Morris Gertsman (17 April 1907 – 13 December 1999) 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 ...

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

from the mid-1940s through the mid-1950s.

Career

Gertsman's first film of note was ''Jungle Captive''; he shot the final two Sherlock Holmes movies starring

Basil Rathbone Philip St. John Basil Rathbone MC (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an Anglo-South African actor. He rose to prominence in the United Kingdom as a Shakespearean stage actor and went on to appear in more than 70 films, primarily costume drama ...

and

Nigel Bruce William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was an English character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series '' The New Adventures of Sherlo ...

, ''

Terror by Night ''Terror by Night'' is a 1946 Sherlock Holmes crime drama directed by Roy William Neill and starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. The story revolves around the theft of a famous diamond aboard a train. The film's plot is a mostly original s ...

'' and '' Dressed to Kill'', and the final

Rondo Hatton Rondo Hatton (April 22, 1894 – February 2, 1946) was an American journalist and actor. After writing for ''The Tampa Tribune'', Hatton found a career in film due to his unique facial features, which were the result of acromegaly. He headlin ...

vehicle, ''

The Brute Man ''The Brute Man'' is a 1946 American horror thriller film starring Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, a murderer seeking revenge against the people he holds responsible for the disfigurement of his face. Directed by Jean Yarbrough, the film feature ...

''. At

American International Pictures American International Pictures, LLC (AIP or American International Productions) is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution c ...

he photographed the horror satire ''

How to Make a Monster How may refer to: * How (greeting), a word used in some misrepresentations of Native American/First Nations speech * How, an interrogative word in English grammar Art and entertainment Literature * ''How'' (book), a 2007 book by Dov Seidman ...

'', while at

United Artists United Artists (UA) is an American film production and film distribution, distribution company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, it was founded in February 1919 by Charlie Chaplin, D. W. Griffith, Mary Pickford an ...

he lensed '' Invisible Invaders'' and ''

The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake ''The Four Skulls of Jonathan Drake'' is a 1959 American black-and-white horror film written by Orville H. Hampton and directed by Edward L. Cahn. It was one of a series of films they made in the late 1950s for producer Robert E. Kent on contra ...

''. In 1959, he became the cinematographer on the television series ''Adventures in Paradise''. His film work became far less frequent after 1960. Like many of his contemporaries, Gertsman finished his career working in television, on shows like

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

's ''

Mister Ed ''Mister Ed'' is an American television sitcom produced by Filmways that aired in syndication from January 5 to July 2, 1961, and then on CBS from October 1, 1961, to February 6, 1966. The show's title character is a talking horse which orig ...

'' series (1961-66) for

Filmways Television Filmways, Inc. (also known as Filmways Pictures and Filmways Television) was a television and film production company founded by American film executive Martin Ransohoff and Edwin Kasper in 1952. It is probably best remembered as the production c ...

and most specifically for superstar

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...

and her two subsequent sitcoms ''

The Lucy Show ''The Lucy Show'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to ''I Love Lucy''. A significant change in cast and premise for the fourth season (1965–1966) divides the program into two distinct ...

'' (1962-68) and ''

Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's third ...

'' (1968-74), the latter of which was produced under her own Lucille Ball Productions, Inc. banner.

Credits

*''

Blonde Alibi ''Blonde Alibi'' is a 1946 American black-and-white noir thriller directed by Will Jason and starring Tom Neal, Martha O'Driscoll, Donald MacBride, and Peter Whitney. Plot Cast *Tom Neal as Rick Lavery *Martha O'Driscoll as Marian Gale *Donal ...

'' (1946) *''

Inside Job An inside job is a crime committed by a person in a position of trust, or with the help of someone either employed by the victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs or premises. Inside Job may also refer to: Books * ''Inside J ...

'' (1946) *''

Gunfighters of Abilene ''Gunfighters of Abilene'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by Edward L. Cahn and starring Buster Crabbe, Barton MacLane and Judith Ames.

'' (1960) *''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

'' (1959) *''

'' (1958) *''

Kelly and Me ''Kelly and Me'' is a 1957 American comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Everett Freeman. The film stars Van Johnson, Piper Laurie, Martha Hyer, Onslow Stevens, Herbert Anderson, Douglas Fowley and Frank Wilcox. The film was r ...

'' (1957) *''

The Creature Walks Among Us ''The Creature Walks Among Us'' is a 1956 American monster horror film and the third installment of the ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' series from Universal Pictures, following the previous year's '' Revenge of the Creature''. The film is ...

'' (1956) *'' Raw Edge'' (1956) *'' Everything but the Truth'' (1956) *'' Never Say Goodbye'' (1956) *''

I've Lived Before ''I've Lived Before'' is a 1956 American fantasy drama film directed by Richard Bartlett and starring Jock Mahoney, Leigh Snowden, Ann Harding, John McIntire, and Raymond Bailey. The film was released by Universal-International Pictures in Septem ...

