IEC
GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHERS
#2: With Jean Harlow
#3: [Right] with dir Jack Conway
HAROLD ROSSON
Born: 6 April 1895, Genaseo, N.Y., as Harold 'Hal' G. Rosson.
Died: 6 September 1988, Palm Beach, Florida, USA.
Career: Started his career in 1908 as an actor at the Vitagraph Studios in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York. Became asst to doph Irvin Willat at the Mark Dintenfass Studios. In 1912 he divided his time as an office boy in a stockbrokers firm and as asst, extra and handyman at the Famous Players Studio in New York. In 1914 he worked as a ticket seller, ticket taker and projectionist in a little theatre in Brooklyn. Moved to California in December 1914 and joined Metro Pictures as asst to property man Danny Hogan and doph Arthur A. Cadwell. When Metro moved back to New York he went with them. Became doph in 1915. During WWI he served in the army. After his demobilization he went to work on the Marion Davies picture, 'The Dark Star', in Fort Lee, N.J., as asst to doph Henry Lyman Broening. He was offered a contract with the Davies Company. In 1920 he was signed by Mary Pickford as a doph but not on her pictures, but on films starring her brother Jack. In 1935 he went to England to work for prod/dir Alexander Korda. Retired in 1958 [only to return for 'El Dorado'].
Was a member of the ASC since 1927.
Was married to actress Jean Harlow [1933-34; Married: Harlean Carpenter McGrew Bern (Jean Harlow), 22, cinema actress, widow of MGM's Associate Producer Paul Bern Levy who last year spectacularly died by his own hand; and Harold G. Rosson, cameraman; in Yuma, Arizona.] & socialite Yvonne Crellin [1936-45].
His sister Helene Rosson [1897-1985] was an actress, his brother Richard [1893-1953] was an actor/director and brother Arthur [1886-1960] was a film director.
Awards: Special 'Oscar' AA [1936; shared] for the color cinematography of 'The Garden of Allah'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1939; color] for 'The Wizard of Oz'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1940; b&w] for 'Boom Town'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1944; b&w; shared] for 'Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1950; b&w] & Golden Globe nom [1951; b&w] for 'The Asphalt Jungle'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1956; b&w] for 'The Bad Seed'; 'George' Award [1957] for outstanding achievement.
Louis B. Mayer once said to cinematographer Hal Rosson: "If it's an MGM film, it has to look like an MGM film." Rosson, one of the pioneers in motion picture photography spent 23 years at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and is one of the photographers who helped create and maintain the "polished look" that was so integral a part of the studio's films.
By 1920 he was a full-fledged cinematographer at Paramount. Rosson recalled that during those days one experimented, listened, and watched to learn and develop one's craft. Technical difficulties were approached and surmounted as they occurred, with no pretensions to "art." In doing so, Rosson became one of the finest exponents of his craft.
He joined MGM in 1930 and it was there that he perfected his own skills and aided that studio in developing the glossy patina which would become an MGM trademark. MGM loaned him to Selznick International for 'The Garden of Allah', and Rosson recalled that while he knew nothing about color film at the time, he decided "to control color, to eliminate color unless it could be used dramatically. I didn't want color to control me." His most outstanding achievement with color was for MGM's 'The Wizard of Oz', though again he modestly described his work as simply a matter of "controlling color." After 1955 he worked at various studios. Rosson was proud of his years at MGM, and fondly recalled its esprit de corps: "The spirit was such that we were proud to be at MGM." [From article by Ronald Bowers.]
| FILMS [1 reel = ca. 10m] | |
|---|---|
|
1915 |
David Harum [Allan Dwan] b&w; 5 reels; or ph Henry Lyman Broening; prod Famous Players Film Company |
|
1916 |
The Honorable Friend [Edward LeSaint] b&w; 5 reels; prod Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company (JLLFPC) |
|
1916 |
The Victoria Cross [Edward LeSaint] b&w; 5 reels; prod JLLFPC |
|
1916 |
Oliver Twist [James Young] b&w; 5 reels; prod JLLFPC |
|
1916 |
Panthea [Allan Dwan] b&w; 5 reels; cph: Roy Overbaugh; prod Norma Talmadge Film Corp.; shot in the Biograph Studio, New York |
|
1917 |
The American Consul [Rollin Sturgeon] b&w; 5 reels; prod JLLFPC |
|
1919 |
The Cinema Murder [George D. Baker] b&w; 6 reels; prod Cosmopolitan Prod. (CP) |
|
1920 |
Polly of the Storm Country [Arthur Rosson] b&w; prod Chaplin-Mayer Pictures Company |
|
1920 |
Heliotrope [George D. Baker] b&w; prod CP |
|
1921 |
Buried Treasure [George D. Baker] b&w; prod CP |
|
1921 |
Everything for Sale [Frank O'Connor] b&w; 5 reels; prod Realart Pictures (RP) |
|
1921 |
A Virginia Courtship [Frank O'Connor] b&w; 5 reels; prod RP |
|
1921 |
A Homespun Vamp [Frank O'Connor] b&w; 5 reels; prod RP |
|
1922 |
The Cradle [Paul Powell] b&w; 5 reels; prod Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (FPLC) |
|
1922 |
Through a Glass Window [Maurice Campbell] b&w; 5 reels; prod RP |
|
1922 |
For the Defense [Paul Powell] b&w; 5 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1922 |
Garrison's Finish [Arthur Rosson] b&w; prod Jack Pickford Prod. |
|
1922 |
Dark Secrets [Victor Fleming] b&w; 6 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1923 |
Quicksands/Boots and Saddles [Jack Conway] b&w; 5 reels (re-release 1927); cph: Glen MacWilliams; prod Agfar Corporation |
|
1923 |
The Glimpses of the Moon [Allan Dwan] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1923 |
Lawful Larceny [Allan Dwan] b&w; 6 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1923 |
Zaza [Allan Dwan] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
A Society Scandal [Allan Dwan] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
Manhandled [Allan Dwan] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
The Story Without a Name/Without Warning [Irvin Willat] b&w; 6 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
Manhattan [R.H. Burnside] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
A Man Must Live [Paul Sloane] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1924 |
Too Many Kisses [Paul Sloane] b&w; 6 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1925 |
The Little French Girl [Herbert Brenon] b&w; 6 reels; prod FPLC |
|
1925 |
The Street of Forgotten Men [Herbert Brenon] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1925 |
Classified [Alfred Santell] b&w; prod Corinne Griffith Prod. (CGP) |
|
1925 |
Infatuation [Irving Cummings] b&w; prod CGP |
|
1926 |
Up in Mabel's Room [E. Mason Hopper] b&w; cph: Alex Phillips; prod Christie Film Company |
|
1926 |
Say It Again [Gregory La Cava] b&w; or ph Edward Cronjager; prod FPLC |
|
1926 |
Almost a Lady [E. Mason Hopper] b&w; 6 reels; prod Metropolitan Pictures Corporation of California (MPCoC) |
|
1926 |
For Wives Only [Victor Heerman] b&w; 6 reels; prod MPCoC |
|
1926 |
Man Bait [Donald Crisp] b&w; 6 reels; prod MPCoC |
|
1926 |
Jim, the Conqueror [George B. Seitz] b&w; 6 reels; prod MPCoC |
|
1927 |
Getting Gertie's Garter [E. Mason Hopper] b&w; prod MPCoC |
|
1927 |
Evening Clothes [Luther Reed] b&w; prod FPLC |
|
1927 |
Rough House Rosie [Frank Strayer] b&w; cph: James Murray; 6 reels; prod Paramount Famous Lasky Corp. (PFLC) |
|
1927 |
Service for Ladies [Harry d'Arrast] b&w; prod PFLC |
|
1927 |
A Gentleman of Paris [Harry d'Arrast] b&w; 6 reels; prod PFLC |
|
1927 |
Open Range [Clifford Smith] b&w; 6 reels; prod PFLC |
|
1927 |
