LM: When you went to make TOPAZ. . .
MOHR: . . . I didn’t make TOPAZ. I want to set the record straight on that. The TOPAZ situation had to do with the unions, and it had to do with my admiration for Hitchcock. I had never worked with Hitchcock, but I had observed his work and I’ve been a fan for his for years. I think he is a creative genius, and I’ve always wanted to do something with Hitch. When they got to making TOPAZ, it was being originated here, but it was being photographed mainly in Denmark and Paris. And Hitch had this English cameraman, Jack Hildyard, who’s a very good cameraman, whom he insisted on using. (English cameramen, by the way, are not like our cameramen—they’re lighting directors. They never bother with the camera; they do what the lighting director does in television.) At any rate, Hitchcock wanted this man, and the only way they would allow him to work in this country was if a union man covered Hildyard. Hell, my salary is anything but union scale, but Universal asked me if I would be willing to take the job. I said I would take it over on one condition: I’m not just going to be a card-carrier. I said, “I’m not going to be a featherbed; I don’t approve of that. If I can earn my salary on the production, I’ll come and cover Hildyard. I can more than pay for my salary in work that I can do in preparing the picture and doing things.” So by God, they agreed to pay me my salary, which is about four times scale, and I went there when they got back from Denmark, and I was with them to the very end of the picture. I did do a hell of a lot of the pre-lighting of sets, pre-arranging, making shots, working out shots. I worked out the stuff when the little girl jumps in the car and hurts her leg when they’re making their getaway from the department store, and they shot the reflection in the mirror. Well, process shots are tough to do, and I figured out and lined those shots up for them. I did a lot of the picture. . . but I didn’t photograph it. I think I finally took credit as photographic consultant. But I did have this association with Hitchcock, which I cherish very much.
Mohr in 1970 at the Los Angeles County Museum.
LM: Have you done any television?
MOHR: Oh yes, I’ve done several series. I did some commercials first, and then I did two or three years with Joan Davis, then two or three seasons with Bob Cummings. I did LIFE WITH FATHER, several different series. I enjoyed them; they were quick money, and we made them fast. Of course, you don’t do your best work on television shows. Most of the television shows I did were multi-camera operations, like live television.
LM: But I guess you had even more opportunity to be creative in commercials.
MOHR: I’ve done a hell of a lot of things in commercials that I have subsequently done in features, and I’ve got a lot of things left that I have done in commercials that I would do in features if I did any more of them. Because we’ve had traditions to overcome, and that leads us to where we are today in the industry. We’ve been bound by traditions, and I do have great admiration for technical advancement and change. I have no respect for people who just use it for its own sake. But I’ve done some of my most creative work in commercials.
LM: Do you have a favorite of all the films you’ve done?
MOHR: Well, DAVID HARUM, for obvious reasons. But professionally, I would have to say a picture that we didn’t talk about, THE WILD ONE. That was a very interesting picture, and it was way ahead of itself, both in my technique as well as the story. I did some things in that, with the motorcycle, that were really quite innovative, and have been used quite often since then.
THE FILMS OF HAL MOHR
Hal Mohr’s early career is one of the most difficult to index, since he worked outside of Hollywood for many years on independent productions that often were not only unrecorded in reference books but usually uncopyrighted. Several of these are mentioned in the course of the interview, most notably THE LAST NIGHT OF THE BARBARY COAST, which was produced by Sol Lesser. Film Daily Yearbook doesn’t list Mohr until its 1923 volume, and from that point on, omissions are quite possible. But with the research at hand, and Mr. Mohr’s memory, we are hoping that the following list of feature films is substantially complete from the admittedly late starting date. Mohr also filmed several TV series in the 1950s, notably I MARRIED JOAN, and numerous commercials.
