Arthur Crabtree (29 October 1900 in Shipley, Yorkshire, England – 15 March 1975 in

Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, England) was a British

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

and

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

. He directed films with comedians such as Will Hay, the Crazy Gang and

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation an ...

and several of the

Gainsborough melodramas The Gainsborough melodramas were a sequence of melodrama films produced by the British film studio Gainsborough Pictures between 1943 and 1947 that conformed to a melodramatic style.Brooke, Michael. (2014)Gainsborough Melodrama Screenonline Briti ...

. He married Marguerite Vanière, whom he met as one of the dancers in the chorus line of ''Evergreen'' (1934), and with whom he had three children, Richard (b. 1938), Robert (b. 1948) and Loretta (b. 1953). Their parents told them that they could take up any career but the theatre, because of the uncertainty of that profession.

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

taught for more than 40 years at Yale where he developed what came to be known as

Crabtree's catalyst Crabtree's catalyst is an organoiridium compound with the formula C5H5N">Tricyclohexylphosphine">P(C6H11)3pyridine">C5H5N/nowiki>PF6. It is a homogeneous catalyst for hydrogenation and hydrogen-transfer reactions, developed by Robert H. Crabtree ...

Cinematographer

Crabtree earliest credits as a

were for

British International Pictures Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...

. He shot '' Out of the Blue'' (1931) with

Jessie Matthews Jessie Margaret Matthews (11 March 1907 – 19 August 1981) was an English actress, dancer and singer of the 1920s and 1930s, whose career continued into the post-war period. After a string of hit stage musicals and films in the mid-1930s, suc ...

; '' Verdict of the Sea'' (1932); and ''

The Maid of the Mountains ''The Maid of the Mountains'', called in its original score a musical play, is an operetta or "Edwardian" musical comedy in three acts. The music was by Harold Fraser-Simson, with additional music by James W. Tate, lyrics by Harry Graham a ...

'' (1932). Crabtree did some films for

Michael Powell Michael Latham Powell (30 September 1905 – 19 February 1990) was an English filmmaker, celebrated for his partnership with Emeric Pressburger. Through their production company Powell and Pressburger, The Archers, they together wrote, produced ...

, '' Lazybones'' (1935) and '' The Love Test'' (1935). He was a camera operator on '' First a Girl''.

Gainsborough Pictures

Crabtree joined

Gainsborough Pictures Gainsborough Pictures was a British film studio based on the south bank of the Regent's Canal, in Poole Street, Hoxton in the former Metropolitan Borough of Shoreditch, east London. Gainsborough Studios was active between 1924 and 1951. The co ...

. He worked on '' The First Offence'' (1936) with

John Mills Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...

; '' Pot Luck'' (1936) with

Tom Walls Thomas Kirby Walls (18 February 1883 – 27 November 1949) was an English stage and film actor, producer and director, best known for presenting and co-starring in the Aldwych farces in the 1920s and for starring in and directing the film adapt ...

and

Ralph Lynn Ralph Clifford Lynn (8 March 1882 – 8 August 1962) was an English actor who had a 60-year career, and is best remembered for playing comedy parts in the Aldwych farces first on stage and then in film. Lynn became an actor at the age of 1 ...

; '' Everybody Dance'' (1936) with

Cicely Courtneidge Dame Esmerelda Cicely Courtneidge (1 April 1893 – 26 April 1980) was an Australian-born British actress, comedian and singer. The daughter of the producer and playwright Robert Courtneidge, she was appearing in his productions in the West End ...

; and '' All In'' (1936) with Lynn for director

Marcel Varnel Marcel Varnel (16 October 1892 – 13 July 1947) was a French film director, notable for his career in the United States and England as a director of plays and films. Biography He was born Marcel Hyacinthe le Bozec in Paris, France. Varnel st ...

. He went on to ''

Good Morning, Boys ''Good Morning, Boys!'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and featuring Will Hay, Graham Moffatt, Martita Hunt, Lilli Palmer and Peter Gawthorne. It was made at the Gainsborough Studios in Islington. The film marked the f ...

'' (1937) with Will Hay; '' The Great Barrier'' (1937) with

Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor of film and television. Early days Arlen served in Canada as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. He later taught as ...

