Homer’s entire family was involved in the entertainment industry. Homer’s sisters were both ballet dancers. Homer and his older brothers started on stage and were eventually involved in shooting silent movies in the 1920′s. In those days, anyone with a motion picture camera and an imagination could start a motion picture production company as this as before the advent of the major studios. Eventually the process became more technical with the advent of “talkies” and many of the theaters were purchased by individuals who would only show films shot by their own production companies. Within a few years, the little guys were shut out of the motion picture business with their only option being to work as an employee at one of the major studios such as Warner Bros, MGM, Fox or Columbia. Van Pelt Productions was eventually dissolved after releasing just two full length feature films.Homer went to work for Columbia Studios as a camera operator and still photographer. Immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor the call went out for photographers, regardless of age, to join the military. A special photographic unit was formed as part of the OSS which later evolved into the CIA. The assignment was reconnaissance and to record history as it happened. Homer’s assignments took him to North Africa for Operation Torch, the mapping of the French coastline in preparation for the D Day landing and then out to the South Pacific aboard the USS Phoenix. Homer’s commanding officer, aboard the USS Hornet, was Admiral John Ford, a noted movie director, who now reported directly to President Roosevelt. The duty at times was dangerous with Homer’s unit eventually loosing 13 photographers. After the war some of the combat footage shot by Homer’s unit was assembled into a 26 part television series entitled Victory at Sea. Homer’s final assignment was to photograph the first United Nations Conference in San Francisco. While serving in Washington DC, Homer photographed Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and General Eisenhower who later became president
After being discharged from military service Homer returned to Hollywood to his former job as a still photographer. Homer’s old commanding officer, John Ford, made sure that Homer was the still photographer on all of his movies many of which starred John Wayne. Homer also worked with Bill Holden, Kim Novak, Elvis Presley, Ann Margaret, Jack Lemon, Humphrey Bogart and many others. Just before retiring in 1970, Homer photographed Prince Phillip on assignment for the Variety Club International in Beverly Hills. Many of Homer’s photographs are still sought after by collectors and are often seen offered on ebay and other specialty websites.
