Donald E. Thorin

Donald Eugene Thorin, ASC (October 12, 1934 – February 9, 2016) was an American cinematographer.

Thorin was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and graduated from Creighton University.

In 1957, he went to Hollywood and started working as mailroom at 20th Century Fox. He later moved to camera department as camera loader, and started his cinematographer career from the 2nd camera assistant on The Young Lions (1958).

He also worked as a commercial desginer.

During the 1970s, Thorin worked as a camera operator for notable cinematographers like Richard H. Kline, Jordan Cronenweth, Haskell Wexler, Owen Roizman and Gordon Willis.

His first feature film as cinematographer was Thief (1981), which also marked the directorial debut of director Michael Mann. Thorin's slick, neo-noir photography was singled out in praise by critics at the time.

He joined the American Society of Cinematographers in 1986.

Throin was married to his wife Dagmar for over 40 years. He was the father of cinematographer and TV director Donald E. Thorin Jr. (born 1957), and camera operator Jeffrey Thorin (born 1961).

Aged 81, Thorin died in Tucson, Arizona on February 9, 2016.