Charles Rosher - Cinematographer

[Northern Lights]

Charles Rosher, A.S.C. (November 17, 1885 - January 15, 1974) was a two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer who worked from the early days of silent films through the 1950s. Born in London, he was the first cinematographer to receive an Academy Award, along with 1929 co-winner Karl Struss.

Rosher studied photography in his youth but earned a reputation early as a newsreel cameraman, before moving to the United States in 1909. He subsequently found work for David Horsley working in his production company in New Jersey. Because early film was largely restricted to using daylight, Horsley relocated his production company to Hollywood in 1911, taking Rosher with him, and opened the first movie studio there. This made Rosher the first full-time cameraman in Hollywood. In 1913 he went to Mexico to film newsreel footage of Pancho Villa's rebellion. In 1918, he was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers and served as the group's first Vice-President. In the 1920s he was one of the most sought-after cinematographers in Hollywood, and a personal favorite of stars such as Mary Pickford. His work with Karl Struss on F.W. Murnau's 1927 film Sunrise is viewed as a milestone in cinematography. He shot five films for producer David O. Selznick, including Rockabye (1932), Our Betters (1933) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936).

Rosher worked at several studios, but spent the last twelve years of his career exclusively at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, photographing such films as Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, and the The Yearling.

Rosher was the father of actress Joan Marsh and cinematographer Charles Rosher, Jr. He died of an accidental fall in Lisbon.

• 1952 - Nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for Show Boat
• 1951 - Nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for Annie Get Yor Gun
• 1947 - Won a Best Cinematography Oscar, with Leonard Smith and Arthur E. Arling, for The Yearling
• 1945 - Nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for Kismet
• 1935 - Nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar for The Affairs of Cellini
• 1929 - Best Cinematography Oscar (co-winner with Karl Struss) for Sunrise

In addition, Rosher also received two Eastman Medals (named for George Eastman), Photoplay magazine's Gold Medal, and the only fellowship ever awarded by the Society of Motion Picture Engineers.

[Northern Lights]

