- Had a reputation for being very gruff and short-tempered.
- Though Ben Lyon may have been the first to discover Marilyn Monroe, it was Shamroy who shot her very first Technicolor screen test. The six-minute test was filmed on the same set that had been used for the Betty Grable movie, Mother Wore Tights (1947). Ironically, both Monroe and Grable would later co-star in How to Marry a Millionaire (1953).
- Cinematographer for six Oscar Best Picture nominees: Wilson (1944), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), The Robe (1953), Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955), The King and I (1956) and Cleopatra (1963).
- He is one of only six cinematographers to have a star on the famous "Hollywood Walk of Fame"; the others are Hal Mohr, Ray Rennahan, J. Peverell Marley, Conrad L. Hall and Haskell Wexler.
- Was the first of only three cinematographers to win consecutive Oscars for Best Cinematography (for The Black Swan (1942), for Wilson (1944) and Leave Her to Heaven (1945)). The others are Winton C. Hoch and John Toll.
- President American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) 1947-1948.
- Studied engineering at Columbia University and entered the film business as a lab technician with Fox in 1920. Became full director of photography in 1927, at first shooting documentaries for Robert J. Flaherty. At Paramount 1933-37, then under contract to 20th Century-Fox (1939-69), where he became the studio's leading cinematographer, expert in Technicolor and 70mm CinemaScope. A genius at lighting, he often employed colored filters to create specific emotional moods and atmosphere.
- Uncle of David Abel, famous for Top Hat (1935) and many other Fred Astaire movies plus Holiday Inn (1942).
- He can be seen taking a bow on the Ape City set of Planet of the Apes (1968) in Roddy McDowall's 16mm footage on the two-disc 35th anniversary DVD edition of that film, and has a cameo in Caprice (1967).
- Along with Charles Lang, he holds the record for having been nominated for an Oscar more times--18--than any other Director of Photography; Shamroy won four Oscars. Lang won one.
- Brother-in-law of James Anderson.
- Brother of Bernard B. Ray.
- Father of Paul Shamroy, with his first wife, Rosamund.
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