CINEFILER

Hal Mohr

Born
August 2, 1894
Died
May 10, 1974
Hal Mohr, A.S.C. (August 2, 1894 in San Francisco – May 10, 1974 in Santa Monica, California) was a famed movie cinematographer. He is known for his Oscar-winning work on the 1935 film, A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was awarded another Oscar for his work on The Phantom of the Opera in 1943, and received a nomination for The Four Poster in 1952. From a young age, Hal Mohr wanted to pursue a career in cinematography because he was curious to learn about how to make pictures move onscreen. He worked as a photo finisher in a photo lab to gain experience with the camera. When he was 19 years old, he filmed his first movie, Pam's Daughter, which, unfortunately, was never seen by the public because of problems with the motion picture distribution company. Although Mohr mainly worked as a cinema portraitist on movies such as The Wedding March, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Technicolor The Phantom of the Opera, he was passionate about exploring the limits of the camera. Mohr shot in deep focus years before Gregg Toland -- Bullets or Ballots and The Green Pastures were both shot in deep focus. He was inspired by the moving shots in the Italian movie, Cabiria, and developed a camera with special tracking abilities for his 1914 film, Pan's Mountain. Notably, Mohr is the only person to have won a competitive Academy Award without being nominated for it. In 1936, a write-in campaign won him the Best Cinematography Oscar for his work on A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935). The Academy later changed the Oscar rules, making write-in voting impossible. In 1944, Mohr became the first person to win an Oscar for both Black-and-White and Color cinematography when he won his second Academy Award, this time with W. Howard Greene for Best Cinematography in a Color Film, for their work on The Phantom of the Opera (1943). Mohr was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematographer for his work on The Four Poster (1952), a film based on a play of the same name, written by Jan de Hartog. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Cinematography in a Black and White Film, for his work on the same movie. Other film cinematographer credits include Little Annie Rooney (1925), The Big Gamble (1931), Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941), Another Part of the Forest (1948) and The Wild One (1953). Mohr served as president of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1930 to 1931. Then, for two terms from 1963 to 1965 and finally from 1969 to 1970. He was one of the first members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a senior member of the Academy's Board of Directors. He headed the Academy's Cinematography Branch for over 20 years, and was also a part of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Before his death, he would travel the country promoting cameramen and the industry of cinematography. For his many contributions to motion pictures and the film industry, Hal Mohr received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.
Academy Awards
Best Cinematography
Best Cinematography, Color
Known For
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Jazz Singer
(1927)
Director of Photography
The Wild One
(1953)
Director of Photography
Phantom of the Opera
(1943)
Director of Photography
The Second Woman
(1950)
Director of Photography
Woman on the Run
(1950)
Director of Photography
Destry Rides Again
(1939)
Director of Photography
Captain Blood
(1935)
Director of Photography
The Walking Dead
(1936)
Director of Photography
When the Daltons Rode
(1940)
Director of Photography
Noah's Ark
(1928)
Director of Photography
Pot o' Gold
(1941)
Director of Photography
The Climax
(1944)
Director of Photography
Bullets or Ballots
(1936)
Director of Photography
Full Filmography
Camera
The Big Idea
(1917)
Director of Photography
Bag and Baggage
(1923)
Director of Photography
The Monster
(1925)
Director of Photography
Little Annie Rooney
(1925)
Director of Photography
Sparrows
(1926)
Director of Photography
The Marriage Clause
(1926)
Director of Photography
The Third Degree
(1926)
Director of Photography
The Jazz Singer
(1927)
Director of Photography
Old San Francisco
(1927)
Director of Photography
The Heart of Maryland
(1927)
Director of Photography
The Last Warning
(1928)
Director of Photography
Tenderloin
(1928)
Director of Photography
Noah's Ark
(1928)
Director of Photography
Glorious Betsy
(1928)
Director of Photography
Broadway
(1929)
Director of Photography
Shanghai Lady
(1929)
Director of Photography
The Last Performance
(1929)
Director of Photography
Big Boy
(1930)
Director of Photography
Outward Bound
(1930)
Director of Photography
King of Jazz
(1930)
Director of Photography
The Czar of Broadway
(1930)
Director of Photography
The Big Gamble
(1931)
Director of Photography
Devotion
(1931)
Director of Photography
A Woman of Experience
(1931)
Director of Photography
Tess of the Storm Country
(1932)
Director of Photography
A Woman Commands
(1932)
Director of Photography
Week Ends Only
(1932)
Director of Photography
The First Year
(1932)
Director of Photography
Lady with a Past
(1932)
Director of Photography
State Fair
(1933)
Director of Photography
The Warrior's Husband
(1933)
Director of Photography
I Loved You Wednesday
(1933)
Director of Photography
The Devil's in Love
(1933)
Director of Photography
Change of Heart
(1934)
Director of Photography
David Harum
(1934)
Director of Photography
Servants' Entrance
(1934)
Director of Photography
Captain Blood
(1935)
Director of Photography
A Midsummer Night's Dream
(1935)
Director of Photography
The Walking Dead
(1936)
Director of Photography
Bullets or Ballots
(1936)
Director of Photography
The Green Pastures
(1936)
Director of Photography
Ladies In Love
(1936)
Director of Photography
I Met My Love Again
(1938)
Director of Photography
Destry Rides Again
(1939)
Director of Photography
Back Door to Heaven
(1939)
Director of Photography
Rio
(1939)
Director of Photography
When the Daltons Rode
(1940)
Director of Photography
International Lady
(1941)
Director of Photography
Pot o' Gold
(1941)
Director of Photography
Watch on the Rhine
(1943)
Director of Photography
Top Man
(1943)
Director of Photography
Phantom of the Opera
(1943)
Director of Photography
The Climax
(1944)
Director of Photography
Enter Arsène Lupin
(1944)
Director of Photography
Salome, Where She Danced
(1945)
Director of Photography
Her Lucky Night
(1945)
Director of Photography
Because of Him
(1946)
Director of Photography
The Lost Moment
(1947)
Director of Photography
I'll Be Yours
(1947)
Director of Photography
Song of Scheherazade
(1947)
Director of Photography
Another Part of the Forest
(1948)
Director of Photography
An Act of Murder
(1948)
Director of Photography
Johnny Holiday
(1949)
Director of Photography
Woman on the Run
(1950)
Director of Photography
The Second Woman
(1950)
Director of Photography
The Big Night
(1951)
Director of Photography
Rancho Notorious
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Four Poster
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Member of the Wedding
(1952)
Director of Photography
The Wild One
(1953)
Director of Photography
Rookie of the Year
(1955)
Director of Photography
The Boss
(1956)
Director of Photography
Baby Face Nelson
(1957)
Director of Photography
The Gun Runners
(1958)
Director of Photography
The Lineup
(1958)
Director of Photography
The Last Voyage
(1960)
Director of Photography
Underworld U.S.A.
(1961)
Director of Photography
The Creation of the Humanoids
(1962)
Director of Photography
The Man from the Diners' Club
(1963)
Director of Photography
Jack and the Beanstalk
(1967)
Director of Photography
The Bamboo Saucer
(1968)
Director of Photography
Acting
Directing
Writing
Crew
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