WATCH HIM STEP—Goldstone 1922—Jack Nelson
THE UNFOLDMENT—Associated Exhibitors 1922—George Kern and Murdock MacQuarrie—Collaboration with Ernest Miller
BAG AND BAGGAGE—Selznick 1923—Finis Fox
A WOMAN WHO SINNED—FBO 1924—Finis Fox—Collaboration with Jean Smith
VANITY’S PRICE—FBO 1924—Roy William Neill
HE WHO LAUGHS LAST—Bud Barsky Corp. 1925—Jack Nelson
THE MONSTER—MGM 1925—Roland West
PLAYING WITH SOULS—First National 1925—Ralph Ince
LITTLE ANNIE ROONEY—UA 1925—William Beaudine, in collaboration with Charles Rosher
THE HIGH HAND—Pathe 1926—Leo Maloney
THE MARRIAGE CLAUSE—Universal 1926—Lois Weber
SPARROWS—UA 1926—William Beaudine—Collaboration with Karl Struss and Charles Rosher
THE THIRD DEGREE—Warner Brothers 1926—Michael Curtiz
A MILLION BID—Warner Brothers 1927—Michael Curtiz
BITTER APPLES—Warner Brothers 1927—Harry Hoyt
OLD SAN FRANCISCO—Warner Brothers 1927—Alan Crosland
THE HEART OF MARYLAND—Warner Brothers 1927—Lloyd Bacon
SLIGHTLY USED—Warner Brothers 1927—Archie Mayo
THE JAZZ SINGER—Warner Brothers 1927—Alan Crosland
THE GIRL FROM CHICAGO—Warner Brothers 1927—Ray Enright
TENDERLOIN—Warner Brothers 1928—Michael Curtiz
GLORIOUS BETSY—Warner Brothers 1928—Alan Crosland
THE WEDDING MARCH—Paramount 1928—Erich von Stroheim—With Ben Reynolds and B. Sorenson. One sequence was filmed in Technicolor
NOAH’S ARK—Warner Brothers 1929—Michael Curtiz—Mohr quit midway through filming, and was replaced by Barney McGill.
THE LAST WARNING—Universal 1929—Paul Leni
BROADWAY—Universal 1929—Paul Fejos
THE LAST PERFORMANCE—Universal 1929—Paul Fejos
SHANGHAI LADY—Universal 1929—John S. Robertson
KING OF JAZZ—Universal 1930—John Murray Anderson—Filmed in Technicolor, with Ray Rennahan and Jerome Ash
CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD—Universal 1930—John S. Robertson and Paul Fejos—Collaboration with Gilbert Warrenton
THE CZAR OF BROADWAY—Universal 1930—William James Craft
BIG BOY—Warner Brothers 1930—Alan Crosland
THE CAT CREEPS—Universal 1930—Rupert Julian
THE COHENS AND KELLYS IN AFRICA—Universal 1930—Vin Moore
OUTWARD BOUND—Warner Brothers 1930—Robert Milton
FREE LOVE—Universal 1931—Hobart Henley
THE FRONT PAGE—UA 1931—Lewis Milestone—Mohr replaced Tony Gaudio during filming, and did not receive credit.
A WOMAN OF EXPERIENCE—Pathe 1931—Tay Garnett
BIG GAMBLE—Pathe 1931—Fred Niblo
DEVOTION—Pathe 1931—Robert Milton
LADY WITH A PAST—RKO 1932—Edward H. Griffith
A WOMAN COMMANDS—RKO 1932—Paul Stein
WEEKENDS ONLY—Fox 1932—Alan Crosland
FIRST YEAR—Fox 1932—William K. Howard
TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY—Fox 1932—Alfred Santell
STATE FAIR—Fox 1933—Henry King
WARRIOR’S HUSBAND—Fox 1933—Walter Lang
I LOVED YOU WEDNESDAY—Fox 1933—Henry King, William Cameron Menzies
THE DEVIL’S IN LOVE—Fox 1933—William Dieterle
THE WORST WOMAN IN PARIS—Fox 1933—Monta Bell
AS HUSBANDS GO—Fox 1934—Hamilton McFadden
CAROLINA—Fox 1934—Henry King
DAVID HARUM—Fox 1934—James Cruze
CHARLIE CHAN’S COURAGE—Fox 1934—George Hadden
SERVANTS’ ENTRANCE—Fox 1934—Frank Lloyd
UNDER
PRESSURE—Fox 1935—Raoul Walsh
THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN—Fox 1935—John Blystone
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM—Warner Brothers 1935—Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle—Won Mohr his first Academy Award; his assistants were Fred Jackman, Byron Haskin, and H. F. Koenekamp.
