Arthur Edeson, A.S.C. (October 24, 1891 – February 14, 1970) was an American

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 ...

. Born in New York City, his career ran from the formative years of the film industry in New York, through the silent era in Hollywood, and the sound era there in the 1930s and 1940s. His work included many landmarks in film history, including ''The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924), ''All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1930), ''Frankenstein'' (1931), ''The Maltese Falcon'' (1941), and ''Casablanca'' (1942). He was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers, and was nominated for three

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

in his career in cinema.

Career

Edeson began his career as a still photographer, but turned to movies in 1911 as a camera operator at the American Éclair Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey when it and many other early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based there at the beginning of the 20th century. When the Éclair Studio was reorganized as the World Film Company, he was promoted to chief cinematographer assigned to the star Clara Kimball Young. Throughout the twenties, Edeson photographed a number of important films, including

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro and other swashbuckler film, swashbu ...

' ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary noble outlaw, heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature, theatre, and cinema. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions o ...

'' (1922) and '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924), and the groundbreaking special effects film '' The Lost World'' (1925). When sound came in, Edeson experimented with camouflaging the microphones in exterior shots. ''

In Old Arizona ''In Old Arizona'' is a 1928 American sound ( All-Talking) pre-Code Western film directed by Raoul Walsh and Irving Cummings, nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The film, which was based on the character of the Cisco ...

'' (1929), the first sound film to be shot outside a studio, provided evidence to Hollywood executives that talking pictures need not be confined to the

sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...

. The western '' The Big Trail'' (1930), starring

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...

in his first starring role, was also filmed by Edeson in the 70mm

widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratio (image), aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ...

process, known as " Fox Grandeur". In the early 1930s, perhaps his most memorable creative partnership was formed with director

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...

, for whom he photographed the first three of Whale's quartet of horror films: ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

'' (1931), '' The Old Dark House'' (1932), and ''

The Invisible Man ''The Invisible Man'' is an 1897 science fiction novel by British writer H. G. Wells. Originally serialised in '' Pearson's Weekly'' in 1897, it was published as a novel the same year. The Invisible Man to whom the title refers is Griffin, a s ...

'' (1933). According to critic M.S. Fonseca, Edeson was one of the "master craftsmen" of the old American school. His principal work was on the side of realism, which is considered by most film historians to represent the "zenith of Hollywood photography." Edeson built on the influence of

German Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radi ...

, brought to the America cinema by German cinematographers during the 1920s. In 1919, Edeson was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers. Arthur Edeson died on February 14, 1970, in Agoura Hills, California.

Filmography

* '' A Gentleman from Mississippi'' (1914) * ''The Dollar Mark'' (1914) * '' The Deep Purple'' (1915) * ''

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

'' (1915) * '' Hearts in Exile'' (1915) * '' The Master Hand'' (1915) * '' His Brother's Wife'' (1916) * '' The Devil's Toy'' (1916) * ''Miss Petticoats'' (1916) * '' The Gilded Cage'' (1916) * '' Bought and Paid For'' (1916) * '' A Woman Alone'' (1917) * '' A Square Deal'' (1917) * '' The Social Leper'' (1917) *'' The Page Mystery'' (1917) * '' In Again, Out Again'' (1917) * '' The Stolen Paradise'' (1917) * '' The Price of Pride'' (1917) * '' Wild and Woolly'' (1917) * '' Souls Adrift'' (1917) * '' Baby Mine'' (1917) * ''Reaching for the Moon'' (1917) * '' Nearly Married'' (1917) * '' The Road Through the Dark'' (1918) * ''Jack Spurlock, Prodigal'' (1918) *'' The Savage Woman'' (1918) *'' Eyes of Youth'' (1919) * ''The Hushed Hour'' (1919) * ''Cheating Cheaters'' (1919) * '' The Better Wife'' (1919) * '' For the Soul of Rafael'' (1920) * '' Mid-Channel'' (1920) * ''The Forbidden Woman'' (1920) * ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' () is a French historical adventure novel written and published in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is the first of the author's three d'Artagnan Romances. As with some of his other works, he wrote it in col ...

'' (1921) * '' Hush'' (1921) * '' Good Women'' (1921) * ''

'' (1922) * '' The Worldly Madonna'' (1922) * '' Inez from Hollywood'' (1924) * '' The Thief of Bagdad'' (1924) * '' The Lost World'' (1925) * '' Stella Dallas'' (1925) * '' The Talker'' (1925) * '' Her Sister from Paris'' (1925) * ''One Way Street'' (1925) * ''Waking Up the Town'' (1925) * '' Just Another Blonde'' (1926) * '' Partners Again'' (1926) * '' Sweet Daddies'' (1926) * '' The Bat'' (1926) * '' Subway Sadie'' (1926) * '' The Drop Kick'' (1927) * '' McFadden's Flats'' (1927) * '' The Patent Leather Kid'' (1927) * '' The Gorilla'' (1927) * ''

'' (1928) * ''Me, Gangster'' 1928 * ''A Thief in the Dark'' (1928) * ''Romance of the Rio Grande'' (1929) * '' The Cock-Eyed World'' (1929) * '' Girls Gone Wild'' (1929) * '' The Big Trail'' (1930) (70mm version) * '' All Quiet on the Western Front'' (1930) * ''

Waterloo Bridge Waterloo Bridge () is a road and foot traffic bridge crossing the River Thames in London, between Blackfriars Bridge and Hungerford Bridge and Golden Jubilee Bridges. Its name commemorates the victory of the British, Dutch and Prussians at the ...