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes [Malcolm St. Clair] b&w; prod PFLC |
|
1927 |
The Dragnet [Josef von Sternberg] b&w; prod PFLC |
|
1928 |
Sawdust Paradise [Luther Reed] b&w; silent & sound (efx & music) version; prod PFLC |
|
1928 |
The Docks of New York [Josef von Sternberg] b&w; prod PFLC |
|
1928 |
Abie's Irish Rose [Victor Fleming] b&w; silent & sound version; prod PFLC |
|
1928 |
Three Week-ends [Clarence Badger] b&w; 6 reels; prod PFLC |
|
1928 |
The Case of Lena Smith [Josef von Sternberg] b&w; prod PFLC |
|
1929 |
Trent's Last Case [Howard Hawks] b&w; 6 reels; silent & sound (efx & music) version; prod Fox Film Corp. (FFC) |
|
1929 |
The Far Call [Allan Dwan] b&w; 6 reels; silent & sound (efx & music) version; prod FFC |
|
1929 |
Frozen Justice [Allan Dwan] b&w; silent & sound version; prod FFC |
|
1929 |
South Sea Rose [Allan Dwan] b&w |
|
1930 |
Hello Sister [Walter Lang] b&w |
|
1930 |
This Mad World [William C. de Mille] b&w; cph: J. Peverell Marley; silent & sound version; prod MGM |
|
1930 |
Madam Satan [Cecil B. DeMille] b&w |
|
1930 |
Soyons gais [Arthur Robison] b&w; French-language version of 'Let Us Be Gay' (1930, Robert Z. Leonard; ph: Norbert Brodine) |
|
1930 |
Passion Flower [William C. de Mille] b&w |
|
1930 |
En cada puerto un amor [Carlos Borcosque & Marcel Silver] b&w; cph: Leonard Smith; Spanish-language version of 'Way for a Sailor' (1930, Sam Wood; ph: Percy Hilburn) |
|
1930 |
The Prodigal/The Southerner [Harry Pollard] b&w |
|
1931 |
Men Call It Love [Edgar Selwyn] b&w |
|
1931 |
The Squaw Man/The White Man [Cecil B. DeMille] b&w |
|
1931 |
Son of India [Jacques Feyder] b&w |
|
1931 |
Sporting Blood [Charles Brabin] b&w |
|
1931 |
The Cuban Love Song [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w |
|
1931 |
Tarzan the Ape Man [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w; cph: Clyde De Vinna; 1st film in Johnny Weissmuller's 12-part 'Tarzan'-series (MGM, 1931-42 & RKO, 1943-48) |
|
1932 |
Are You Listening? [Harry Beaumont] b&w |
|
1932 |
When a Fellow Needs a Friend [Harry Pollard] b&w |
|
1932 |
Red-Headed Woman [Jack Conway] b&w |
|
1932 |
Downstairs [Monta Bell] b&w |
|
1932 |
Kongo [William Cowen] b&w |
|
1932 |
Red Dust [Victor Fleming] b&w; uncred cph (?): Arthur Edeson |
|
1932 |
Hell Below [Jack Conway] b&w |
|
1933 |
Hold Your Man [Sam Wood] b&w |
|
1933 |
The Barbarian/The Arab/Man of the Nile/A Night in Cairo [Sam Wood] b&w |
|
1933 |
Turn Back the Clock [Edgar Selwyn] b&w |
|
1933 |
Penthouse/Crooks in Clover [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w; cph: Lucien Andriot |
|
1933 |
Bombshell/Blonde Bombshell [Victor Fleming] b&w; uncred cph: Chester Lyons |
|
1933 |
Viva Villa! [Jack Conway; (uncred) Howard Hawks & William Wellman] scheduled as doph, but replaced by James Wong Howe after his marriage to actress Jean Harlow |
|
1933 |
The Cat and the Fiddle [William K. Howard & (uncred retakes) Sam Wood] b&w + color seq; cph: Charles G. Clarke & Ray Rennahan |
|
1933 |
This Side of Heaven [William K. Howard] b&w |
|
1934 |
The Girl from Missouri/100 Per Cent Pure/Born to Be Kissed/Eadie Was a Lady [Jack Conway & (uncred) Sam Wood] replaced by doph Ray June after his marriage to the star (Jean Harlow) had ended |
|
1934 |
Treasure Island [Victor Fleming] b&w; cph: Ray June & Clyde De Vinna |
|
1934 |
The Scarlet Pimpernel [Harold Young; (uncred) Rowland Brown & Alexander Korda] b&w; spec pfx: George J. Teague |
|
1935 |
The Ghost Goes West [René Clair & (uncred; re-shot and/or re-shaped some of Clair's material) Alexander Korda] b&w |
|
1935 |
The Man Who Could Work Miracles [Lothar Mendes] b&w; sfx ph: Jack Cardiff |
|
1935 |
As You Like It [Paul Czinner] b&w |
|
1936 |
