Judge Whitaker

"Judge" Wetzel Orson Whitaker (September 30, 1908 - November 1, 1985) (age 76) was the main Mormon filmmaker from about 1951-1974. Most of the films he was involved in, such as The Windows of Heaven, Johnny Lingo and Pioneers in Petticoats, were made in cooperation with his brother Scott Whitaker. The two of them ran the BYU motion picture studio during this time which received commission from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to make films.

Whitaker was born in Heber City, Utah and grew up primarily in Utah and Colorado. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and then was Art Director for the St. Louis Times. In the 1930s he moved to California where he worked many years for Walt Disney.

From 1953 on Whitaker directed the BYU motion picture studio. In 1971 he was given an honorary doctorate by BYU and he retired from his work at the picture studio in 1974.