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John J. Mescall(1899-1962)

  • Cinematographer
  • Director
  • Camera and Electrical Department
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
John J. Mescall was born on 10 January 1899 in Litchfield, Illinois, USA. He was a cinematographer and director, known for Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Take a Letter, Darling (1942) and The Black Cat (1934). He died on 10 February 1962 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.
BornJanuary 10, 1899
DiedFebruary 10, 1962(63)
BornJanuary 10, 1899
DiedFebruary 10, 1962(63)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 1 nomination total

Photos2

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Known for

Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Bride of Frankenstein
7.8
  • Cinematographer
  • 1935
Robert Benchley, Fred MacMurray, and Rosalind Russell in Take a Letter, Darling (1942)
Take a Letter, Darling
6.8
  • Cinematographer(as John Mescall)
  • 1942
The Black Cat (1934)
The Black Cat
6.9
  • Cinematographer
  • 1934
William Boyd in His First Command (1929)
His First Command
5.2
  • Cinematographer
  • 1929

Credits

IMDbPro

Cinematographer



  • Hi, Grandma!
    5.4
    TV Movie
    • Cinematographer
    • 1958
  • Mara Corday, Kathleen Crowley, Jim Davis, and Forrest Tucker in The Quiet Gun (1957)
    The Quiet Gun
    6.5
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1957
  • Beverly Garland in Not of This Earth (1957)
    Not of This Earth
    6.1
    • photographed by (as John Mescall)
    • 1957
  • Robert Arthur, Kathleen Nolan, and Dave O'Brien in The Desperados Are in Town (1956)
    The Desperados Are in Town
    5.9
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1956
  • TV Reader's Digest (1955)
    TV Reader's Digest
    6.7
    TV Series
    • photographed by
    • Cinematographer (as John Mescall)
    • 1956
  • Ellen Drew, George Montgomery, and Phillip Reed in Davy Crockett, Indian Scout (1950)
    Davy Crockett, Indian Scout
    5.4
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1950
  • John Carroll and Ruth Hussey in Bedside Manner (1945)
    Bedside Manner
    5.9
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1945
  • Dark Waters (1944)
    Dark Waters
    6.5
    • Cinematographer (as John Mescall)
    • 1944
  • Jean Brooks, Bonita Granville, and Dickie Moore in Youth Runs Wild (1944)
    Youth Runs Wild
    4.7
    • director of photography
    • 1944
  • W.C. Fields, Eleanor Powell, Cab Calloway, Woody Herman, and Sophie Tucker in Sensations of 1945 (1944)
    Sensations of 1945
    6.0
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1944
  • Lynn Bari, Francis Lederer, and Alla Nazimova in The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1944)
    The Bridge of San Luis Rey
    5.6
    • Cinematographer (uncredited)
    • 1944
  • Mimi Forsythe, Kathy Frye, Kent Smith, and Anna Sten in Three Russian Girls (1943)
    Three Russian Girls
    6.3
    • Cinematographer (as John Mescall)
    • 1943
  • Mickey Rooney, Ann Rutherford, and Esther Williams in Andy Hardy's Double Life (1942)
    Andy Hardy's Double Life
    6.5
    • director of photography (as John Mescal)
    • 1942
  • Eddie Bracken and June Preisser in Sweater Girl (1942)
    Sweater Girl
    6.7
    • Cinematographer
    • 1942
  • Robert Benchley, Fred MacMurray, and Rosalind Russell in Take a Letter, Darling (1942)
    Take a Letter, Darling
    6.8
    • director of photography (as John Mescall)
    • 1942

Director



  • Fairways and Foul
    Short
    • Director (as J. Joseph Mescall)
    • 1929
  • The Garden of Eatin'
    Short
    • Director (as J. Joseph Mescall)
    • 1929

Camera and Electrical Department



  • Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, and Henry Travers in The Invisible Man (1933)
    The Invisible Man
    7.6
    • director of photography: additional photography (uncredited)
    • 1933
  • Lissy Arna, William Boyd, and James Gleason in Beyond Victory (1931)
    Beyond Victory
    5.8
    • first camera (uncredited)
    • 1931

Personal details

  • Alternative names
    • John Mescal
  • Born
    • January 10, 1899
    • Litchfield, Illinois, USA
  • Died
    • February 10, 1962
    • Los Angeles County, California, USA
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Article

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Left Universal Pictures after the failure of James Whale's adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's novel "The Road Back" due to the studio's demands that the picture be re-edited. They were afraid the picture would be boycotted in Europe because of its strong anti-Nazi content. The film had subsequently been "watered down" by the new heads of Universal so as not to upset the Nazi regime.

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