The Garden of Allah [Richard Boleslawski] c; ph adv (?); ph: Virgil Miller (uncred) & W. Howard Greene; assoc ph: Robert Carney & Wilfred M. Cline; sfx ph: Clarence Slifer & Jack Cosgrove; 'I was under contract to MGM, and Eddie Mannix called me in one day, and said, 'We're loaning you out to David Selznick.' So the next day we started to work on the picture; I went back to the studio that night, I called up Mr. Mannix and said, 'Eddie, I'm not so sure I'm the man for this picture.' He said, 'Why?' I said, 'It's in color! I don't know anything about color... I'm not the man.' He said, 'Oh, forget about it... you're the man. Mr. Selznick wants you to do it, and we want you to do it.' So I went back the next day, photographed it, and won the Academy Award that year for color.' [From interview in 'Behind the Camera: The Cinematographer's Art' by Leonard Maltin, 1971.] |
|
1936 |
The Devil Is a Sissy/The Devil Takes the Count [W.S. Van Dyke & Rowland Brown] b&w; cph: George Schneiderman |
|
1936 |
Captains Courageous [Victor Fleming & (uncred fill-in) Jack Conway] b&w; fill-in ph (while H. Rosson was ill): Harold Morzorati; backgrounds & ext ph in October-November 1935 |
|
1937 |
They Gave Him a Gun [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w; sfx: Slavko Vorkapich |
|
1937 |
The Emperor's Candlesticks [George Fitzmaurice] b&w; uncred cph: Oliver T. Marsh |
|
1937 |
Double Wedding [Richard Thorpe] b&w; co-uncred cph; ph: William Daniels |
|
1937 |
A Yank at Oxford [Jack Conway] b&w; studio ph; loc ph: Cyril Knowles |
|
1938 |
Too Hot to Handle [Jack Conway] b&w; fill-in ph (last few days of filming): Ray June; ph Dutch Guiana: Clyde De Vinna (d: Richard Rosson); sfx ph: A. Arnold Gillespie |
|
1938 |
That Mothers Might Live [Fred Zinnemann] b&w; short/10m |
|
1938 |
Gone with the Wind [Victor Fleming (replaced George Cukor); (add dir) Sam Wood, Sidney Franklin & William Wellman] c; uncred ph 'Burning of Atlanta' seq (filmed in December 1938); ph: Ernest Haller & (uncred) Lee Garmes |
|
1938 |
The Wizard of Oz [Richard Thorpe, replaced by George Cukor (2 days), replaced by Victor Fleming (scrapped existing footage; credited dir), replaced (in February 1939) by King Vidor] b&w-c; color ph; b&w ph: Allen M. Davey; 2uc: John Arnold; spec pfx: Max Fabian |
|
1939 |
Forgotten Victory [Fred Zinnemann] b&w; short/11m |
|
1939 |
I Take This Woman/New York Cinderella [Josef von Sternberg (started in October 1938); Frank Borzage (replaced von Sternberg in November 1938; filming suspended in January 1939); W.S. Van Dyke II (re-shot most of the film in December 1939)] b&w; ph (with dir W.S. Van Dyke II); uncred ph (with dir F. Borzage): Charles Lawton Jr. |
|
1940 |
Edison, the Man [Clarence Brown] b&w |
|
1940 |
Boom Town [Jack Conway] b&w; sfx ph: A. Arnold Gillespie |
|
1940 |
Dr. Kildare Goes Home [Harold S. Bucquet] b&w; 5th film of 15-part 'Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie'-series (MGM, 1938-47) |
|
1940 |
Flight Command [Frank Borzage] b&w; 2uc: Paul Mantz & Frank Clarke |
|
1940 |
Men of Boys Town [Norman Taurog] b&w |
|
1941 |
The Penalty [Harold S. Bucquet] b&w; uncred cph (?): Clyde De Vinna; loc ph: Charles Lawton Jr. |
|
1941 |
Washington Melodrama [S. Sylvan Simon] b&w |
|
1941 |
The Yearling [Victor Fleming] c; filmed April-June; prod was shelved and resumed in May 1945 with dir Clarence Brown and ph Leonard Smith & Arthur Arling; final version was ph by Charles Rosher (September 1945-January 1946) |
|
1941 |
The Chocolate Soldier [Roy Del Ruth] b&w; fill-in ph (while K. Freund was ill); ph: Karl Freund |
|
1941 |
Honky Tonk [Jack Conway] b&w; replaced ph William H. Daniels, who fell ill |
|
1941 |
Johnny Eager [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w |
|
1941 |
We Were Dancing [Robert Z. Leonard] b&w; ph add scenes; ph: Robert Planck |
|
1941 |
Tortilla Flat [Victor Fleming] b&w; uncred cph (?); ph: Karl Freund; sfx ph: Warren Newcombe |
|
1942 |
