Frank Redman

Frank Redman (August 1901 – March 1966) was an American cinematographer (director of photography) from the end of the silent era through the 1960s. During his almost 40-year career, he shot over 60 feature films, as well as several film shorts and serials. In the 1950s, he transitioned to the smaller screen, where he was most well known for his work on the iconic television show, Perry Mason from the end of the 1950s through 1965.

Frank Redman
BornAugust 1901
Fort Lee, New Jersey United States
DiedMarch 1966 (aged 65)
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1927—65

Career

Early career

Redman began his career in film as the cinematographer for the 1927 Pathé Exchange serial, Hawk of the Hills, starring Allene Ray and Walter Miller, and directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet.[1] In 1929, Redman shot another serial western, A Final Reckoning, directed by Ray Taylor, this time at Universal Pictures.[2] 1929 also saw Redman's first feature length credit, when the ten episode serial, Hawk of the Hills, was re-edited and re-issued.[1] During his early years, he was sometimes assisted by another pioneering cinematographer, Linwood G. Dunn.[3] In 1931, Redman began a long association with RKO Pictures, working as one of the cameramen under Edward Cronjager, on the Academy Award-winning film, Cimarron.[4] He spent the next several years working as a cameraman for RKO, working on such films as: Consolation Marriage, under J. Roy Hunt, which starred Irene Dunne;[5] Little Orphan Annie, starring Mitzi Green in the title role, with Jack MacKenzie as the director of photography;[6] Bed of Roses (1933), directed by Gregory La Cava and starring Constance Bennett;[7] the 1934 comedy mystery Murder on the Blackboard, directed by George Archainbaud, starring Edna May Oliver and James Gleason, with Nicholas Musuraca in charge of photography;[8] he'd again work with Musuraca on 1935's Village Tale.[9] Redman was also the cameraman, under director of photography Charles Rosher, for the 1932 classic drama about Hollywood, What Price Hollywood?, directed by George Cukor and produced by David O. Selznick and Pandro Berman. The film stars Constance Bennett and Lowell Sherman, and would serve as the basis for Selznick's more famous, A Star is Born[10]

The end of 1937 saw Redman get his chance to be the lead photographer on a film. On Lew Landers' comedy, Crashing Hollywood (released in January 1938), he was co-director of photography with Murusaca.[11] That same year, Redman was the D.P. on Fugitives for a Night, starring Frank Albertson, Eleanor Lynn, Allan Lane, and directed by Leslie Goodwins from a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo.[12] Also in 1938, Redman was given the chance to be the director of photography on Little Orphan Annie, a film he had worked on as a cameraman in 1932. This version was directed by Ben Holmes and stars Ann Gillis.[13] On the 1938 romantic comedy Maid's Night Out, directed by Ben Holmes and starring Joan Fontaine and Allan Lane was praised for using their "lights and lenses to the fullest advantage."[14] That same year, his work on The Saint in New York starring Louis Hayward, which he was the co-cinematographer with Joseph August, was credited as "furnish[ing] exceptional photography."[15] The following year, he was the cinematographer on another Saint picture, The Saint Strikes Back, this time starring George Sanders in the title role.[16] In 1939, he also helmed the camera on Career, with a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, and starring Anne Shirley and Edward Ellis.[12] Career was one of two films in 1939 where Redman replaced future Oscar-winning cinematographer, Russell Metty, behind the camera, the other being Bad Lands.[17] He closed the year out as the cinematographer on the drama, Two Thoroughbreds, directed by Jack Hively, and starring Jimmy Lydon and Joan Leslie.[18]