'' (1956) *'' The Spoilers'' (1955) *'' To Hell and Back'' (1955) *''

One Desire ''One Desire'' is a 1955 Technicolor drama romance film directed by Jerry Hopper and starring Anne Baxter, Julia Adams and Rock Hudson. Described as a "rugged story of oil-boom Oklahoma in the early 1900s", it was adapted from Conrad Richter's b ...

'' (1955) *''

Bengal Brigade ''Bengal Brigade'' is a 1954 American adventure war film directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the 1952 novel ''The Bengal Tige ...

'' (1954) *'' So This Is Paris'' (1954) *'' Tanganyka'' (1954) *''

The Glass Web ''The Glass Web'' is a 1953 American 3-D film noir crime film directed by Jack Arnold and starring Edward G. Robinson, John Forsythe, Marcia Henderson and Kathleen Hughes. It is based on Max Simon Ehrlich's 1952 novel ''Spin the Glass Web'' ...

'' (1953) *'' All American'' (1953) *''

The Golden Blade ''The Golden Blade'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Rock Hudson as Harun Al-Rashid and Piper Laurie as Princess Khairuzan. It is set in ancient Bagdad and borrows from the Arabic fairy tales of ''One Thousa ...

'' (1953) *''

The Great Sioux Uprising ''The Great Sioux Uprising'' is a 1953 American Technicolor western film directed by Lloyd Bacon and starring Jeff Chandler, Faith Domergue and Lyle Bettger. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot During the Civil War, in ...

'' (1953) *''

Meet Me at the Fair ''Meet Me at the Fair'' is a 1953 American musical film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Dan Dailey, Diana Lynn and Hugh O'Brian. Produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, it was shot in technicolor. Plot A boy named Tad flees from th ...

'' (1953) *''

It Grows on Trees ''It Grows on Trees'' is a 1952 American fantasy comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Irene Dunne in her final screen role. The cast also featured Dean Jagger, Joan Evans and Richard Crenna. It was produced and distributed by Uni ...

'' (1952) *''

Just Across the Street ''Just Across the Street'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Joseph Pevney and starring Ann Sheridan, John Lund and Cecil Kellaway.Bubbeo p.206 It was made and distributed by Universal Pictures. Plot Henrietta applies for a job as a ...

'' (1952) *''

Red Ball Express The Red Ball Express was an American truck convoy system that supplied World War II allies, Allied forces moving through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in the summer of 1944. To expedite cargo shipments to the fro ...

'' (1952) *''

Son of Ali Baba ''Son of Ali Baba'' is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Tony Curtis and Piper Laurie. According to the film's trailer, it was made in response to thousands of letters in response to '' The Prince Who Was a Th ...

'' (1952) *''

Meet Danny Wilson Meet Danny Wilson may refer to: * ''Meet Danny Wilson'' (film), a 1952 film * ''Meet Danny Wilson'' (album), a 1987 album See also * Danny Wilson (disambiguation) Daniel, Danny or Dan Wilson may refer to: Sports * Dan Wilson (outfielder) (1 ...

'' (1952) *'' You Never Can Tell'' (1951) *''

Double Crossbones ''Double Crossbones'' is a 1951 American comedy adventure film distributed by Universal International, produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Charles Barton, and stars Donald O'Connor and Helena Carter. It was shot in Technicolor and was rele ...

'' (1951) *''

Target Unknown ''Target Unknown'' (also known as ''Prisoner of War'') is a 1951 American war film directed by George Sherman and starring Mark Stevens, Alex Nicol and Robert Douglas. An American bomber crew are forced to bail out over Occupied France in 1944 an ...

'' (1951) *'' Comanche Territory'' (1950) *''

One Way Street ''One Way Street'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Hugo Fregonese and starring James Mason, Märta Torén and Dan Duryea. The film takes place mainly in Mexico. Plot Dr. Frank Matson, a physician, steals $200,000 from the ...

'' (1950) *'' Louisa'' (1950) *''

City Across the River ''City Across the River'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by Maxwell Shane and starring Stephen McNally, with Sue England and Barbara Whiting in principal support. The screenplay is based on the novel '' The Amboy Dukes'' by ...

'' (1949) *''

Johnny Stool Pigeon ''Johnny Stool Pigeon'' is a 1949 American film noir crime film directed by William Castle and starring Howard Duff, Shelley Winters and Dan Duryea. Plot A narcotics agent convinces a convict he helped send to Alcatraz to go undercover with him ...

'' (1949) *''

South Sea Sinner ''South Sea Sinner'' is a 1950 American adventure film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone and starring Macdonald Carey and Shelley Winters. It is a remake of '' Seven Sinners'' (1940). Liberace has a small role. Plot A cafe owner on a South Sea i ...

'' (1949) *'' Rachel and the Stranger'' (1948) *'' Time Out of Mind'' (1947) *''

'' (1946) * '' Girl on the Spot'' (1946)

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gertsman, Maury 1907 births 1999 deaths American cinematographers Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery