HARRY STRADLING [Sr.]

GREAT CINEMATOGRAPHERS

1957

[All photos courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)]

HARRY STRADLING [Sr.]

Born: 1 September 1901, Newark, N.J., USA [some sources give England or Nesen, Germany], as Henry A. Stradling.

Died: 14 February 1970, Hollywood, Calif., USA.

Career: Became doph in 1920. Went to France in 1930 [working for Les Studios Paramount in Joinville-le-Pont (see films with *)] and, later, to England, then returned to Hollywood.

Was a member of the ASC.

His son Harry Jr. [1925-2017] was a doph. His uncle Walter Ernest Stradling [1875-1918] was a doph.

Awards: 'Oscar' AA nom [1943; b&w] for 'The Human Comedy'; 'Oscar' AA [1945; b&w] for 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1949; color] for 'The Barkleys of Broadway'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1951; b&w] for 'A Streetcar Named Desire'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1952; color] for 'Hans Christian Andersen'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1955; color] for 'Guys and Dolls'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1956; color] for 'The Eddy Duchin Story'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1958; color] for 'Auntie Mame'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1959; b&w] for 'The Young Philadelphians'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1961; color] for 'A Majority of One'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1962; color] for 'Gypsy'; 'Oscar' AA [1964; color] for 'My Fair Lady'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1968] for 'Funny Girl'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1969] for 'Hello, Dolly!'.

Cinematographer Harry Stradling was one of the great talents in the history of Hollywood. He worked in every film genre and for many good and bad directors. His career represents a scope and quality matched by few cameramen.

Like many of his contemporaries who entered the American film industry during the 1920s, Stradling spent more than a decade learning his craft filming minor works. His uncle, Walter Stradling, who for many years was Mary Pickford's cameraman, got him his initial job. During his on-the-job training Stradling spent the 1920s on unimportant films, even working on shorts for the minor studio Pathé. At this point his career took an uncommon turn. Stradling journeyed to Europe to establish his reputation. Thus he worked on the French film, 'La kermesse héroïque/Carnival in Flanders' in 1935. In this film Stradling and director Jacques Feyder successfully captured the image of Flemish paintings, and offered up a distinctive, highly successful art film of its day.

For this effort Alexander Korda hired Stradling to photograph the British film 'Knight Without Armour'. Besides the low-key impressionistic backgrounds representing Moscow, the film placed Stradling in a line of famous cameramen who boosted the career of Marlene Dietrich. This led to a series of major assignments in the United Kingdom ['Pygmalion', 'The Citadel', and 'Jamaica Inn']. From these successes Stradling was able to make his way back to Hollywood. He soon moved to the top rung of Hollywood cinematographers.

Possibly because of his experience in Europe, Stradling was willing to experiment. This was extremely rare in conservative Hollywood of the 1940s. A famous film for its special effects was 'The Corsican Brothers', in which Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., played twin brothers. Critics praised the scenes in which the two brothers appeared as amazingly real.

Like most ace cinematographers of his day, Stradling never stuck to one genre, but he did build up a reputation for a style which emphasized glamour and Technicolor.

The final flare of Harry Stradling's long, distinguished career came with 'Funny Girl'. Barbra Streisand thanked "dear Harry Stradling" in her acceptance speech for her Oscar. They later worked together on 'Hello, Dolly!' and 'On a Clear Day You Can See Forever', and he died while working on yet another Streisand vehicle, 'The Owl and the Pussycat'. [From an article by Douglas Gomery.]

