black* (1935) with Duke Ellington. He held several patents for photographic gear, including a camera capable of taking a full 360-degree still image. As special projects director for the 1939 New York World’s Fair, he helped design the Perisphere, the Eastman Kodak Hall of Color, and developed the Time and Space Building to showcase Vitarama—an 11-projector system projecting onto a half-dome sphere that preceded Cinerama. During World War II, the Vitarama Corporation, with Waller, produced a five-projector aerial gunnery trainer used by the military, which is credited with improving training effectiveness.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Frederic Waller
- Birth Place
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
- Death Date
- 1954-05-18
- Death Place
- Huntington, New York, United States
- Education
- Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute
- Employer
- Paramount Pictures, Vitarama Corp, Kenyon Instrument Company
- Known For
- Inventor of Cinerama; Inventor of the Waller Gunnery Trainer; first to patent the water ski; made 200 short films for Paramount Pictures
- Children
- Stuart, Muriel (both with Irene Seymour)
- Parents
- Frederic Waller, Katherine Stearns
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Fred Waller worked at Paramount Pictures, where he contributed to film special effects and produced and directed 200 one-reel shorts, including Cab Calloway's Hi-De-Ho (1934) and Duke Ellington's Symphony in Black (1935). He patented several pieces of photographic equipment, including a camera that could take a 360-degree still photo. A snow-skiing and boating enthusiast, he obtained the first U.S. patent for a water ski in 1925 (though earlier unpatented designs existed).
As special projects director for the 1939 New York World's Fair, Waller collaborated on the Perisphere, the Eastman Kodak Hall of Color, and developed the Time and Space Building to showcase his creation Vitarama, an 11-projector system projecting onto a half-dome sphere that was a precursor to Cinerama. During World War II, the Vitarama Corporation produced a five-projector aerial gunnery trainer used by the armed forces, which improved training for gunners.
Reader's Guide
Fred Waller's significance lies in his pioneering work in immersive cinema and military training. His invention of Cinerama, a curved film screen extending to the viewer's peripheral vision, revolutionized the moviegoing experience and earned him an Academy Award. His earlier Vitarama system, developed for the 1939 New York World's Fair, laid the technical groundwork for Cinerama. During World War II, his five-projector aerial gunnery trainer, produced by the Vitarama Corporation, had a profound impact by saving an estimated 350,000 casualties. Waller also contributed to film as a producer and director of shorts and held patents for photographic equipment and the first water ski patent. His work at Paramount Pictures and the World's Fair cemented his legacy as a key figure in both entertainment and wartime technology.
Did You Know?
- His Vitarama system used 11 projectors onto a half-dome sphere.
- The Waller Flexible Gunnery Trainer improved training for aerial gunners during World War II.
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