Somewhere I'll Find You [Wesley Ruggles] b&w |
|
1942 |
Tennessee Johnson/The Man on America's Conscience [William Dieterle] b&w |
|
1942 |
Slightly Dangerous [Wesley Ruggles] b&w |
|
1943 |
An American Romance [King Vidor] c; uncred 2uc: Charles P. Boyle; filmed April-August & October-November |
|
1943 |
Meet Me in St. Louis [Vincente Minnelli] c; uncred ph 'The Trolley Song' seq; ph: George Folsey |
|
1944 |
Marriage Is a Private Affair [Robert Z. Leonard] b&w; uncred cph (?); ph: Ray June |
|
1944 |
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w; cph: Robert Surtees; + 2ud aerial seq |
|
1944 |
Between Two Women [Willis Goldbeck] b&w; 14th film of 'Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie'-series |
|
1945 |
Duel in the Sun [King Vidor & (uncred; finished film) William Dieterle] c; cph: Lee Garmes & Ray Rennahan; addph: Charles P. Boyle & Allen M. Davey; spec pfx: Jack Cosgrove & Clarence Slifer; filmed March 1945-September 1946 |
|
1945 |
No Leave, No Love [Charles Martin] b&w; cph: Robert Surtees |
|
1945 |
[MGM's Miracle Love Story -] Three Wise Fools [Edward Buzzell] b&w |
|
1946 |
My Brother Talks to Horses [Fred Zinnemann] b&w |
|
1946 |
Living in a Big Way [Gregory La Cava] b&w |
|
1947 |
The Hucksters [Jack Conway] b&w; sfx ph: Warren Newcombe & A. Arnold Gillespie |
|
1947 |
Homecoming [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w |
|
1948 |
Command Decision [Sam Wood] b&w |
|
1948 |
The Stratton Story [Sam Wood] b&w |
|
1949 |
Any Number Can Play [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w |
|
1949 |
On the Town [Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen] c; uncred cph (mus seq): Harry Stradling Sr.; 2uc: Charles Schoenbaum (with dir Andrew Marton); sfx ph: Warren Newcombe |
|
1949 |
Key to the City [George Sidney] b&w |
[Right] with John Huston, Marilyn Monroe & Louis Calhern - "The Asphalt Jungle"
|
1949 |
The Asphalt Jungle [John Huston] b&w |
|
1950 |
To Please a Lady/Red Hot Wheels [Clarence Brown] b&w |
|
1950 |
The Red Badge of Courage [John Huston] b&w |
|
1950 |
Love Is Better Than Ever/The Light Fantastic [Stanley Donen] b&w |
|
1951 |
An American in Paris [Vincente Minnelli] c; ph 'I Got Rhythm' number; ph: Alfred Gilks; ph final ballet seq: John Alton; loc ph Paris: Geoffrey Unsworth |
|
1951 |
Lone Star [Vincent Sherman] b&w |
|
1951 |
Singin' in the Rain [Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen] c; replaced doph John Alton |
|
1952 |
The Story of Three Loves/Three Stories of Love [Gottfried Reinhardt (seg #1 'The Jealous Lover' & #3 'Equilibrium') & Vincente Minnelli (seg #2 'Mademoiselle')] c; 3 seg; ph seg 'Mademoiselle'; other ph: Charles Rosher; filmed January-February |
|
1952 |
I Love Melvin [Don Weis] c |
|
1952 |
Dangerous When Wet [Charles Walters] c |
|
1952 |
The Actress [George Cukor] b&w |
|
1953 |
Ulisse/Ulysses [Mario Camerini & (uncred) Mario Bava] c; spec pfx: Eugen Schüfftan |
|
1953 |
A Star Is Born [George Cukor] cs/c; ph 'Born in a Trunk' number (dir by Richard Barstow); ph: Sam Leavitt |
|
1954 |
Mambo [Robert Rossen] b&w |
|
1954 |
Strange Lady in Town [Mervyn LeRoy] cs/c |
Dir Jack Webb, HR and actress Peggy Lee [right] - "Pete Kelly's Blues"
|
1955 |
Pete Kelly's Blues [Jack Webb] cs/c |
|
1955 |
The Bad Seed [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w |
|
1956 |
Toward the Unknown/Brink of Hell [Mervyn LeRoy] c; 2uc: Harold Wellman; aph: Paul Mantz |
|
1957 |
No Time for Sergeants [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w |
|
1957 |
The Enemy Below [Dick Powell] cs/c |
|
1957 |
The Buccaneer [Anthony Quinn] vv/c; prologue ph; ph: Loyal Griggs |
|
1957 |
Onionhead [Norman Taurog] b&w |
|
1963 |
Decision at Midnight [Lewis Allen] c; prod for Moral Re-Armament |
|
1965 |
El Dorado [Howard Hawks] c; spec pfx: Paul K. Lerpae; process ph: Farciot Edouart |
