Charles G. Clarke ASC (March 10, 1899 – July 1, 1983) was an American cinematographer who worked in Hollywood for over 40 years and was treasurer and president (twice: 1948–50 and 1951–53) of the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

Career

Clarke started his career as an assistant cameraman to Allen Siegler at

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

in 1915. After serving overseas with the U.S. Army during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he returned to work as an assistant cameraman with the National Film Company and Oliver Morosco Company. Subsequently promoted to cinematographer on the 15-part silent

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, gene ...

The Son of Tarzan ''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...

'' (1920), he worked across a broad spectrum of film, including standard film serials at the independents, to showcase musicals and major studio epics. From 1927 to 1933, he was first cameraman at the Jesse Lasky Company. He was responsible for all of the China location footage and much of the studio work for

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

's ''

The Good Earth ''The Good Earth'' is a historical fiction novel by Pearl S. Buck published in 1931 that dramatizes family life in a Chinese village in the early 20th century. It is the first book in her ''House of Earth'' trilogy, continued in ''Sons'' (1932) ...

'' (1937) but was uncredited. After working on a number of movies for Fox Films in the 1930s, he moved MGM. In 1938, he returned to the now 20th Century-Fox and worked the majority of his subsequent career at the studio. He worked on low-budget

Mr. Moto Mr. Moto is a fictional Japanese secret agent created by the American author John P. Marquand. He appeared in six novels by Marquand published between 1935 and 1957. Marquand initially created the character for the ''Saturday Evening Post'', whi ...

and

Charlie Chan Charlie Chan is a fictional Honolulu police detective created by author Earl Derr Biggers for a series of mystery novels. Biggers loosely based Chan on Hawaiian detective Chang Apana. The benevolent and heroic Chan was conceived as an alter ...

pictures to help produce propaganda material such as '' Guadalcanal Diary'' (1943) to pictures ''

Thunderhead, Son of Flicka ''Thunderhead, Son of Flicka'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Louis King and starring Roddy McDowall, Preston Foster, and Rita Johnson. It is a sequel to the 1943 film ''My Friend Flicka'' (parodied in 2006 as ''Flicka''). The film wa ...

'' (1945) and ''

Miracle on 34th Street ''Miracle on 34th Street'' (initially released as ''The Big Heart'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davi ...

'' (1947) to big CinemaScope musicals '' Marching Along'' (1952). He was married to Marian Bowden and died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, in 1983.

Teacher

Whilst on the shoot for '' Marines, Let's Go'' in Japan, Clarke suffered a minor heart attack and retired from work. However, former friend and Fox producer Kenneth Macgowan persuaded Clarke to join the Theater Arts Department at UCLA. Clarke taught film school and wrote a book titled''Professional Cinematography'' at the urging of his students in 1964. In 1976 he published ''Early Film Making in Los Angeles'', which recounted his time during the early years of Hollywood and how the technology of cinematography changed.

Selected filmography

* '' The Half Breed'' (1922) *'' Slippy McGee'' (1923) *'' Java Head'' (1923) *''Salomy Jane'' (''The Law of the Sierras'') (1923) *''

The Light That Failed ''The Light That Failed'' is the first novel by the Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling, first published in ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine'' in January 1891. Most of the novel is set in London, but many important events through ...

'' (1923) *''The Top of the World'' (1924) *'' Without Mercy'' (1925) * '' Friendly Enemies'' (1925) *''

Going Crooked ''Going Crooked'' is a 1926 American silent crime film produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by George Melford and stars Bessie Love. The film is preserved at the Museum of Modern Art, the George Eastman House, ...

'' (1926) *'' Singed'' (1927) *'' Upstream'' (1927) *'' The Loves of Carmen'' (1927) *'' Sharp Shooters'' (1928) *''

Riley the Cop ''Riley the Cop'' is a 1928 American comedy film directed by John Ford. It was a silent film with a synchronized music track and sound effects. Cast * J. Farrell MacDonald as James "Aloysius" Riley (as Farrell Macdonald) * Nancy Drexel as Mary ...

'' (1928) *''

Sin Sister ''The Sin Sister'' is a lost 1929 American silent drama adventure film directed by Charles Klein and starring Nancy Carroll. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. The film was released with a music score and sound effects ...

'' (1929) *''

Not Quite Decent ''Not Quite Decent'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code early sound film or part-talkie, produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, directed by Irving Cummings, and starring June Collyer and Louise Dresser. Cast *June Collyer as Linda Cunningha ...

