Cinematographer. A superb craftsman and a great technical innovator of Hollywood films. At the dawn of the talkie era he pioneered in location sound photography and helped restore the camera to its silent era mobility. Edeson shot one of the first-ever widescreen features, "The Big Trail" (1930), and aided in the groundbreaking visual effects of "The Lost World" (1925) and "The Invisible Man" (1933). He received Academy Award nominations for "In Old Arizona" (1929), "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) and "Casablanca" (1942). The New York City-born Edeson was a still photographer before entering films with the Eclair studio in 1911. Promoted to director of photography in 1914, he used his skills as a portrait artist to introduce softer lighting that was more flattering to the actors onscreen. Many top Hollywood stars demanded his services and he became the favorite cameraman of Douglas Fairbanks, for whom he photographed "The Three Musketeers" (1921), "Robin Hood" (1922) and "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924). From 1936 until his retirement in 1949, Edeson was under contract to Warner Bros. Pictures, where he perfected the signature "house style" of that studio's films. His other credits include: "Eyes of Youth" (1919), "Stella Dallas" (1925), "Frankenstein" (1931), "Red Dust" (1932), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), "Gold Diggers of 1937" (1936), "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "Sergeant York" (1941, co-photography), "Old Acquaintance" (1943) and "The Mask of Dimitrios" (1944). He was later consigned to B-pictures, a sorry reward for his consistently fine efforts. Edeson was a founding member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and served as its president from 1953 to 1954.
Cinematographer. A superb craftsman and a great technical innovator of Hollywood films. At the dawn of the talkie era he pioneered in location sound photography and helped restore the camera to its silent era mobility. Edeson shot one of the first-ever widescreen features, "The Big Trail" (1930), and aided in the groundbreaking visual effects of "The Lost World" (1925) and "The Invisible Man" (1933). He received Academy Award nominations for "In Old Arizona" (1929), "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) and "Casablanca" (1942). The New York City-born Edeson was a still photographer before entering films with the Eclair studio in 1911. Promoted to director of photography in 1914, he used his skills as a portrait artist to introduce softer lighting that was more flattering to the actors onscreen. Many top Hollywood stars demanded his services and he became the favorite cameraman of Douglas Fairbanks, for whom he photographed "The Three Musketeers" (1921), "Robin Hood" (1922) and "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924). From 1936 until his retirement in 1949, Edeson was under contract to Warner Bros. Pictures, where he perfected the signature "house style" of that studio's films. His other credits include: "Eyes of Youth" (1919), "Stella Dallas" (1925), "Frankenstein" (1931), "Red Dust" (1932), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1935), "Gold Diggers of 1937" (1936), "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), "Sergeant York" (1941, co-photography), "Old Acquaintance" (1943) and "The Mask of Dimitrios" (1944). He was later consigned to B-pictures, a sorry reward for his consistently fine efforts. Edeson was a founding member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) and served as its president from 1953 to 1954.
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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