, shot partly on location in Canada; ''

Said O'Reilly to McNab ''Said O'Reilly to McNab'' is a 1937 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Mahoney, Will Fyffe and Ellis Drake. It was made at Islington Studios by Gainsborough Pictures.Wood p.96 The film's sets were designed by t ...

'' (1937) with Will Mahoney and

Will Fyffe Will Fyffe, CBE (16 February 1885 – 14 December 1947) was a Scottish music hall and performing artist on stage and screen during the 1930s and 1940s. Fyffe made his debut in his father's stock company at age 6. He travelled extensively throug ...

; and '' Oh, Mr. Porter!'' (1937) with Hay. Crabtree shot '' Bank Holiday'' (1938) for director

Carol Reed Sir Carol Reed (30 December 1906 – 25 April 1976) was an English film director and producer, best known for '' Odd Man Out'' (1947), '' The Fallen Idol'' (1948), '' The Third Man'' (1949), and '' Oliver!'' (1968), for which he was awarded th ...

starring

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was a British actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), '' Night Train to Munich ...

. He did '' Convict 99'' (1938) with Hay; ''

Alf's Button Afloat ''Alf's Button Afloat'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Bud Flanagan, Chesney Allen, Jimmy Nervo, Alastair Sim and Peter Gawthorne. In the film, the Crazy Gang go to sea, where one of them discovers a but ...

'' (1938) with The Crazy Gang for Varney; '' Old Bones of the River'' (1938) and '' Hey! Hey! USA'' (1938) with Hay; '' The Frozen Limits'' (1939) with The Crazy Gang. Most of these films were directed by

. So was '' Where's That Fire?'' (1940) with Hay; and ''

Band Waggon ''Band Waggon'' was a comedy radio show broadcast by the BBC from 1938 to 1940. The first series featured Arthur Askey and Richard "Stinker" Murdoch. In the second series, Askey and Murdoch were joined by Syd Walker, and the third series ad ...

'' (1940) with

. He did some photography work on ''

Neutral Port ''Neutral Port'' is a 1940 British war comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Will Fyffe, Leslie Banks, Yvonne Arnaud, and Phyllis Calvert, with a supporting role for Wally Patch. It was produced and distributed by Gainsborough Pict ...

'' (1940). Crabtree shot '' For Freedom'' (1940) with

; '' Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' (1940) with Askey; and ''

'' (1940) with Fyffe. He did a short for director

Anthony Asquith Anthony Asquith (; 9 November 1902 – 20 February 1968) was an English film director. He collaborated successfully with playwright Terence Rattigan on ''The Winslow Boy'' (1948) and '' The Browning Version'' (1951), among other adaptations ...

, '' Channel Incident'' (1941) and one for

Herbert Mason Samuel George Herbert Mason (1891 – 20 May 1960) was a British film director, producer, stage actor, army officer, presenter of some revues, stage manager, theatre director, stage director, choreographer, Production manager (theatre), produ ...

, ''

Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light ''Mr. Proudfoot Shows a Light'' is a 1941 British World War II Public information film, public information/propaganda short film, directed by Herbert Mason and produced by Edward Black (producer), Edward Black for 20th Century Fox. The film had a ...

'' (1941). After doing '' Gasbags'' (1941) with the Crazy Gang, Crabtree was used by Carol Reed on ''

Kipps ''Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul'' is a novel by H. G. Wells, first published in 1905. It was reportedly Wells's own favourite among his works, and it has been adapted for stage, cinema and television productions, including the musical '' ...

'' (1941) at Fox. For that company he also did '' Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It'' (1941); and '' Once a Crook'' (1941), and another short for ''Asquith'', ''Rush Hour'' (1941). Back at Gainsborough, Crabtree shot '' I Thank You'' (1941) with Askey. After doing '' South American George'' (1941) with

George Formby George Formby, (born George Hoy Booth; 26 May 1904 – 6 March 1961), was an English actor, singer-songwriter and comedian who became known to a worldwide audience through his films of the 1930s and 1940s. On stage, screen and record he ...

at Columbia, he did '' Uncensored'' (1942) for ''Asquith'' at Gainbsorough. He did another with Formby at

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

, '' Much Too Shy'' (1942), then went back to Gainbsorough for ''

King Arthur Was a Gentleman ''King Arthur Was a Gentleman'' is a 1942 British black-and-white comedy musical film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Arthur Askey, Evelyn Dall, Peter Graves and Ronald Shiner. It was written by Marriott Edgar and Val Guest, and was produc ...

'' (1942) with Askey.

Gainsborough melodramas

Crabtree was cinematographer on Gainsborough's ''

The Man in Grey ''The Man in Grey'' is a 1943 British melodrama film made by Gainsborough Pictures; it is considered to be the first of a series of period costume dramas now known as the " Gainsborough melodramas". It was directed by Leslie Arliss and produ ...

'' (1943), a box-office hit which started the Gainsborough

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

cycle and made stars of

James Mason James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...

Phyllis Calvert Phyllis Hannah Murray-Hill (née Bickle; 18 February 1915 – 8 October 2002), known professionally as Phyllis Calvert, was an English film, stage and television actress. She was one of the leading stars of the Gainsborough melodramas of the 1 ...

and

Stewart Granger Stewart Granger (born James Lablache Stewart; 6 May 1913 – 16 August 1993) was a British film actor, mainly associated with heroic and romantic leading roles. He was a popular leading man from the 1940s to the early 1960s, rising to fame thr ...

. He shot a comedy with Lockwood, '' Dear Octopus'' (1943), then did another melodrama, '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944), directed by Asquith and starring Calvert, Granger and Mason, another huge success. Crabtree followed this with '' Waterloo Road'' (1945) starring Granger and John Mills, directed by

Sidney Gilliat Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and '' Nig ...

Director

Crabtree had filmed some of Gainsborough's biggest successes and the studio promoted him to director for '' Madonna of the Seven Moons'' (1945) with Calvert and Granger.

later recalled:

Arthur was a very good cinematographer, but there weren't enough directors, and so people who were scriptwriters or were behind the camera were suddenly made directors. It wasn't that Crabtree was an unsatisfactory director, just that we found ourselves very satisfactory – we did it ourselves. But the fact that he had been a lighting cameraman was wonderful for us, because he knew exactly how to photograph us.

The film was a commercial success. So too was Crabtree's second effort as director, ''

They Were Sisters ''They Were Sisters'' is a 1945 British melodrama film directed by Arthur Crabtree for Gainsborough Pictures and starring Phyllis Calvert and James Mason. The film was produced by Harold Huth, with cinematography from Jack Cox and screenpla ...

'' (1945) with Calvert and Mason, and his third, ''

Caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Campervan, a type of vehicle also known as a motor caravan *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Caravan (trail ...

'' (1946) with Granger. Crabtree directed a thriller with

Eric Portman Eric Harold Portman (13 July 1901 – 7 December 1969) was an English stage and film actor. He is probably best remembered for his roles in three films for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger during the 1940s. Early life Born in Halifax, ...

and

Greta Gynt Greta Gynt (born Margrethe Woxholt; 15 November 1916 – 2 April 2000) was a Norwegian dancer and actress. She is remembered for her starring roles in the British classic films '' The Dark Eyes of London'', '' Mr. Emmanuel'', ''Take My Life'', '' ...

, '' Dear Murderer'' (1947). He followed this with '' The Calendar'' (1948), with Gynt, and was one of the directors on ''

Quartet In music, a quartet (, , , , ) is an ensemble of four singers or instrumental performers. Classical String quartet In classical music, one of the most common combinations of four instruments in chamber music is the string quartet. String quar ...

'' (1948).

Post-Gainsborough

Crabtree directed '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949), a comedy, then '' Lilli Marlene'' (1950), a

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

. He made '' Hindle Wakes'' (1952), '' The Wedding of Lilli Marlene'' (1953) and '' Stryker of the Yard'' (also 1953). Crabtree moved into television, directing episodes of ''

Colonel March of Scotland Yard ''Colonel March of Scotland Yard'' is a British television series consisting of a single series of 26 episodes first broadcast in the United States from December 1954 to Spring of 1955. The series premiered on British television on 24 September ...

'', ''

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot ''The Adventures of Sir Lancelot'' is a British television series first broadcast in 1956, produced by Sapphire Films for ITC Entertainment and screened on the ITV network. The series starred William Russell as the eponymous Sir Lancelot, a ...

'', ''

Rheingold Theatre ''Douglas Fairbanks Presents'' is a 1953–1956 syndicated half-hour dramatic anthology series. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. was the host, and he sometimes starred in episodes. It was also known as ''Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents''. A total of 157 epi ...

'', and ''

The Adventures of Robin Hood ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' is a 1938 American Epic film, epic swashbuckler film from Warner Bros. Pictures. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis and Henry Blanke, directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley, and written by Norman Reilly Ra ...

''. Crabtree moved into "B" films. He made '' Morning Call'' (1957), then did '' West of Suez'' (1958) for producer Richard Gordon starring

Keefe Brasselle Keefe Brasselle (February 7, 1923 – July 7, 1981) was an American film actor, television actor/producer, and author. He is best remembered for the starring role in '' The Eddie Cantor Story'' (1953). Early years and career He was born Henr ...

. He made ''

Death Over My Shoulder ''Death Over My Shoulder ''is a 1958 British 'B' crime film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Keefe Brasselle, Bonar Colleano and Jill Adams. It was written by Norman Hudis based on a story by Alyce Canfield. Plot When Jack Regan is un ...

'' (1958) with Brasselle, then did another for Gordon, '' Fiend Without a Face'' (1958). After directing episodes of ''

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

'' he helmed ''

Horrors of the Black Museum ''Horrors of the Black Museum'' is a 1959 British horror film directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Michael Gough, June Cunningham, Graham Curnow and Shirley Anne Field. It was the first film in what film critic David Pirie dubbed Angl ...

'' (1959) for producer

Herman Cohen Herman Cohen (August 27, 1925 – June 2, 2002) was an American producer of B-movies during the 1950s, and helped to popularize the teen horror movie genre with films like the cult classic '' I Was a Teenage Werewolf''. Career Born in Detroit ...

and a 1961 episode of the '' Stryker of the Yard'' series.

Filmography

Cinematographer

* '' Out of the Blue'' (1931) * ''

'' (1932) * '' Verdict of the Sea'' (1932) * '' Lazybones'' (1935) * '' The Love Test'' (1935) * '' The First Offence'' (1936) * '' All In'' (1936) * '' Pot Luck'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1937) * '' The Great Barrier'' (1937) * '' Oh, Mr. Porter!'' (1937) * ''

'' (1938) * '' Hey! Hey! USA'' (1938) * '' Old Bones of the River'' (1938) * '' Bank Holiday'' (1938) * '' Convict 99'' (1938) * '' The Frozen Limits'' (1939) * '' Where's That Fire?'' (1940) * ''

'' (1940) * '' For Freedom'' (1940) * '' Charley's (Big-Hearted) Aunt'' (1940) * ''

'' (1940) * '' Gasbags'' (1941) * ''

'' (1941) * '' Inspector Hornleigh Goes to It'' (1941) * '' Once a Crook'' (1941) * '' I Thank You'' (1941) * '' South American George'' (1941) * '' Uncensored'' (1942) * '' Much Too Shy'' (1942) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * '' Dear Octopus'' (1943) * '' Fanny by Gaslight'' (1944) * '' Waterloo Road'' (1945)

Director

* '' Madonna of the Seven Moons'' (1945) * ''

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1946) * '' Dear Murderer'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) * '' The Calendar'' (1948) * '' Don't Ever Leave Me'' (1949) * '' Lilli Marlene'' (1951) * '' Hindle Wakes'' (1952) * '' The Wedding of Lilli Marlene'' (1953) * '' Stryker of the Yard'' (1953, TV series) * ''

'' (1954, TV series) * ''

'' (1955, TV series) * ''

'' (1956, TV series) * ''

'' (1956, TV series) * '' Morning Call'' (1957) * '' West of Suez'' (1957) * ''

'' (1958, TV series) * ''

'' (1958) * '' Fiend Without a Face'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crabtree, Arthur 1900 births 1975 deaths English cinematographers English film directors People from Shipley, West Yorkshire