1940s

In 1940's You'll Find Out, starring Kay Kyser,[19] Redman's work was lauded as "well—and spookily—done." The spooky comment was referring to the genre of the film.[20] That year he would also shoot the action film, The Marines Fly High, starring Richard Dix, Chester Morris and Lucille Ball;[21] before being behind the camera for yet another Saint film, The Saint Takes Over, again with Sanders in the title role, and with Jack Hively at the helm.[22] Redman would team again with Hively later that year, this time on the sequel to Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Windy Poplars, again starring Anne Shirley.[23] Redman's final film of the year was the musical Too Many Girls, starring an all-star cast, which included Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, who met while working on this picture.[24] In 1941, Redman shot Look Who's Laughing, which was produced and directed by Allan Dwan, and stars Edgar Bergen, Lucille Ball, Jim Jordan, and Marian Jordan.[25] Later that year Redman would again film Kay Kyser, this time in Playmates, which also stars John Barrymore.[26] 1942 saw Redman film several notable pictures. The first was the musical Sing Your Worries Away, starring Buddy Ebsen and June Havoc,[27] which was followed by Powder Town, a comedy directed by Rowland V. Lee, and starring Edmond O'Brien and Victor McLaglen.[28] He was teamed with Dwan again later in 1942 on another film starring Edgar Bergen, Here We Go Again,[29] before ending the year with The Great Gildersleeve.[30] In 1943 Redman learned the craft film noir, filming This Land Is Mine, directed by Jean Renoir, and starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, and George Sanders;[31] for which The Film Daily said his camerawork was one of the film's many assets.[32] His next film was The Falcon in Danger, starring Tom Conway, which was followed by the gangster comedy Petticoat Larceny, directed by Ben Holmes.[33] Redman's work in the romantic comedy, A Lady Takes a Chance (1943), starring John Wayne and Jean Arthur, was singled out for its quality.[34][35] His following effort, Government Girl, starring Olivia de Havilland and Sonny Tufts, was also cited for his fine work behind the camera.[36]

A Night of Adventure, a 1944 crime drama starring Tom Conway was Redman's first effort in 1944,[37] which he followed up with his next entry into the "Falcon" series, The Falcon in Mexico, again starring Conway, for which Redman's camerawork received praise.[38] Redman shot half a dozen films the following year, the first of which was Having Wonderful Crime, a mystery comedy starring Pat O'Brien, George Murphy, and Carole Landis.[39] In 1945, Redman also filmed the last ever pairing of Donald O'Connor and Peggy Ryan, in the drama, Patrick the Great.[40] Man Alive, a comedy starring Pat O'Brien, Adolphe Menjou, and Rudy Vallee, was also filmed by Redman during 1945, as was Sing Your Way Home (1945), starring Jack Haley and Marcy McGuire;[41] 1945 also saw Redman shoot the first film in the RKO franchise, Dick Tracy.[42] The nine films he shot in 1946 included The Falcon's Alibi, the ninth film in the franchise;[43] The Truth About Murder, a mystery film directed by Lew Landers;[44] Step by Step, starring Lawrence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys, and Lowell Gilmore;[45] and Criminal Court (1946), directed by Academy Award-winning director, Robert Wise, and starring Tom Conway and Martha O'Driscoll.[46] In 1947 Redman filmed Beat the Band, starring Frances Langford,[47] and two more installments in the Dick Tracy franchise: Dick Tracy's Dilemma and Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome.[48][49] In 1948 Redman was the cinematographer on two films: the comedy If You Knew Susie, starring Eddie Cantor and Joan Davis;[50] and the film noir, Shed No Tears, directed by Jean Yarbrough.[51] In 1949, Redman was the cinematographer for Ladies of the Chorus, directed by Phil Karlson, and featuring Marilyn Monroe in her first starring role[52]

1950s and transition into television

Redman was not very active during the 1950s. He worked on only three films during the early part of the decade, one in each of the first three years of the decade. His final effort on the big screen was the 1952 action film, The Pace That Thrills, also marking the end of his long association with RKO, which began in 1931.[53] Redman transitioned into television in 1956, shooting two episodes of the Zane Grey Theatre. He would finish his career working on the small screen. In 1956, he would rejoin Nick Murusaca as one of the directors of photography on the sitcom, Hey, Jeannie!.[54] In 1957 Redman was chosen to film the last television play written by Paddy Chayefsky, "The Great American Hoax", on The 20th Century Fox Hour.[55] He would see his greatest success on television with his work on the television show Perry Mason, which helped cement the film noir feeling of the show.[56] Redman's final work was on the classic television comedy, Hogan's Heroes in 1965.

Filmography

(Per AFI database - all films as Director of Photography/Cinematographer, except where noted)[57]

