From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nicholas Musuraca, A.S.C. (October 25, 1892 – September 3, 1975) was a motion-picture cinematographer best remembered for his work at RKO Pictures in the 1940s including many of Val Lewton's series of B-picture horror films.
Nicola Musuraca left his home in Riace, province of Reggio di Calabria, Italy, and emigrated to the United States in 1907. He and his father, Cosimo Musuraca, boarded the Italian steamer Re d'Italia in July 1907, sailing from Naples on July 18 and arriving at the Port of New York on August 3, 1907. There, they were transferred to Ellis Island with their fellow steerage passenger where they underwent federal immigrant inspection. Upon being admitted the father and son set out for Brooklyn to join Cosimo's brother, Francesco.
He began his film career as the chauffeur for silent film producer J. Stuart Blackton. He worked behind the scenes on numerous silent and B-movie action films before becoming one of RKO Radio Pictures prime directors of photography in the 1930s. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) is sometimes considered the first film-noir.
While working regularly at RKO, joined Val Lewton's unit making low-budget horror-films being responsible for the cinematography of five of the films produced by Lewton's unit. Musuraca collaborated with director Jacques Tourneur on Cat People (1942) and, after the end of Lewton's time at RKO, Out of the Past (1947). He was nominated for a 1947 Academy Award for his work on I Remember Mama. After working briefly at Warner Bros. in the late 1950s, Musuraca joined Desilu, where he spent his last active years in TV work including the television series F Troop.
Known For
Out of the Past
(1947)
Director of Photography
The Hitch-Hiker
(1953)
Director of Photography
Cat People
(1942)
Director of Photography
The Spiral Staircase
(1946)
Director of Photography
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
(1947)
Director of Photography
Clash by Night
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Blue Gardenia
(1953)
Director of Photography
The Seventh Victim
(1943)
Director of Photography
Back to Bataan
(1945)
Director of Photography
Blood on the Moon
(1948)
Director of Photography
The Curse of the Cat People
(1944)
Director of Photography
The Locket
(1946)
Director of Photography
Golden Boy
(1939)
Director of Photography
China Sky
(1945)
Director of Photography
By Your Leave
(1934)
Director of Photography
Bedlam
(1946)
Director of Photography
Full Filmography
Camera
The Gilded Highway
(1926)
Director of Photography
Shameful Behavior?
(1926)
Director of Photography
Tom's Gang
(1927)
Director of Photography
Tropic Madness
(1928)
Director of Photography
Side Street
(1929)
Director of Photography
Hook, Line and Sinker
(1930)
Director of Photography
Inside the Lines
(1930)
Director of Photography
The Cuckoos
(1930)
Director of Photography
Half Shot at Sunrise
(1930)
Director of Photography
Conspiracy
(1930)
Director of Photography
Three Who Loved
(1931)
Director of Photography
Cracked Nuts
(1931)
Director of Photography
Smart Woman
(1931)
Director of Photography
Men of Chance
(1931)
Director of Photography
Too Many Cooks
(1931)
Director of Photography
Everything’s Rosie
(1931)
Director of Photography
The Sin Ship
(1931)
Director of Photography
Haunted Gold
(1932)
Director of Photography
Scarlet River
(1933)
Director of Photography
The Cheyenne Kid
(1933)
Director of Photography
Chance at Heaven
(1933)
Director of Photography
Midshipman Jack
(1933)
Director of Photography
Headline Shooter
(1933)
Director of Photography
Flying Devils
(1933)
Director of Photography
Son of the Border
(1933)
Director of Photography
Cross Fire
(1933)
Director of Photography
The Richest Girl in the World
(1934)
Director of Photography
Where Sinners Meet
(1934)
Director of Photography
Murder on the Blackboard
(1934)
Director of Photography
By Your Leave
(1934)
Director of Photography
We're Rich Again
(1934)
Director of Photography
Sing and Like it
(1934)
Director of Photography
Long Lost Father
(1934)
Director of Photography
Bedlam of Beards
(1934)
Director of Photography
Murder on a Honeymoon
(1935)
Director of Photography
Romance in Manhattan
(1935)
Director of Photography
Village Tale
(1935)
Director of Photography
Old Man Rhythm
(1935)
Director of Photography
To Beat the Band
(1935)
Director of Photography
Two in the Dark
(1936)
Director of Photography
The Farmer in the Dell
(1936)
Director of Photography
Silly Billies
(1936)
Director of Photography
