Hal Mohr
Encyclopedia
Hal Mohr, A.S.C.
(August 2, 1894, San Francisco — May 10, 1974, Santa Monica, California
) was a famed movie cinematographer
.
peddled directly to theater owners, Mohr and Sol Lesser produced and directed a film The Last Night of the Barbary Coast
. This film purported to show the last night of the depraved Barbary Coast
red-light district
of San Francisco before it was shut down by the police. (The area wasn't actually closed down until 1917.) This is now considered a lost film
.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematographer for his work on The Fourposter
(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.
Notably, he 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.
He won another Academy Award for his work on The Phantom of the Opera
(1943). Other film cinematographer credits include Cheers for Miss Bishop
(1941), Another Part of the Forest
(1948) and The Wild One
(1953).
, whom he met on the set of the Will Rogers
film David Harum. Strict vegetarians, they had two daughters, Dolores and Rosalia, and remained married until his death in 1974.
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
(August 2, 1894, San Francisco — May 10, 1974, Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica, California
Santa Monica is a beachfront city in western Los Angeles County, California, US. Situated on Santa Monica Bay, it is surrounded on three sides by the city of Los Angeles — Pacific Palisades on the northwest, Brentwood on the north, West Los Angeles on the northeast, Mar Vista on the east, and...
) was a famed movie cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
.
Career
In 1915, in an early example of an exploitation filmExploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
peddled directly to theater owners, Mohr and Sol Lesser produced and directed a film The Last Night of the Barbary Coast
The Last Night of the Barbary Coast
The Last Night of the Barbary Coast was an early example of the exploitation film, showing what was purported to be the last night of the Barbary Coast red-light section of San Francisco. In reality, the Barbary Coast wasn't shut down until 1917....
. This film purported to show the last night of the depraved Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast, San Francisco, California
Barbary Coast was a red-light district in old San Francisco, California. Geographically it constituted nine blocks bounded by Montgomery Street, Washington Street, Stockton Street, and Broadway...
red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
of San Francisco before it was shut down by the police. (The area wasn't actually closed down until 1917.) This is now considered a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematographer for his work on The Fourposter
The Fourposter
The Fourposter is a 1951 play written by Jan de Hartog. The two-character story spans thirty-five years, from 1890 to 1925, as it focuses on the trials and tribulations, laughters and sorrows, and hopes and disappointments experienced by Agnes and Michael throughout their marriage...
(1952), a film based on a play of the same name, written by Jan de Hartog
Jan de Hartog
Jan de Hartog was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker.- Early years :...
. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Cinematography in a Black and White Film, for his work on the same movie.
Notably, he 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
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 1935 film directed by Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, produced by Henry Blanke and Hal Wallis, and adapted by Charles Kenyon and Mary C. McCall Jr...
(1935). The Academy later changed the Oscar rules, making write-in voting impossible.
He won another Academy Award for his work on The Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera (1943 film)
Phantom of the Opera is a 1943 Universal horror film starring Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster and Claude Rains, directed by Arthur Lubin, and filmed in Technicolor. The original music score was composed by Edward Ward....
(1943). Other film cinematographer credits include Cheers for Miss Bishop
Cheers for Miss Bishop
Cheers for Miss Bishop is a film based on the novel Miss Bishop by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It was directed by Tay Garnett and stars Martha Scott in the title role. The other cast members include William Gargan, Edmund Gwenn, Sterling Holloway, Dorothy Peterson, Marsha Hunt, Don Douglas, and Sidney...
(1941), Another Part of the Forest
Another Part of the Forest (film)
Another Part of the Forest is a 1948 American drama film directed by Michael Gordon. The screenplay by is based on the 1946 play of the same name by Lillian Hellman, which was a prequel to her 1939 drama The Little Foxes.-Plot:...
(1948) and The Wild One
The Wild One
The Wild One is a 1953 outlaw biker film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. It is famed for Marlon Brando's iconic portrayal of the gang leader Johnny Strabler.-Basis:...
(1953).
Personal life
On December 7, 1934, Mohr married actress Evelyn VenableEvelyn Venable
Evelyn Venable was an American actress. In addition to starring in several films in the 1930s and 1940s, she is notable as the voice and model for the Blue Fairy in the Walt Disney's Pinocchio....
, whom he met on the set of the Will Rogers
Will Rogers
William "Will" Penn Adair Rogers was an American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer, film actor, and one of the world's best-known celebrities in the 1920s and 1930s....
film David Harum. Strict vegetarians, they had two daughters, Dolores and Rosalia, and remained married until his death in 1974.