Arthur Edeson(1891-1970)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arthur Edeson is an American cinematographer who was a pioneer of his
craft. His career spanned four decades and encompassed many films now
regarded as classics.
Born in New York in 1891, Edeson first worked as a still photographer.
In 1911 he entered the movie business at Eclair Studios, a production
unit based in Fort Lee, NJ. There he was employed as an extra and still
photographer. He became a cinematographer in 1914 and worked on films
starring Clara Kimball Young, a very
popular actress of that era whose films are, for the most part, lost.
In 1917 Young left New Jersey for California, and so did Edeson.
In 1919 he was one of the 15 cameramen who founded the American Society
of Cinematographers. During the 1920s he was hired by actor-producer
Douglas Fairbanks for
The Three Musketeers (1921)
('Fred
Niblo').
Robin Hood (1922)
(Allan Dwan) and
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
(Raoul Walsh). That last film launched a
long relationship between Edeson and Walsh. In 1925 Edeson worked on
The Lost World (1925))
(Harry O. Hoyt), the first full-length
feature film using the stop-motion animation technique. In 1929 he was
cinematographer on
In Old Arizona (1928)
(Irving Cummings), the first talking
picture shot entirely outdoors. Edeson was also one of the first to
experiment with the widescreen format on Walsh's
The Big Trail (1930). During that
period he also worked with
Lewis Milestone on the anti-war epic
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
Soon afterward he collaborated with
James Whale on two technically
groundbreaking films:
Frankenstein (1931) and
The Invisible Man (1933).
In 1936 Edeson was hired at Warner Bros. There he worked notably on the
first film directed by John Huston,
the classic noir
The Maltese Falcon (1941), and
re-teamed with Huston on the lesser known
Across the Pacific (1942). He
was also lenser on the perennial favorite
Casablanca (1942)
(Michael Curtiz) and later worked with
Jean Negulesco, notably on
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
and Three Strangers (1946).
Edeson retired in 1949, putting an end to a distinguished career. He
died in California in 1970.
craft. His career spanned four decades and encompassed many films now
regarded as classics.
Born in New York in 1891, Edeson first worked as a still photographer.
In 1911 he entered the movie business at Eclair Studios, a production
unit based in Fort Lee, NJ. There he was employed as an extra and still
photographer. He became a cinematographer in 1914 and worked on films
starring Clara Kimball Young, a very
popular actress of that era whose films are, for the most part, lost.
In 1917 Young left New Jersey for California, and so did Edeson.
In 1919 he was one of the 15 cameramen who founded the American Society
of Cinematographers. During the 1920s he was hired by actor-producer
Douglas Fairbanks for
The Three Musketeers (1921)
('Fred
Niblo').
Robin Hood (1922)
(Allan Dwan) and
The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
(Raoul Walsh). That last film launched a
long relationship between Edeson and Walsh. In 1925 Edeson worked on
The Lost World (1925))
(Harry O. Hoyt), the first full-length
feature film using the stop-motion animation technique. In 1929 he was
cinematographer on
In Old Arizona (1928)
(Irving Cummings), the first talking
picture shot entirely outdoors. Edeson was also one of the first to
experiment with the widescreen format on Walsh's
The Big Trail (1930). During that
period he also worked with
Lewis Milestone on the anti-war epic
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930).
Soon afterward he collaborated with
James Whale on two technically
groundbreaking films:
Frankenstein (1931) and
The Invisible Man (1933).
In 1936 Edeson was hired at Warner Bros. There he worked notably on the
first film directed by John Huston,
the classic noir
The Maltese Falcon (1941), and
re-teamed with Huston on the lesser known
Across the Pacific (1942). He
was also lenser on the perennial favorite
Casablanca (1942)
(Michael Curtiz) and later worked with
Jean Negulesco, notably on
The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
and Three Strangers (1946).
Edeson retired in 1949, putting an end to a distinguished career. He
died in California in 1970.