Hollywood Film Industry Figure. He is recognized as an award-winning Hollywood sound engineer, who had a 37-year career as a soundman. He shared the 1944 Academy Award for Best Special Effects for "Crash Dive." He had 4 Oscar nominations: "Black Swan" in 1943, "Wilson" in 1944, "Captain Eddie" in 1945 and "Deep Water" in 1948. After arriving in Hollywood, he started at Metro Studios with the lowly job of gopher, rapidly advancing in the silent film industry first as an actor then director. He learned from on-the-job training. After leaving Metro Studios, he worked with United Artists and by 1925 with Goldwyn as assistant director. He worked with 54 silent films before the talkies. He returned to United Artists after they had converted to sound. Preparing for talking films, he attended AMPAS School of Sound Recording, graduating in Class 2 on December 16, 1929 and his sound career began. In the mid-1930s he was recruited to go to 20th Century Fox, eventually becoming the head of their Sound Re-Recording Department. He finished his career with 20th Century Fox. His work was uncredited on many films. Among his best-known films, besides his Academy Award films, are "Gentleman Prefer Blonds" in 1953, "All About Eve" in 1950, "Lifeboat" in 1944, "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940, and "How Green is My Valley" in 1941. He married twice. His son Roger Heman, Jr, born 1932 with first wife Jesse Davis, followed in his footsteps, becoming a soundman, and was awarded the 1976 Academy Award for his work on the film "Jaws." After having a debilitating stroke in 1966, he died at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills. He is credited with a total of 350 films during his prolific career.
Hollywood Film Industry Figure. He is recognized as an award-winning Hollywood sound engineer, who had a 37-year career as a soundman. He shared the 1944 Academy Award for Best Special Effects for "Crash Dive." He had 4 Oscar nominations: "Black Swan" in 1943, "Wilson" in 1944, "Captain Eddie" in 1945 and "Deep Water" in 1948. After arriving in Hollywood, he started at Metro Studios with the lowly job of gopher, rapidly advancing in the silent film industry first as an actor then director. He learned from on-the-job training. After leaving Metro Studios, he worked with United Artists and by 1925 with Goldwyn as assistant director. He worked with 54 silent films before the talkies. He returned to United Artists after they had converted to sound. Preparing for talking films, he attended AMPAS School of Sound Recording, graduating in Class 2 on December 16, 1929 and his sound career began. In the mid-1930s he was recruited to go to 20th Century Fox, eventually becoming the head of their Sound Re-Recording Department. He finished his career with 20th Century Fox. His work was uncredited on many films. Among his best-known films, besides his Academy Award films, are "Gentleman Prefer Blonds" in 1953, "All About Eve" in 1950, "Lifeboat" in 1944, "The Grapes of Wrath" in 1940, and "How Green is My Valley" in 1941. He married twice. His son Roger Heman, Jr, born 1932 with first wife Jesse Davis, followed in his footsteps, becoming a soundman, and was awarded the 1976 Academy Award for his work on the film "Jaws." After having a debilitating stroke in 1966, he died at the Motion Picture Home in Woodland Hills. He is credited with a total of 350 films during his prolific career.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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