'' (1929) *'' Words and Music'' (1929) *'' The Veiled Woman'' (1929) *''

Oh, For a Man! ''Oh, For a Man!'' is a 1930 American black-and-white musical comedy film based on a short story, "Stolen Thunder" by Mary F. Watkins. The original story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post June 7, 1930. Lugosi's character of Frescatti was lat ...

'' (1930) *'' Temple Tower'' (1930) *'' So This Is London'' (1930) *''

Girls Demand Excitement ''Girls Demand Excitement'' is a 1931 film starring Virginia Cherrill, John Wayne, and Marguerite Churchill. Wayne and Churchill had starred in the widescreen Western epic ''The Big Trail'' the previous year. The movie was written by Harlan Th ...

'' (1931) *'' Annabelle's Affairs'' (1931) *''Second Hand Wife'' (''The Illegal Divorce'') (1932) *'' Hot Pepper'' (1933) *'' The Cat and the Fiddle'' (1934) *''

Tarzan and His Mate ''Tarzan and His Mate'' is a 1934 American pre-Code action adventure film based on the Tarzan character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by Cedric Gibbons, it w ...

'' (1934) *''

Viva Villa! ''Viva Villa!'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Jack Conway and starring Wallace Beery as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The screenplay was written by Ben Hecht, adapted from the 1933 book '' Viva Villa!'' by Edgecumb Pinchon a ...

'' (1934) *''The Winning Ticket'' (1935) *'' The Casino Murder Case'' (1935) *''Woman Wanted'' (1935) *''The Perfect Gentleman'' (1935) *'' The Garden Murder Case'' (1936) *'' Every Sunday'' (1936) *''The Thirteenth Chair'' (1937) *''

Charlie Chan in Honolulu ''Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' is a 1939 American film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, starring Sidney Toler as the fictional Chinese-American detective Charlie Chan. The film is the first appearance of both Toler as Chan and Victor Sen Yung as ...

'' (1938) *''

Pardon Our Nerve ''Pardon Our Nerve'' is a 1939 American comedy film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and written by Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. The film stars Lynn Bari, June Gale, Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, Michael Whalen, Edward Brophy and John Miljan. The ...

'' (1939) *'' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) *''

The Return of the Cisco Kid ''The Return of the Cisco Kid'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Herbert I. Leeds and written by Milton Sperling. The film stars Warner Baxter, Lynn Bari, Cesar Romero, Henry Hull, Kane Richmond and C. Henry Gordon. The film was rel ...

'' (1939) *'' Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation'' (1939) *''

Viva Cisco Kid ''Viva Cisco Kid'' is a 1940 American Western film directed by Norman Foster, written by Samuel G. Engel and Hal Long, and starring Cesar Romero, Jean Rogers, Chris-Pin Martin, Minor Watson, Stanley Fields and Nigel De Brulier. It was release ...

'' (1940) *'' Street of Memories'' (1940) *'' Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1941) *''

Dead Men Tell ''Dead Men Tell'' is a 1941 American mystery film starring Sidney Toler, who played Charlie Chan in 22 feature films, beginning with '' Charlie Chan in Honolulu'' (1938), and ending with '' The Trap'' (1946). The first 11 Charlie Chan films were ...

'' (1941) *'' The Cowboy and the Blonde'' (1941) *''

The Bride Wore Crutches ''The Bride Wore Crutches'' is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Shepard Traube and written by Edward Verdier. The film stars Lynne Roberts, Ted North, Edgar Kennedy, Robert Armstrong, Lionel Stander and Richard Lane. The film was release ...

'' (1941) *''

Moontide ''Moontide'' is a 1942 American romantic drama with elements of a thriller. It was produced by Mark Hellinger and directed by Archie Mayo, who took over direction after initial director Fritz Lang left the project early in the shooting schedule. ...

'' (1942) *''

A Gentleman at Heart A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...

'' (1942) *'' Time to Kill'' (1942) *''

Hello, Frisco, Hello ''Hello, Frisco, Hello'' is a 1943 American musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Alice Faye, John Payne, Lynn Bari, and Jack Oakie. The film was made in Technicolor and released by 20th Century-Fox. This was one of the last ...

'' (1943) *'' Guadalcanal Diary'' (1943) *''

'' (1945) *''Smokey'' (1946) *''

Three Little Girls in Blue ''Three Little Girls in Blue'' is a 1946 Technicolor musical film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring June Haver along with George Montgomery, Vivian Blaine, Celeste Holm, and Vera-Ellen. The 20th Century-Fox film was adapted from S ...

'' (1946) *''

'' (1947) *''

Captain from Castile ''Captain from Castile'' is a historical adventure film released by 20th Century-Fox in 1947. Directed by Henry King, the Technicolor film stars Tyrone Power, Jean Peters, and Cesar Romero. Shot on location in Michoacán, Mexico, the film include ...

