[1] As were many members of the entertainment community including Don's father, Samuel Ornitz was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee,[2] but refused to testify and was fined $1,000.
[3] Ornitz photographed many celebrities,[4] including Raquel Welch, Frank Sinatra, Walt Disney, and Audrey Hepburn.
[5] His obituary in Popular Photography magazine called him "the Titan of the Hollywood photographers".
[6] He was also a photographer for several magazines, including Playboy,[7] Travel and Camera,[8] The Saturday Evening Post, Look, Pageant, Globe, Sports Illustrated[9] and Life.
[10][11][12] His photograph of boys catching insects on a windowpane was selected by Edward Steichen for the 1955 Museum of Modern Art world-touring exhibition The Family of Man that was seen by 9 million visitors.