Roy Seawright; Motion Picture Special Effects Expert

Roy Seawright, 85, who was nominated three times for an Academy Award for special effects. A Los Angeles native, Seawright headed the special effects department of the Army Air Force’s first motion picture unit during World War II, producing top-secret flight films. He began his career creating animated effects at Hal Roach Studios for Laurel and Hardy and Our Gang comedies. He was among the first special effects people nominated for an Oscar in that category, honored for his work in “Topper Takes a Trip” in 1940, “One Million Years B.C.” in 1941 and “Topper Returns” in 1942. Seawright also served as a Hermosa Beach city councilman and police commissioner, and co-founded Cascade Pictures, which makes documentaries. On April 30 in Torrance after a stroke.