CAPTAIN BLOOD—Warner Brothers 1935—Michael Curtiz
THE WALKING DEAD—Warner Brothers 1936—Michael Curtiz
BULLETS OR BALLOTS—Warner Brothers 1936—William Keighley
THE GREEN PASTURES—Warner Brothers 1936—William Keighley, Marc Connelly
I MET MY LOVE AGAIN—UA 1938—Arthur Ripley, Joshua Logan
BACK DOOR TO HEAVEN—Paramount 1939—William K. Howard—Collaboration with Bill Kelly
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN—Universal 1939—George Marshall
THE UNDER-PUP—Universal 1939—Richard Wallace
RIO—Universal 1939—John Brahm
WHEN THE DALTONS RODE—Universal 1940—George Marshall
CHEERS FOR MISS BISHOP—UA 1941—Tay Garnett
POT O’GOLD—UA 1941—George Marshall
INTERNATIONAL LADY—UA 1941—Tim Whelan
TWIN BEDS—UA 1942—Tim Whelan
WATCH ON THE RHINE—Warner Brothers 1943—Herman Shumlin—With Merritt Gerstad
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA—Universal 1943—Arthur Lubin—Won Mohr his second Academy Award—Color
TOP MAN—Universal 1943—Charles Lamont
LADIES COURAGEOUS—Universal 1944—John Rawlins
THIS IS THE LIFE—Universal 1944—Felix Feist
SAN DIEGO, I LOVE YOU—Universal 1944—Reginald LeBorg
THE CLIMAX—Universal 1944—George Waggner—Color (Mohr’s Technicolor collaborator on all subsequent Universal productions was W. Howard Greene)
THE IMPATIENT YEARS—Columbia 1944—Irving Cummings—Color
MY GAL LOVES MUSIC—Universal 1944—Edward Lilley
ENTER ARSÈNE LUPIN—Universal 1944—Ford Beebe
HER LUCKY NIGHT—Universal 1945—Edward Lilley
SALOME, WHERE SHE DANCED—Universal 1945—Charles Lamont—Color
SHADY LADY—Universal 1945—George Waggner
BECAUSE OF HIM—Universal 1946—Richard Wallace
A NIGHT IN PARADISE—Universal 1946—Arthur Lubin—Color
I’LL BE YOURS—Universal 1947—William Seiter
SONG OF SCHEHERAZADE—Universal 1947—Walter Reisch
THE LOST MOMENT—Universal 1947—Martin Gabel
PIRATE OF MONTEREY—Universal 1947—Alfred Werker
ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST—Universal 1948—Michael Gordon
JOHNNY HOLIDAY—UA 1949—Willis Goldbeck
WOMAN ON THE RUN—Universal 1950—Norman Foster
THE SECOND WOMAN—UA 1951—James V. Kern
THE BIG NIGHT—UA 1951—Joseph Losey
RANCHO NOTORIOUS—RKO 1952—Fritz Lang—Color
THE FOURPOSTER—Columbia 1952—Irving Reis
THE WILD ONE—columbia 1954—Laslo Benedek
THE Boss—Allied Artists 1956—Byron Haskin
BABY FACE NELSON—UA 1957—Don Siegel
THE LlNE-UP—Columbia 1958—Don Siegel
THE GUN RUNNERS—UA 1958—Don Siegel
THE LAST VOYAGE—MGM 1960—Andrew Stone—Color
UNDERWORLD U.S.A.—Columbia 1961—Samuel Fuller
THE MAN FROM THE DINER’S CLUB—Columbia 1963—Frank Tashlin
BAMBOO SAUCER—NTA 1968—Frank Melford—Color
TOPAZ—Universal 1969—Alfred Hitchcock—Mohr was billed as photographic consultant; Jack Hildyard was director of photography—Color
Interview with HAL ROSSON
Harold (Hal) Rosson boasts a rich family heritage within the motion picture industry. His brother, Arthur Rosson, was a successful director, and several other relatives took varied jobs in the film business in its infancy. It was only natural that he should follow them, and circa 1913, he worked on his first film, settling before too long in the position of cameraman. Although his career spans a great many years, Rosson is most closely identified with his MGM period, during which he photographed some of that studio’s most elegant and successful films; indeed, it can be said that he was a major contributor to the renowned MGM polish. His association with the studio was furthered still when he married its biggest star, Jean Harlow, in 1933.
