Harold Leon "Hal" Mohr,[1][2][3] A.S.C. (August 2, 1894 – May 10, 1974) was a famed movie cinematographer, noted for shooting The Jazz Singer, Hollywood's landmark semi-talkie. Mohr won an Oscar for his work on the 1935 film, A Midsummer Night's Dream, another for the 1943 version of The Phantom of the Opera, and received an Oscar nomination for lensing the 1952 film of Jan de Hartog's The Fourposter.
Hal Mohr | |
|---|---|
Mohr in the early 1920s | |
| Born | Harold Leon Mohr August 2, 1894 |
| Died | May 10, 1974 (aged 79) Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Title | American Society of Cinematographers President (1930–1931), (1963–1965), (1969–1970) |
| Spouses |
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| Children | 5 |
| Awards | |
Early life and career
editBorn in San Francisco on August 2, 1894,[4] Mohr was one of four children born to Rosalia (née Remarque) and Michael Mohr.[2] He received all his formal education in his hometown, flunking out of Lowell High School, then attending San Francisco Polytechnic for over a year, before dropping out for a job in the film exchange.[5][6]
From a young age, Hal Mohr wanted to pursue a career in cinematography because he was curious to learn about how to make pictures move onscreen. He worked as a photo finisher in a photo lab to gain experience with the camera. When he was 19 years old, he filmed his first movie, Pam's Daughter, which was never seen by the public because of problems with the motion picture distribution company.[7]
In 1913, in an early example of an exploitation film peddled directly to theater owners, producer Sol Lesser hired Mohr to make The Last Night of the Barbary Coast. This film purported to show the last night of the depraved Barbary Coast red-light district of San Francisco before it was shut down by the police.[8] (The area was not closed down until 1917.[9]) This is now considered a lost film.[10]
Inspired by the moving shots in the Italian movie, Cabiria, Mohr developed a camera with special tracking abilities for his 1914 film, Pan's Mountain.[11] The following year, he moved to Hollywood and began working at Universal City to gain further experience in the industry.[7]
In 1927, Mohr filmed The Jazz Singer for Warner Brothers.[12]
Although Mohr mainly worked as a cinema portraitist on movies such as The Wedding March, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the Technicolor The Phantom of the Opera, he was passionate about exploring the limits of the camera. Mohr shot in deep focus years before Gregg Toland – Bullets or Ballots and The Green Pastures were both shot in deep focus.[13]
Mohr's other cinematographer credits include Little Annie Rooney (1925), The Big Gamble (1931), Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941), Another Part of the Forest (1948) and The Wild One (1953).[14]
Directing
editOn May 1, 1936, The Hollywood Reporter revealed that negotiations were underway between Mohr and Universal Pictures whereby the noted cameraman could soon be making his feature film directorial debut.[15] The deal was inked in less than 2 weeks,[16] but it was another six months before the film to be directed was identified by the Los Angeles Times, that being an adaptation of the Eleanore Griffin novel, Class Prophecy. With Deanna Durbin then set to star (as had been and would be numerous others prior to the eventual signing of Virginia Bruce)[a] the story was characterized as a "light trifle" with a well-worn plotline[20] (a characterization emphatically echoed following the film's March 1937 release).[21]
Yet despite understandable reservations about the film's hackneyed scenario, Mohr's treatment of that material, as witnessed at the film's March 12 preview screening at Hollywood's Pantages Theatre (documented by the trade publication, American Cinematographer), elicited "bouquets by both of the local film dailies". Variety, for its part, predicted "general audience approval as a program topper, with credit for its high average entertainment quality going to Hal Mohr for his first directorial job and to a dozen players for good performances," adding that "playing and direction give impressiveness to a rather old and timeworn tale" and that Mohr's first directing effort—as well as his "rating as associate producer" [the latter evidently not credited onscreen]—is "notably fine in getting fullest value from the material, scoring especially in the ingratiating comedy and deft blending of the musical and dramatic elements."[22]
The Hollywood Reporter is even less restrained in its assessment (subtitled "Hal Mohr Scores With Swell Cast"), which begins by dubbing the picture "sweet entertainment from start to hilarious finish [and] one of those little pictures that makes big noises at the box office," while reserving its biggest bouquets for the film's director.
