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