FILMS [1 reel = c. 10m]
1920	The Devil's Garden [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 6 reels; cph: Tom L. Griffith; prod Whitman Bennett Productions
1920	The Great Adventure [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 6 reels; cph: Tom L. Griffith; prod Whitman Bennett Productions
1921	Jim the Penman [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 6 reels; cph: Tom L. Griffith; prod Whitman Bennett Productions
1922	Fair Lady [Kenneth Webb] b&w; cph: Edward Paul; prod Bennett Pictures
1922	His Wife's Husband [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 6 reels; prod Pyramid Pictures
1922	The Secrets of Paris [Kenneth Webb] b&w; cph: Edward Paul; prod H.V. Productions & Whitman Bennett Productions
1922	How Women Love [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 6 reels; cph: Edward Paul; prod B.B. Productions
1925	Wandering Fires/Should a Woman Tell [Maurice Campbell] b&w; 6 reels; prod Maurice Campbell
1925	The Substitute Wife [Wilfred Noy] b&w; 6 reels; prod Arrow Film Corporation
1927	Burnt Fingers [Maurice Campbell] b&w; 6 reels; prod J.C. Barnstyn Productions
1927	The Nest [William Nigh] b&w; cph: Jack Brown; prod Excellent Pictures
1929	Fifty Miles from Broadway [Bradley Barker] b&w; short/17m; ep Pathé Exchange 'Golden Rooster Comedies'
1929	Mother's Boy [Bradley Barker] b&w; cph: Walter Strenge & Philip Tannura
1929	Lucky in Love [Kenneth Webb] b&w; cph: Philip Tannura
1929	Fancy That [Philip Tannura] b&w; short/20m; ep Pathé 'Folly Comedies'
1929	So This Is Marriage [Bradley Barker] b&w; short/20m; ep Pathé 'Folly Comedies'
1929	A Night in a Dormitory [Harry Delmar] b&w; short/22m; ep Pathé 'Melody Comedies'
1929	Sixteen Sweeties [Harry Delmar] b&w; short/18m; ep Pathé 'Melody Comedies'
1930	Un hombre de suerte/A Lucky Man [Benito Perojo] b&w; Spanish-language version of 'Un trou dans le mur/A Hole in the Wall' (1930, René Barbéris; ph: Philip Tannura; prod Les Studios Paramount)
1930	Rubeville Night Club [Philip Tannura] b&w; short/22m; ep Pathé 'Golden Rooster Comedies'
1930	Ride 'em Cowboy [Harry Delmar] b&w; short/19m; ep Pathé 'Folly Comedies'
1930	America or Bust [Harry Delmar] b&w; short/21m; ep Pathé 'Checker Comedies'
1930	Hearts and Hoofs [Wallace Fox] b&w; short/15m
1930	Hey, Nanny Nanny [Ben Holmes] b&w; short/15m
1930	Ménages ultra-modernes [Serge de Poligny] b&w; short/?m *
1930	Il richiamo del cuore/Appeal of the Heart [Jack Salvatori] b&w; or ph Fernando Risi; Italian-language version of 'Sarah and Son' [1930, Dorothy Arzner; ph: Charles Lang] *
1930	Le réquisitoire [Dimitri Buchowetzki] b&w; French-language version of 'Manslaughter' [1930, George Abbott; ph: Archie Stout] *
1931	Magie moderne [Dimitri Buchowetzki] b&w *
1931	Swiat bez granic [Ryszard Ordynski] b&w; Polish-language version of 'Magie moderne' *
1931	Die Männer um Lucie [Alexander Korda] b&w; German-language version of 'Laughter' (1930, Harry D'Arrast; ph: George Folsey] *
1931	Rive gauche [Alexander Korda] b&w; cph: Ted Pahle; French-language version of 'Laughter' *
1931	Mistigri [Harry Lachman] b&w *
1931	Il est charmant/He Is Charming/The Charm School [Louis Mercanton] b&w *
1931	Studenter i Paris [Louis Mercanton] b&w; Swedish-language version of 'Il est charmant' *
1931	Une nuit à l'hôtel/The Night at the Hotel [Leo Mittler] b&w *
1932	Une étoile disparaît/A Star Disappears [Robert Villers (= Bob Wyler)] b&w *
1932	Passionnément [René Guissart & Louis Mercanton] b&w *
1932	Cognasse [Louis Mercanton] b&w *
1932	La pouponnière [Jean Boyer] b&w *
1932	Une faible femme/A Weak Woman [Max de Vaucorbeil] b&w *
1932	Le chasseur de chez Maxim's [Charles (Karl) Anton] b&w; 65m *
1932	Espérame/Wait for Me [Louis Gasnier] b&w *

1932	Melodia de Arrabal/Suburban Melody [Louis Gasnier] b&w *
1932	Buenos días/Good Morning [Florián Rey] b&w; short/14m *
1933	Un soir de réveillon/Christmas Eve [Karl Anton] b&w *
1933	Le maître de forges/The Ironmaster [Fernand Rivers & (superv) Abel Gance] b&w; cph (?): Georges Lucas
1933	Une fois dans la vie/Une seule fois dans la vie [Max de Vaucorbeil] b&w; cph (?): Michel Kelber
1933	Rund um eine Million [Max Neufeld] b&w; German-language version of 'Une fois dans la vie'
1933	La porteuse de pain/The Bread Peddler [René Sti] b&w; cph (?): Jacques Mercanton
1933	Le grand jeu [Jacques Feyder] b&w
1934	Jeunesse [Georges Lacombe] b&w
1934	Poliche [Abel Gance] b&w; or ph Roger Hubert
1934	Jeanne [Georges Marret & (superv) Victor Tourjansky] b&w
1934	La dame aux camélias [Fernand Rivers & (superv) Abel Gance] b&w; cph: Roger Hubert
1934	Nous ne sommes plus des enfants/We Are Not Children [Augusto Genina] b&w; cph (?): Robert Lefebvre
1934	Compartiment de dames seules [Christian-Jaque] b&w
1934	Le bonheur [Marcel L'Herbier] b&w
1935	Quelle drôle de gosse! [Leo Joannon] b&w; cph (?): Jacques Mercanton & Robert Lefebvre
1935	Episode [Walter Reisch] b&w

1935	La kermesse héroïque/Carnival in Flanders [Jacques Feyder] b&w
1935	Die klugen Frauen [Jacques Feyder] b&w; German-language version of 'La kermesse héroïque'
1935	Arènes joyeuses [Karl Anton] b&w; cph (?): Robert Lefebvre, Jacques Mercanton, a.o.
1935	Wer zuletzt küßt.../Ungeküßt soll man nicht schlafen geh'n [E.W. Emo] b&w
1936	Le grand refrain/Symphonie D'Amour [Yves Mirande & (superv) Robert Siodmak] b&w; cph (?): Jacques Mercanton
1936	Silhouetten [Walter Reisch & (anim seq) Lotte Reiniger] b&w; 2uc: Hans Theyer
1936	Dark Journey/The Anxious Years [Victor Saville] b&w; cph: Georges Périnal
1936	Knight Without Armour/Knight Without Armor [Jacques Feyder] b&w
1937	Action for Slander [Tim Whelan & (uncred) Victor Saville] b&w
1937	South Riding [Victor Saville] b&w
1937	The Divorce of Lady X [Tim Whelan] c; Technicolor ph adv: William V. Skall
1937	Over the Moon [Thornton Freeland & (uncred) William K. Howard] c; uncred ext ph: Robert Krasker
1938	[Bernard Shaw's] Pygmalion [Anthony Asquith & Leslie Howard] b&w
1938	The Citadel [King Vidor] b&w
1938	Q Planes/Clouds over Europe [Tim Whelan & Arthur B. Woods] b&w

1938	Jamaica Inn [Alfred Hitchcock] b&w; collab ph: Bernard Knowles; prod began in April 1937, but was shelved in May; restarted in September 1938
*1939*	Intermezzo: A Love Story/Intermezzo/Escape to Happiness [Gregory Ratoff] started the film, but was replaced by Gregg Toland
1939	The Lion Has Wings [Michael Powell, Brian Desmond Hurst, Adrian Brunel & (uncred) Alexander Korda] b&w; ext ph: Osmond Borradaile
1939	My Son, My Son! [Charles Vidor] b&w; filmed 1939-40
1940	They Knew What They Wanted [Garson Kanin] b&w
1940	Mr. and Mrs. Smith [Alfred Hitchcock] b&w
1940	The Devil and Miss Jones [Sam Wood] b&w; filmed 1940-41
1941	Suspicion [Alfred Hitchcock] b&w
1941	The Men in Her Life [Gregory Ratoff] b&w; took over from A. Miller; cph: Arthur C. Miller & (uncred) Philip Tannura
1941	The Corsican Brothers [Gregory Ratoff] b&w; spec pfx: Howard Anderson
1941	Mr. and Mrs. North [Robert B. Sinclair] b&w; 67m
1941	Nazi Agent/Salute to Courage [Jules Dassin] b&w
1941	Fingers at the Window [Charles Lederer] b&w; cph: Charles Lawton Jr.; filmed 1941-42
1942	Her Cardboard Lover [George Cukor] b&w; cph: Robert Planck; uncred ext ph: Harold Marzorati
1942	Maisie Gets Her Man/She Got Her Man [Roy Del Ruth] b&w; 6th film in 9-part 'Maisie'-series (MGM, 1939-1946)
1942	White Cargo [Richard Thorpe] b&w
1942	The Human Comedy [Clarence Brown] b&w
1942	Swing Shift Maisie/The Girl in Overalls [Norman Z. McLeod] b&w; 7th film in 'Maisie'-series; filmed 1942-43
1943	Song of Russia [Gregory Ratoff & (uncred fill-in + retakes, after G. Ratoff collapsed on the set) Laslo Benedek] b&w
1943	Bathing Beauty [George Sidney] c; uncred ph 'Water Ballet' seq (dir by John Murray Anderson): Ted Weisbarth; filmed August 1943-January 1944
1944	The Picture of Dorian Gray [Albert Lewin] b&w-c
1944	Thrill of a Romance [Richard Thorpe] c
1944	Her Highness and the Bellboy [Richard Thorpe] b&w
1945	Easy to Wed [Edward Buzzell] c
1945	Holiday in Mexico [George Sidney] c
1946	Till the Clouds Roll By [Richard Whorf (dram seq), Robert Alton (mus numbers), Vincente Minnelli (uncred; Judy Garland numbers - filmed October-November 1945) & George Sidney (finale)] c; ph scenes dir by R. Whorf (March-May 1946); cph: George Folsey
1946	The Sea of Grass [Elia Kazan] b&w
1946	Song of Love [Clarence Brown] b&w; filmed 1946-47
1946	The Schumann Story [Clarence Brown] b&w; short/30m; ed from 'Song of Love'; released in 1950
1947	The Pirate [Vincente Minnelli] c
1947	Easter Parade [Charles Walters & (mus numbers) Robert Alton] c; filmed 1947-48
1948	Words and Music [Norman Taurog (dram scenes) & Robert Alton (mus numbers)] c; cph: Charles Rosher
1948	The Barkleys of Broadway/The Gay Barkleys [Charles Walters, (mus numbers) Robert Alton & ('Shoes with Wings On' number) Hermes Pan] c
1948	In the Good Old Summertime [Robert Z. Leonard & (mus seq) Robert Alton] c; filmed 1948-49
*1949*	Annie Get Your Gun [Charles Walters (replaced Busby Berkeley)] after some filming (with Judy Garland as Annie), the prod was shut down and the footage was discarded
1949	On the Town [Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen] c; uncred cph (shot one of the last mus numbers); ph: Harold Rosson
1949	Tension [John Berry] b&w
1949	The Yellow Cab Man [Jack Donohue] b&w
1949	Edge of Doom/Stronger Than Fear [Mark Robson & (uncred opening & closing seq) Charles Vidor] b&w
1950	Valentino [Lewis Allen] c; spec pfx: John P. Fulton
1950	A Streetcar Named Desire [Elia Kazan] b&w
1951	A Millionaire for Christy/Golden Goose/No Room for the Groom [George Marshall] b&w
1951	My Son John [Leo McCarey] b&w; spec pfx: Gordon Jennings; process ph: Farciot Edouart; uncred transparencies: Loyal Griggs
1951	I Want You [Mark Robson] b&w
1951	Androcles and the Lion [Chester Erskine & (uncred add scenes - 1952) Nicholas Ray] b&w; spec pfx: Linwood Dunn; prod started in February 1951 with dir H.C. Potter and doph Franz Planer, but was halted after 3 days; prod was restarted in September
1952	Hans Christian Andersen [Charles Vidor] c; spec pfx: Clarence Slifer
1952	Angel Face [Otto Preminger] b&w
1952	Forever Female [Irving Rapper] b&w; spec pfx: Gordon Jennings; process ph: Farciot Edouart
1952	A Lion Is in the Streets [Raoul Walsh] c
*1953*	Oklahoma! [Fred Zinnemann] tao70 & cs/c; ph prod tests; ph: Robert Surtees
1953	Todd-AO Concept Test Scenes [Michael Todd Sr. & Michael Todd Jr.] tao/c; ph Venice scenes; cph: Schyler Sandford
*1953*	A Star Is Born [George Cukor] was ph during pre-production (delays caused a scheduling conflict); ph: Sam Leavitt
1953	Johnny Guitar [Nicholas Ray] c
1954	Helen of Troy [Robert Wise] cs/c; 2uc: Sid Hickox & Amerigo Gengarelli; spec pfx: Louis Lichtenfield
1955	Guys and Dolls [Joseph L. Mankiewicz] cs/c; spec pfx: Warren Newcombe
1955	The Eddy Duchin Story [George Sidney] cs/c
1956	A Face in the Crowd [Elia Kazan] b&w; cph: Gayne Rescher
1956	The Pajama Game [George Abbott & Stanley Donen] c; filmed 1956-57