Murder on a Bridle Path
(1936)
Director of Photography
The Plot Thickens
(1936)
Director of Photography
Quick Money
(1937)
Director of Photography
Danger Patrol
(1937)
Director of Photography
Saturday's Heroes
(1937)
Director of Photography
Living on Love
(1937)
Director of Photography
Flight from Glory
(1937)
Director of Photography
The Big Shot
(1937)
Director of Photography
Border Cafe
(1937)
Director of Photography
Too Many Wives
(1937)
Director of Photography
China Passage
(1937)
Director of Photography
We're on the Jury
(1937)
Director of Photography
Crashing Hollywood
(1938)
Director of Photography
Tarnished Angel
(1938)
Director of Photography
Sky Giant
(1938)
Director of Photography
Blind Alibi
(1938)
Director of Photography
Law of the Underworld
(1938)
Director of Photography
Night Spot
(1938)
Director of Photography
Everybody's Doing It
(1938)
Director of Photography
The Mad Miss Manton
(1938)
Director of Photography
Smashing the Rackets
(1938)
Director of Photography
Condemned Women
(1938)
Director of Photography
Hatred
(1938)
Assistant Camera
Golden Boy
(1939)
Director of Photography
Twelve Crowded Hours
(1939)
Director of Photography
Allegheny Uprising
(1939)
Director of Photography
Five Came Back
(1939)
Director of Photography
Sorority House
(1939)
Director of Photography
They Made Her a Spy
(1939)
Director of Photography
Pacific Liner
(1939)
Director of Photography
Stranger on the Third Floor
(1940)
Director of Photography
A Bill of Divorcement
(1940)
Director of Photography
Little Men
(1940)
Director of Photography
Tom Brown's School Days
(1940)
Director of Photography
Swiss Family Robinson
(1940)
Director of Photography
The Gay Falcon
(1941)
Director of Photography
Lady Scarface
(1941)
Director of Photography
Hurry, Charlie, Hurry
(1941)
Director of Photography
Repent at Leisure
(1941)
Director of Photography
Play Girl
(1941)
Director of Photography
Cat People
(1942)
Director of Photography
The Tuttles of Tahiti
(1942)
Director of Photography
The Navy Comes Through
(1942)
Director of Photography
Obliging Young Lady
(1942)
Director of Photography
Call Out the Marines
(1942)
Director of Photography
Bandit Ranger
(1942)
Director of Photography
Pirates of the Prairie
(1942)
Director of Photography
Cooks and Crooks
(1942)
Director of Photography
The Seventh Victim
(1943)
Director of Photography
The Fallen Sparrow
(1943)
Director of Photography
The Ghost Ship
(1943)
Director of Photography
Bombardier
(1943)
Director of Photography
Gangway for Tomorrow
(1943)
Director of Photography
Forever and a Day
(1943)
Director of Photography
The Curse of the Cat People
(1944)
Director of Photography
The Falcon in Hollywood
(1944)
Director of Photography
Girl Rush
(1944)
Director of Photography
Bride by Mistake
(1944)
Director of Photography
Marine Raiders
(1944)
Director of Photography
Back to Bataan
(1945)
Director of Photography
China Sky
(1945)
Director of Photography
It's Your Move
(1945)
Director of Photography
Bedlam
(1946)
Director of Photography
The Spiral Staircase
(1946)
Director of Photography
Deadline at Dawn
(1946)
Director of Photography
The Locket
(1946)
Director of Photography
Out of the Past
(1947)
Director of Photography
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer
(1947)
Director of Photography
Blood on the Moon
(1948)
Director of Photography
I Remember Mama
(1948)
Director of Photography
The Mysterious Desperado
(1949)
Director of Photography
Stagecoach Kid
(1949)
Director of Photography
The Woman on Pier 13
(1950)
Director of Photography
Born to Be Bad
(1950)
Director of Photography
Hunt the Man Down
(1950)
Director of Photography
Where Danger Lives
(1950)
Director of Photography
Rider from Tucson
(1950)
Director of Photography
Dynamite Pass
(1950)
Director of Photography
The Company She Keeps
(1951)
Director of Photography
Roadblock
(1951)
Director of Photography
The Whip Hand
(1951)
Director of Photography
Hot Lead
(1951)
Director of Photography
Clash by Night
(1952)
Director of Photography
Trail Guide
(1952)
Director of Photography
A Girl in Every Port
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Blue Gardenia
(1953)
Director of Photography
Split Second
(1953)
Director of Photography
Devil's Canyon
(1953)
Director of Photography
The Hitch-Hiker
(1953)
Director of Photography
Susan Slept Here
(1954)
Director of Photography
The Story of Mankind
(1957)
Director of Photography
Man on the Prowl
(1957)
Director of Photography
Too Much, Too Soon
(1958)
Director of Photography
The Lawbreakers
(1961)
Director of Photography
Crew