IEC
1957
[All photos courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC)]
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 |