Russell B. Harlan, A.S.C. (September 16, 1903 – February 28, 1974) 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 ...

Biography

Born in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, Russell Harlan witnessed the city's development from the construction of its first

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company that makes films. Today, studios are mostly financing and distribution entities. In addition, they may have their own studio facility or facilities; how ...

to being the center for

motion picture A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, since ...

production in the United States. Harlan embarked on a career in film as an actor and

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

but by the early 1930s was pursuing his interest behind the camera as an assistant. He performed as the cinematographer for the first time in 1937 on a ''

Hopalong Cassidy Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional cowboy hero created in 1904 by the author Clarence E. Mulford, who wrote a series of short stories and novels based on the character. Mulford portrayed the character as rude, dangerous, and rough-talking. He wa ...

western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...

that led to a career spanning more than thirty years. He received six nominations for the

Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) w ...

, including two in 1962 alone when he worked on ''

Hatari! ''Hatari!'' (, Swahili for "Danger!") is a 1962 American adventure romantic comedy film starring John Wayne as the leader of a group of professional game catchers in Africa.McCarthy, Todd. ''Howard Hawks: the grey fox of Hollywood'', New York, ...

'' and ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a 1960 Southern Gothic novel by American author Harper Lee. It became instantly successful after its release; in the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' ...

''.''Hands-on Manual for Cinematographers''
/ref> Russell Harlan died in 1974 in

Newport Beach, California Newport Beach is a coastal city of about 85,000 in southern Orange County, California, United States. Located about southeast of downtown Los Angeles, Newport Beach is known for its sandy beaches. The city's harbor once supported maritime indu ...

and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

Selected filmography

*'' North of the Rio Grande'' (1937) *''

Texas Trail The Texas Trail, another name for the Great Western Cattle Trail, was used to drive cattle from Texas to Ogallala, Nebraska. This emerged as an alternative to the Chisholm Trail. Near Imperial, Nebraska are portions of a dry stone corral wh ...

'' (1937) *'' The Frontiersmen'' (1938) *'' Heritage of the Desert'' (1939) *'' The Light of Western Stars'' (1940) *'' Doomed Caravan'' (1941) *''

In Old Colorado ''In Old Colorado'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Howard Bretherton and written by J. Benton Cheney, Russell Hayden and Norton S. Parker. The film stars William Boyd, Russell Hayden, Andy Clyde, Margaret Hayes, Morris Ankrum, ...

'' (1941) *'' American Empire'' (1942) *'' Hoppy Serves a Writ'' (1943) *'' False Colors'' (1943) *'' Mystery Man'' (1944) *'' A Walk in the Sun'' (1945) *''

Ramrod A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloader, muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was u ...

'' (1947) *'' Red River'' (1948) *'' Gun Crazy'' (1949) *'' Guilty Bystander'' (1950) *''

The Thing from Another World ''The Thing from Another World'', sometimes referred to as just ''The Thing'', is a 1951 American black-and-white science fiction-horror film directed by Christian Nyby, produced by Edward Lasker for Howard Hawks' Winchester Pictures Corporatio ...

'' (1951) *'' The Big Sky'' (1952) *'' Riot in Cell Block 11'' (1954) *''

Blackboard Jungle ''Blackboard Jungle'' is a 1955 American social drama film about an English teacher in an interracial inner-city school, based on the 1954 novel ''The Blackboard Jungle'' by Evan Hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by Richard Brook ...

'' (1955) *'' The Last Hunt'' (1956) *'' Lust for Life'' (1956) *'' Witness for the Prosecution'' (1957) *'' Run Silent, Run Deep'' (1958) *''

King Creole ''King Creole'' is a 1958 American Musical film, musical drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on the 1952 novel ''A Stone for Danny Fisher'' by Harold Robbins. Produced by Hal B. Wallis, the film stars Elvis Presley, Carolyn Jones, W ...

'' (1958) *'' Rio Bravo'' (1959) *'' Operation Petticoat'' (1959) *''

Sunrise at Campobello ''Sunrise at Campobello'' is a 1960 American biographical film telling the story of the struggles of future President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt and his family when Roosevelt was stricken with paralysis at the age of 39 in Augus ...

'' (1960) *''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, known a ...

'' (1960) *''

'' (1962) *''

'' (1962) *'' A Gathering of Eagles'' (1963) *'' Dear Heart'' (1964) *''

The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor epic slapstick comedy film directed by Blake Edwards, starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross) and with music by Henr ...

'' (1965) *''

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

'' (1966) *''

Tobruk Tobruk ( ; ; ) is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District (formerly Tobruk District) and has a population of 120,000 (2011 est.)."Tobruk" (history), ''Encyclop� ...

'' (1967) *'' Darling Lili'' (1970)

References

Entry at filmreference.com

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Harlan, Russell 1903 births 1974 deaths American cinematographers Film people from Los Angeles Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)