'' (1931) * '' Always Goodbye'' (1931) * ''La Piste des Geants'' (1931) * ''

'' (1931) * '' The Man Who Came Back'' (1931) * '' Doctors' Wives'' (1931) * ''

Those We Love ''Those We Love'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Robert Florey. It was adapted by F. Hugh Herbert from the play by George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, ...

'' (1932) * ''Fast Companions'' (1932) * ''

The Impatient Maiden ''The Impatient Maiden'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film directed by James Whale, starring Lew Ayres and Mae Clarke, and released by Universal Pictures. The screenplay was written by Richard Schayer and Winifred Dunn, based on the nove ...

'' (1932) * '' Strangers of the Evening'' (1932) * '' The Last Mile'' (1932) * ''

Flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, ...

'' (1932) * '' The Old Dark House'' (1932) * ''The Big Brain'' (1933) * '' His Double Life'' (1933) * ''

The Constant Woman ''The Constant Woman'' (1933), also known as ''Auction in Souls'' and ''Hell in a Circus'', is an American Pre-Code film directed by Victor Schertzinger. It is based on the 1913 Eugene O'Neill play ''Recklessness''. Plot Marlene Underwood is a ...

'' (1933) * ''

A Study in Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 Detective fiction, detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would go on to become one of the most well-known detective ...

'' (1933) * '' The Life of Jimmy Dolan'' (1933) * ''

'' (1933) * '' Here Comes the Navy'' (1934) * ''The Merry Frinks'' (1934) * '' Palooka'' (1934) * ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the ''Bounty'' occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship, , from their captain, Lieutenant (navy), Lieutenant William Bli ...

'' (1935) * '' While the Patient Slept'' (1935) * ''Maybe it's Love'' (1935) * ''Dinky'' (1935) * ''

Devil Dogs of the Air ''Devil Dogs of the Air'' (a.k.a. ''Flying Marines'') is a 1935 Warner Bros. film, directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring James Cagney and Pat O'Brien, playing similar roles as close friends after making their debut as a "buddy team" in '' Here Co ...

'' (1935) * '' Gold Diggers of 1937'' (1936) * '' China Clipper'' (1936) * ''Hot Money'' (1936) * '' Satan Met a Lady'' (1936) * '' The Golden Arrow'' (1936) * '' Ceiling Zero'' (1936) * '' They Won't Forget'' (1937) * '' Mr. Dodd Takes the Air'' (1937) * '' Submarine D-1'' (1937) * ''The Go Getter'' (1937) * ''The Footloose Heiress'' (1937) * '' The Kid Comes Back'' (1937) * '' Racket Busters'' (1938) * '' Swing Your Lady'' (1938) * ''Mr. Chump'' (1938) * ''

Cowboy From Brooklyn ''Cowboy from Brooklyn'' is a 1938 American Western musical romantic comedy film directed by Lloyd Bacon and written by Earl Baldwin. It stars Dick Powell, Pat O'Brien and Priscilla Lane. The film was based on the 1937 Broadway play ''Howd ...

'' (1938) * '' Each Dawn I Die'' (1939) * '' Kid Nightingale'' (1939) * ''

Secret Service of the Air ''Secret Service of the Air'' (also known as ''Murder Plane'') is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Noel M. Smith and starring Ronald Reagan. This film was the first in Warner Bros.' Secret Service series. The series consisted of four ...

'' (1939) * ''Sweepstakes Winner'' (1939) * '' Wings of the Navy'' (1939) * '' Nancy Drew... Reporter'' (1939) * ''No Place to Go'' (1939) * '' Tugboat Annie Sails Again'' (1940) * '' They Drive by Night'' (1940) * ''

Castle on the Hudson ''Castle on the Hudson'' (UK title: ''Years Without Days'') is a 1940 American prison film directed by Anatole Litvak and starring John Garfield, Ann Sheridan and Pat O'Brien. The film was based on the book ''Twenty Thousand Years in Sing Sing ...

'' (1940) * '' Lady with Red Hair'' (1940) * '' The Maltese Falcon'' (1941) * '' Kisses for Breakfast'' (1941) * ''

The Male Animal ''The Male Animal'' is a 1942 American comedy-drama film produced by Warner Bros., starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie. The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Ell ...

'' (1942) * ''

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

'' (1942) * '' Across the Pacific'' (1942) * '' Thank Your Lucky Stars'' (1943) * '' Shine On, Harvest Moon'' (1944) * '' The Mask of Dimitrios'' (1944) * '' The Conspirators'' (1944) * '' The Time, the Place and the Girl'' (1946) * '' Nobody Lives Forever'' (1946) * '' Never Say Goodbye'' (1946) * ''

Three Strangers ''Three Strangers'' is a 1946 American film noir crime drama directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre, and featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. The screenplay was written by John Hu ...

'' (1946) * '' Two Guys from Milwaukee'' (1946) * '' Stallion Road'' (1947) * '' My Wild Irish Rose'' (1947) * '' Two Guys From Texas'' (1948) * '' The Fighting O'Flynn'' (1948) Source:Goble, Alan. ''The Complete Index to World Film, since 1885.'' 2008
Index home page

Awards

Oscar Nominations *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, for ''In Old Arizona'', 1929 * Academy Awards: Oscar, Best Cinematography, for ''All Quiet on the Western Front'', 1930 * Academy Awards: Oscar, Best Black and White Cinematography, for ''Casablanca'', 1943 In 1955 and 1957, Edeson was awarded the George Eastman Award, given by

George Eastman House The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film, is a photography museum in Rochester, New York. Opened to the public in 1949, is the oldest museum dedicated to photography ...

for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

References

External links

*
Arthur Edeson
at Film Reference {{DEFAULTSORT:Edeson, Arthur 1891 births 1970 deaths American cinematographers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Artists from New York City Presidents of the American Society of Cinematographers