Our interview with Mr. Rosson touched on just a few of the highlights of his career—and hopefully his thoughts about many fine films we were not able to discuss will someday be set down for posterity. This discussion focused more on change and trends in the motion picture business than on specific films; a precise man, Mr. Rosson strove to provide precise answers to our questions.
LM: What was the first film you ever shot, and how did it come about?
ROSSON: I would almost have to get out papers to answer a question like that. I do remember it was for a company known as the Metro Pictures Corporation, many years ago. I came to California from the East, prior to the First World War—I’ll guess now and say 1912—and many members of my family were already in the motion picture business out here on the West Coast, so I was anxious to join up in the same business. I knew some people at the Metro Pictures Corporation here, and I made an arrangement with them, and from there I got into the business. I was everybody’s assistant. I was an assistant cameraman, and if there is such a thing as an assistant boy-actor I was that. Of course, my main effort was to become a cameraman.
LM: Had photography always been an interest of yours?
ROSSON: At that time, yes, very definitely.
LM: So you watched other cameramen at work . . .
ROSSON: Outside of the cameraman that I worked with personally, there was only one other cameraman present there. So there weren’t too many cameramen to watch. I cannot recall the name of the first picture I worked on, offhand.
LM: At what point did you graduate to becoming a cameraman?
ROSSON: Well, Metro was here in California a short while, and within a year they returned east, to New York, and they offered me a job as a cameraman, if I could come east. But going east, all expenses incurred there would be on my own, so I had to make arrangements to do that, in order to take advantage of their offer. This I did, I returned east; it was a little prior to the First World War, and the Metro Pictures Corporation had arranged for studio facilities at Sixty-first Street and Broadway. That’s where they set up their studio operations, and that’s where I started to work. It was formerly a huge garage, on the top of a building, where cars had been stored. It had a huge glass roof, which they thought would be ideal for photographing; I was not much of an authority on that in those days. However, we made several very good pictures there. That was where I started to actually photograph.
LM: There was so much yet to be learned in the silent film era, and most of the cameramen, like yourself, started with the business. Was it learning by doing, for you? Was there a lot of experimentation on your part?
ROSSON: In thinking back, I would say a great deal. I had had quite a bit of experience—not quite a bit, but some experience—in photography, “still” work, but it was a great deal of experimentation . . . and watching, observing.
LM: Did you work in the lab as well?
ROSSON: Oh yes.
LM: Were most of your effects done in the camera or in the lab?
ROSSON: I would say that practically all the effects in those days were done within the camera. Very little was done as it is now, practically all in the laboratory.
LM: Which do you think achieved the better results?
ROSSON: I would prefer naturally to do them outside of the camera, because you can correct the mistakes. If the mistakes are made within the camera, you don’t know how much you’re spoiling. I would think it is simpler, and the results are much better, by doing them the way they are done today, with mostly lab work.
LM: One of the first films I have credit
ed for you is THE CINEMA MURDER.
ROSSON: With Marion Davies, yes. That was after the war, after the period we were talking about. Like four million others, I got mixed up in the First World War, and upon my return from the service, I went to work with Miss Davies. That kept me in New York for a couple of years. Then I came to the Coast.
LM: How independent was the cameraman at that time? Was your job a collaborative one with the director?
ROSSON: The business was so new then that the cameraman, as I recall it, had nobody to consult with. I’m not sure that that’s a correct statement, I don’t know who in the world you would have consulted with. You were more or less completely on your own.