'' (1947) *''

That Wonderful Urge ''That Wonderful Urge'' is a 1948 20th Century Fox screwball comedy film directed by Robert B. Sinclair and starring Tyrone Power and Gene Tierney.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; November 27, 1948, page 190. It is a remake of ''Love Is News' ...

'' (1948) *'' The Iron Curtain'' (1948) *'' Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1948) *''

Sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class o ...

'' (1949) *''

Slattery's Hurricane ''Slattery's Hurricane'' is a 1949 American drama film directed by Andre DeToth and starring Richard Widmark, Linda Darnell and Veronica Lake. It is based on a story submitted by Herman Wouk, who also coauthored the screenplay and published a no ...

'' (1949) *'' I'll Get By'' (1950) *''

The Big Lift ''The Big Lift'' is a 1950 American drama war film on location in the city of Berlin, Germany, that tells the story of "Operation Vittles", the 1948–49 Berlin Airlift, through the experiences of two U.S. Air Force sergeants (played by Montgome ...

'' (1950) *'' Golden Girl'' (1951) *'' Red Skies of Montana'' (1952) *''

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

'' (1952) *''

Stars and Stripes Forever "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is a patriotic American march written and composed by John Philip Sousa in 1896. By a 1987 act of the U.S. Congress, it is the official National March of the United States of America. History In his 1928 autob ...

'' (1952) *''City of Bad Men'' (1953) *''

Destination Gobi ''Destination Gobi'' is a 1953 American Technicolor World War II film released by 20th Century-Fox. It was produced by Stanley Rubin, directed by Robert Wise (his first color feature film) and stars Richard Widmark and Don Taylor. U.S. Navy ch ...

'' (1953) *'' Night People'' (1954) *'' Suddenly'' (1954) *'' Black Widow'' (1954) *''

Prince of Players ''Prince of Players'' is a 1955 20th Century Fox biographical film about the 19th century American actor Edwin Booth. The film was directed and produced by Philip Dunne from a screenplay by Moss Hart, based on the book by Eleanor Ruggles. Th ...

'' (1955) *''

Violent Saturday ''Violent Saturday'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan and Stephen McNally. Set in a mining town, Bradenville, Arizona, the film depicts the planning of a bank rob ...

'' (1955) *'' The Virgin Queen'' (1955) *''

The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit ''The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' is a 1956 American drama film based on the 1955 novel '' The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit'' by Sloan Wilson. The film focuses on Tom Rath, a young World War II veteran trying to balance his marriage and fami ...

'' (1956) *'' Carousel'' (1956) *'' Stopover Tokyo'' (1957) *''

The Wayward Bus ''The Wayward Bus'' is a novel by American author John Steinbeck, published in 1947. The novel's epigraph is a passage from 15th-century English play ''Everyman'', with its archaic English intact; the quotation refers to the transitory nature of ...

'' (1957) *''

The Barbarian and the Geisha ''The Barbarian and the Geisha'' (working titles ''The Townsend Harris Story'' and ''The Barbarian'') is a 1958 American adventure drama film directed by John Huston and starring John Wayne. The film was shot primarily on location in Japan. Town ...

'' (1958) *'' The Hunters'' (1958) *''

These Thousand Hills ''These Thousand Hills'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Don Murray, Richard Egan, Lee Remick, Stuart Whitman and Patricia Owens. The screenplay was written by Alfred Hayes. It is based on the nov ...

'' (1959) *'' Holiday for Lovers'' (1959) *''

The Sound and the Fury ''The Sound and the Fury'' is a novel by the American author William Faulkner. It employs several narrative styles, including stream of consciousness. Published in 1929, ''The Sound and the Fury'' was Faulkner's fourth novel, and was not immedi ...

'' (1959) *''

Flaming Star ''Flaming Star'' is a 1960 American Western film starring Elvis Presley, Barbara Eden and Steve Forrest, based on the book ''Flaming Lance'' (1958) by Clair Huffaker. Critics agreed that Presley gave one of his best acting performances as t ...

'' (1960) *''

Return to Peyton Place ''Return to Peyton Place'' is a 1959 novel by Grace Metalious, a sequel to her best-selling 1956 novel '' Peyton Place''. Plot summary After the phenomenal success of her first novel, Metalious hastily penned a sequel centering on the life and ...

'' (1961) *''Madison Avenue'' (1961)

References

External links

American Society of CinematographersCinematography.comInternational Cinematographers Guild
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Charles G. 1899 births 1983 deaths American cinematographers Recipients of the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation People from Potter Valley, California