Elwood Bredell
Elwood Bailey Bredell (24 December 1902 – 26 February 1969) was an American cinematographer and child silent screen actor. He is sometimes credited as Woody Bredell or Elwood Dell. Although he worked in many genres, mostly at Universal, Bredell is best known for his film noir cinematography on such movies as Phantom Lady (1944), Lady on a Train (1945) The Killers (1946), and The Unsuspected (1947). Famed Warner Bros. editor George Amy said Bredell could “light a football stadium with a single match.” Bredell was the son of stage actress Mary Palmer Nields. He was named Jesse B. Bredell, Jr., after his father. Nields later married Vaughn "Val" Paul, a silent film actor turned production manager. (Paul's son with Nields, Vaughn Jr., was Deanna Durbin's first husband.) After working as an adolescent actor in silent films, Bredell took a job as a studio lab technician while he cultivated a talent for photography. From about 1929–34, Bredell worked as a still photographer at RKO and Paramount, coinciding with his stepfather's tenures at those studios. At Paramount, Bredell apprenticed under veteran cinematographers Charles Lang and Arthur C. Miller. In 1936, Val Paul brought Bredell to Universal, where he continued his training under the studio's best cinematographer, Joseph Valentine. Bredell was promoted to cinematographer the next year, when Val produced Reckless Living (1938). Bredell's work on horror films such as Black Friday (1940), The Mummy's Hand (1940), and Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), anticipated his work in film noir. He also photographed Deann Durbin musicals and comedies such as Hold That Ghost (1941), Hellzapoppin' (1941) and The Inspector General (1949). His final credit was on the 1955 B-movie Female Jungle. From the Wikipedia article 'Elwood Bredell'
Known for
CameraBirthday
December 24, 1902Deathday
February 26, 1969Gender
MaleKnown Movie Credits
51Place of birth
Indianapolis, Indiana, USAAlso known as
Woody Bredell, Elwood BurdellCast credits
Crew credits
The Ghost of Frankenstein
Director of PhotographyLady on a Train
Director of PhotographyThe Mummy's Hand
Director of PhotographyBlack Friday
Director of PhotographyThe Unsuspected
Director of PhotographyHold That Ghost
Director of PhotographyThe Killers
Director of PhotographyPhantom Lady
Director of PhotographyThe Amazing Mrs. Holliday
Director of PhotographyFemale Jungle
Director of PhotographyDouble Alibi
Director of PhotographyThe Strange Case of Doctor Rx
Director of PhotographyThe Devil Is Driving
Still PhotographerCall a Messenger
Director of PhotographyHellzapoppin'
Director of PhotographyHis Butler's Sister
Director of PhotographyThe Inspector General
Director of PhotographyHers to Hold
Director of PhotographyTangier
Director of PhotographySmooth as Silk
Director of PhotographyPrivate Buckaroo
Director of Photography