Two generations of cinematographer are here at work on the romance "Marjorie Morningstar". Harry Stradling Sr., ASC [right] and future ASC member Harry Stradling Jr., frequently worked together, with the son serving as a camera assistant for his father. [Courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers]

1957	Marjorie Morningstar [Irving Rapper] c
1958	Auntie Mame [Morton DaCosta] tr/c
*1958*	The Miracle [Irving Rapper] scheduled as doph, but film was ph by Ernest Haller
1958	The Young Philadelphians/The City Jungle [Vincent Sherman] b&w
1959	A Summer Place [Delmer Daves] c
1959	Who Was That Lady? [George Sidney] b&w
1959	The Crowded Sky [Joseph Pevney] c
1960	The Dark at the Top of the Stairs [Delbert Mann] c
1960	Parrish [Delmer Daves] c
1960	On the Double [Melville Shavelson] p/c; cph (loc scenes UK): Geoffrey Unsworth; spec pfx: John P. Fulton; process ph: Farciot Edouart
1961	A Majority of One [Mervyn LeRoy] c
1961	Five Finger Exercise [Daniel Mann] b&w
1962	Gypsy [Mervyn LeRoy] tr/c
1963	Mary, Mary [Mervyn LeRoy] c
1963	Island of Love/Not on Your Life [Morton DaCosta] p/c
1963	My Fair Lady [George Cukor] sp70/c; restored in 1994
1964	How to Murder Your Wife [Richard Quine] c
1964	Walk Don't Run [Charles Walters] p/c
*1965*	Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [Mike Nichols] was fired and replaced by ph Haskell Wexler
1965	Moment to Moment [Mervyn LeRoy] c
1966	Penelope [Arthur Hiller] p/c

With Barbra Streisand - "Funny Girl"

"She's one of the greatest talents I've ever worked with," Stradling told American Cinematographer. "She knows photographic quality - what's good and what's not good. She's just a very wonderful, brilliant woman." For her screen debut in "Funny Girl", Streisand received the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress, while Stradling received an Oscar nomination for his expert camerawork. [Courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers]

1968

Funny Girl [William Wyler] p (+ 70bu)/c; spec pfx: Albert Whitlock

With Barbra Streisand - "Hello, Dolly!" [Courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers]

1968	Hello, Dolly! [Gene Kelly] tao70 (+ 35mm)/c; spec pfx: L.B. Abbott, Art Cruickshank & Emil Kosa Jr.
1968	On a Clear Day You Can See Forever [Vincente Minnelli] p/c; time lapse ph: John Ott; filmed 1968-69
1970	The Owl and the Pussycat [Herbert Ross] p/c; died during prod; film was finished by ph Andrew Laszlo

FILMS AS CAMERA ASSISTANT
1920	The Stolen Kiss [Kenneth Webb; 5 reels] c.asst; ph: George Folsey; prod Realart Pictures Corporation