References
  1. "Progressive Silent Film List: Hawk of the Hills". Silent Era. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  2. "Progressive Silent Film List: A Final Reckoning". Silent Era. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  3. Turner, George (February 1990). "Linwood Dunn, ASC, Named for Special Award". 71 (2). American Cinematographer. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Cimarron". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  5. "Consolation Marriage". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  6. "Little Orphan Annie". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  7. "Bed of Roses". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  8. "Murder on the Blackboard". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  9. "Village Tale". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  10. "What Price Hollywood?". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  11. "Crashing Hollywood". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  12. Hanson, Peter (2001). Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel. McFarland. p. 212. ISBN 0786408723. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  13. Rapf, Joanna (2003). On the Waterfront. Cambridge University Press. p. 171. ISBN 0521794005. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  14. Gee, Bee (April 1938). "What About Me?". American Cinematographer. p. 145. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  15. Gee, Bee (June 1938). "What About Me?". American Cinematographer. p. 236. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  16. "The Saint Strikes Back". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  17. "Ralph Metty". Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  18. Vogel, Michelle (2011). Marjorie Main. McFarland. p. 145. ISBN 978-1476604268. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  19. Youngkin, Stephen (2005). The Lost One: A Life of Peter Lorre. University Press of Kentucky. p. 469. ISBN 0813171857. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  20. Blaisdell, George (December 1940). "Orchids for Toland". American Cinematographer. pp. 534, 568. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  21. "Reviews of the New Films: "The Marines Fly High"". The Film Daily. March 8, 1940. p. 9. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  22. "Reviews of the New Films: "The Saint Takes Over"". The Film Daily. May 27, 1940. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  23. "Reviews of New Films: "Anne of Windy Poplars"". The Film Daily. June 19, 1940. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  24. "Reviews of the New Films: "Too Many Girls"". The Film Daily. October 4, 1940. p. 10. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  25. "Reviews of the New Films: "Look Who's Laughing"". The Film Daily. September 17, 1941. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  26. "Reviews of New Films: "Playmates"". The Film Daily. November 10, 1941. p. 4. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  27. "Reviews of New Films: "Sing Your Worries Away"". The Film Daily. January 7, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  28. "Reviews of the New Films: "Powder Town"". The Film Daily. May 11, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  29. "Reviews of the New Films: "Here We Go Again"". The Film Daily. August 28, 1942. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  30. "Reviews of the New Films: "The Great Gildersleeve"". The Film Daily. November 12, 1942. p. 5. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  31. Hodges, Dan. "Spy Noirs, US". The Film Noir File. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  32. "Reviews of the New Films: "This Land Is Mine"". The Film Daily. March 17, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  33. "Reviews of the New Films: "Petticoat Larceny"". The Film Daily. July 21, 1943. p. 10. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  34. McGhee, Richard D. (1999). John Wayne: Actor, Artist, Hero. McFarland. p. 335. ISBN 0786407522. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  35. "Reviews of the New Films: "A Lady Takes a Chance"". The Film Daily. August 19, 1943. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  36. "Reviews of the New Films: "Government Girl"". The Film Daily. November 5, 1943. p. 11. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  37. "Reviews of the New Films: "A Night of Adventure"". The Film Daily. June 9, 1944. p. 11. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  38. "Reviews of the New Films: "The Falcon in Mexico"". The Film Daily. July 31, 1944. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  39. "Reviews of the New Films: "Having Wonderful Crime"". The Film Daily. February 20, 1945. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  40. "Reviews of the New Films: "Patrick the Great"". The Film Daily. April 17, 1945. p. 7. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  41. Darby, William (2009). Anthony Mann: The Film Career. McFarland. p. 268. ISBN 978-0786438396. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  42. "Film Daily Reviews of New Pictures: "Dick Tracy"". The Film Daily. December 20, 1945. p. 9. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  43. "Film Daily Reviews of New Pictures: "The Falcon's Alibi"". The Film Daily. April 22, 1946. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  44. "Film Daily Reviews of New Pictures: "The Truth About Murder"". The Film Daily. April 23, 1946. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  45. Mavis, Paul (2001). The Espionage Filmography. McFarland. p. 304. ISBN 0786449152. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  46. "Criminal Court". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  47. "Reviews of New Films: "Beat the Band"". The Film Daily. February 25, 1947. p. 9. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  48. "Film Daily Reviews of New Features: "Dick Tracy's Dilemma"". The Film Daily. May 20, 1947. p. 8. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  49. "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  50. "Film Daily Reviews of New Features: "If You Knew Susie"". The Film Daily. February 2, 1948. p. 6. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  51. "Reviews of New Films: "Shed No Tears"". The Film Daily. August 11, 1948. p. 5. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  52. "double feature in 35mm: Ladies of the Chorus & Clash by Night". Austin Film Society. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  53. "The Pace That Thrills". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  54. Tucker, David C. (2014). Lost Laughs of '50s and '60s. McFarland. p. 54. ISBN 978-0786455829. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  55. "Sisters to Star in New TV Series". New York Times. December 2, 1955. p. 55.
  56. "The Perry Mason Connection". American Film Noir. Archived from the original on January 6, 2016. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  57. "Frank Redman Filmography". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
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