Filmography

Cinematographer

1. Jupiter's Darling (1955)
2. Kiss Me Kate (1953) (director of photography)
3. Young Bess (1953) (director of photography)
4. The Story of Three Loves (1953)
   ... aka Equilibrium
   ... aka Three Stories of Love
5. Scaramouche (1952) (director of photography)
6. Show Boat (1951) (director of photography)
7. Pagan Love Song (1950)
8. Annie Get Your Gun (1950) (director of photography)
9. East Side, West Side (1949) (director of photography)
10. The Red Danube (1949)
11. Neptune's Daughter (1949)
12. Words and Music (1948)
13. On an Island with You (1948)
14. Song of the Thin Man (1947) (director of photography)
15. Dark Delusion (1947)
    ... aka Cynthia's Secret (UK) (USA: working title)
16. Fiesta (1947)
17. The Yearling (1946) (director of photography)
18. Yolanda and the Thief (1945) (director of photography)
19. Ziegfeld Follies (1945) (director of photography)
    ... aka Ziegfeld Follies of 1946 (USA: poster title)
20. Kismet (1944) (director of photography)
    ... aka Oriental Dream (USA: TV title)
21. Swing Fever (1943)
22. I Dood It (1943) (uncredited)
    ... aka By Hook or by Crook (UK)
23. Assignment in Brittany (1943)
24. Stand by for Action (1942) (director of photography)
    ... aka Cargo of Innocents (UK)
25. Pierre of the Plains (1942)
26. Mokey (1942) (director of photography)
27. One Foot in Heaven (1941)
28. Million Dollar Baby (1941)
29. Four Mothers (1941)
30. My Love Came Back (1940)
31. Three Cheers for the Irish (1940) (director of photography)
32. Brother Rat and a Baby (1940) (director of photography)
    ... aka Baby Be Good (UK)
33. A Child Is Born (1939)
34. Espionage Agent (1939) (director of photography)
35. Hell's Kitchen (1939)
36. Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939)
37. Off the Record (1939)
    ... aka Unfit to Print (UK)
38. Hard to Get (1938)
39. White Banners (1938)
40. Hollywood Hotel (1937) (photography by)
41. The Perfect Specimen (1937) (photography by)
42. The Woman I Love (1937)
    ... aka The Woman Between (UK)
43. Men Are Not Gods (1936)
44. Small Town Girl (1936)
    ... aka One Horse Town (USA: TV title)
45. Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936)
46. Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
47. The Call of the Wild (1935) (photography)
48. After Office Hours (1935)
49. What Every Woman Knows (1934) (photographed by)
50. Outcast Lady (1934) (photographed by)
    ... aka A Woman of the World
51. The Affairs of Cellini (1934) (photographed by)
    ... aka The Firebrand
52. Moulin Rouge (1934)
53. After Tonight (1933)
    ... aka Sealed Lips (UK)
54. Flaming Gold (1933) (photographed by)
55. Bed of Roses (1933)
56. The Silver Cord (1933)
57. Our Betters (1933) (photographed by)
58. The Past of Mary Holmes (1933)
59. Rockabye (1932) (photographed by)
60. Two Against the World (1932) (photographed by)
61. What Price Hollywood? (1932) (photographed by)
62. Husband's Holiday (1931)
63. Beloved Bachelor (1931)
64. Silence (1931)
65. This Modern Age (1931)
66. Laughing Sinners (1931)
67. Dance, Fools, Dance (1931) (photographed by)
68. Paid (1930)
    ... aka Within the Law (UK)
69. War Nurse (1930) (as Charles Roscher)
70. Zwei Welten (1930)
71. Two Worlds (1930)
72. The Price of Things (1930)
73. Knowing Men (1930)
74. Atlantis (1930)
    ... aka Atlantic (Canada: English title)
75. La route est belle (1930)
    ... aka The Road Is Fine (International: English title)
76. Les deux mondes (1930)
77. Atlantic (1929)
    ... aka Titanic: Disaster in the Atlantic (USA: video title)
78. Atlantik (1929)
    ... aka Titanic (Australia) (Canada: English title) (India: English title)
79. The Vagabond Queen (1929)
80. Eternal Love (1929)
81. Tempest (1928)
82. My Best Girl (1927)
83. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) (photography)
    ... aka Sunrise (USA: short title)
84. Sparrows (1926)
    ... aka Human Sparrows (UK)
85. Little Annie Rooney (1925)
86. Three Women (1924)
87. Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (1924)
88. Tiger Rose (1923)
89. Rosita (1923)
90. Sant'Ilario (1923)
91. Tess of the Storm Country (1922)
92. Smilin' Through (1922)
    ... aka Smiling Through (USA: copyright title)
93. Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921)
94. Through the Back Door (1921)
95. The Love Light (1921)
96. Dinty (1920)
97. The White Circle (1920)
98. Suds (1920)
99. Pollyanna (1920)
100. Heart o' the Hills (1919)
     ... aka Heart of the Hills
101. The Hoodlum (1919)
     ... aka The Ragamuffin (UK)
102. Daddy-Long-Legs (1919)
103. Captain Kidd, Jr. (1919)
104. The Dub (1919)
105. Too Many Millions (1918)
106. Johanna Enlists (1918)
107. How Could You, Jean? (1918)
108. The White Man's Law (1918)
109. The Honor of His House (1918)
     ... aka Honor of the House (USA: informal English alternative title)
110. One More American (1918)
     ... aka The Land of the Free (USA: informal English alternative title)
111. The Widow's Might (1918)
112. The Secret Game (1917)
113. The Little Princess (1917)
114. Hashimura Togo (1917)
115. At First Sight (1917)
116. The Primrose Ring (1917)
117. A Mormon Maid (1917)
118. On Record (1917)
119. The Plow Girl (1916)
120. The Heir to the Hoorah (1916)
121. Anton the Terrible (1916)
     ... aka The Austrian Spy
122. Common Ground (1916)
123. The Clown (1916)
124. The Sowers (1916)
125. The Blacklist (1916) (as Charles G. Rosher)
126. Blackbirds (1915) (as Charles G. Rosher)
127. The Voice in the Fog (1915)
128. Gene of the Northland (1915)
129. The Mad Maid of the Forest (1915)
130. The Smuggler's Lass (1915)
131. The Mystery of the Poison Pool (1914) (as Charles G. Rosher)
132. The Oath of a Viking (1914)
133. The Next in Command (1914)
134. Santo Icario (1914)
135. With General Pancho Villa in Mexico (1913)
136. Early Days in the West (1912)
137. The Indian Raiders (1912)
138. Life of Villa (1912)

Camera and Electrical Department

1. Atlantik (1929) (camera operator: studio camera)
   ... aka Titanic (Australia) (Canada: English title) (India: English title)
2. Carmen (1915/I) (camera operator)

Miscellaneous Crew

.....1. Faust - Eine deutsche Volkssage (1926) (photographic consultant)
............ aka Faust (Germany: short title)
............ aka Faust: A German Folk Legend (Canada: English title)

[Guest]

He was involved with a lot of good films. I like his actress daughter Joan, her star shone mainly in the 1930's, before her early retirement.