But the big news concerning this picture is that it marks a really auspicious directorial debut. Hal Mohr, long known as one of the industry’s ace cameramen, here tries his hand at direction and turns out a superb job. There are no tricks that he misses in development of characterization, and touch after touch show master light craftsmanship. Make way for an important new director.[22]
The Reporter would revisit the subject one month later, offering a generous sampling of the New York critical response. While the nine papers represented were somewhat mixed regarding the work as a whole, the three that made mention of the film's direction were uniformly positive, starting with the Times crediting Mohr for keeping the conventionally plotted film both "fresh and crisply paced," the Daily News, which praises the entire cast while crediting its excellent ensemble work to Mohr's "alert direction", and the New York American, whose reviewer credits the "twinkling directorial touch of Hal Mohr [for making] this stenciled story [seem] not as stereotyped as it sounds”.[21][23]
Favorable press and rosy predictions notwithstanding, the film's story, as noted, was not remarkable in and of itself; moreover, that same attention to detail, lauded by critics on both coasts, had led Mohr, over the course of a 39-day shoot and post-production, to exceed by $54,000 the film's projected cost of two hundred thousand[24]—all of which may help explain why this extravagantly praised first-time Hollywood helmsman never did get the opportunity to build on his promising rookie effort.
Honors
editNotably, Mohr is the only person to have won a competitive Academy Award without being nominated for it. In 1936, a write-in campaign won him the Best Cinematography Oscar for his work on A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935), prompting an immediate rules-change by the Academy, making write-in voting impossible.[25] In 1944, Mohr became the first person to win an Oscar for both Black-and-White and Color cinematography when he won his second Academy Award,[citation needed] this time with W. Howard Greene for Best Cinematography in a Color Film, for their work on The Phantom of the Opera (1943).[26]
Mohr was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematographer for his work on The Four Poster (1952), a film based on a play of the same name, written by Jan de Hartog.[27] He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Cinematography in a Black and White Film, for his work on the same movie.[citation needed]
Mohr served three times as president of the American Society of Cinematographers: from 1930 to 1931;[28] then two consecutive terms, from 1963 to 1965;[29] and, finally, from 1968 to 1969.[30][31] He was one of the first members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as a senior member of its Board of Directors and the head of its Cinematography Branch for over 20 years.[32] He was also a part of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.[33] Before his death, Mohr would travel the country promoting cameramen and the industry of cinematography.[citation needed]
Personal life and death
editThe first two of Mohr's three marriages ended in divorce. First, from 1919 to 1925, was Aileen Gosher (née Gocher, aka Jescher),[34][35] with whom Mohr had three children, a son, Michael,[36][37] and two daughters, Aileen and Joan.[38][39][40] The second Mrs. Mohr was actress Claire Del Mar, married in 1926 and divorced three years later.[41][42]
On December 7, 1934, Mohr married actress Evelyn Venable,[43] whom he had met on the set of the Will Rogers film David Harum.[44] Strict vegetarians,[b] they had two daughters, Dolores and Rosalia.[47]
Following a brief illness, Mohr died on May 10, 1974 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, survived by his wife and all five children.[32]
Legacy
editOn Wednesday, May 26, 1976, for his many contributions to motion pictures and the film industry, Mohr received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of the Hollywood Pacific Theatre at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.[48][49]
Awards and nominations
edit- American Academy Awards (Oscars), 1936, Best Cinematography – A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
- American Academy Awards (Oscars), 1944, Best Cinematography – The Phantom of the Opera (1943)
- Bronze Medallion, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (1957)[34]
- Billy Bitzer Award, International Photographers of the Motion Picture Industries (1957)[34]
- George Eastman Award, George Eastman House (1957)[34][50]
Partial filmography
edit- Bag and Baggage (1923)
- Vanity's Price (1924)
- The Monster (1925)
- Little Annie Rooney (1925)
- He Who Laughs Last (1925)
- Sparrows (1926)
- The High Hand (1926)
- Bitter Apples (1927)
- Old San Francisco (1927)
- The Jazz Singer (1927)
- The Girl from Chicago (1927)
- Tenderloin (1928)
- The Wedding March (1928)
- Broadway (1929)
- The Last Performance (1929)
- Captain of the Guard (1930)
- The Czar of Broadway (1930)
- Big Boy (1930)
- Outward Bound (1930)
- The Cat Creeps (1930)
- A Woman of Experience (1931)
- The Common Law (1931)
- The Big Gamble (1931)
- Devotion (1931)
- The Week Ends Only (1932)
- I Loved You Wednesday (1933)
- State Fair (1933)
- David Harum (1934)
- Carolina (1934)
- Under Pressure (1935)
- A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)
- Captain Blood (1935)
- The Walking Dead (1936)
- Bullets or Ballots (1936)
- When Love Is Young (1937)
- The Green Pastures (1937)
- Destry Rides Again (1939)
- The Daltons Rode (1940)
- Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941)
- Pot o' Gold (1941)
- Phantom of the Opera (1943)
- Ladies Courageous (1944)
- My Gal Loves Music (1944)
- San Diego, I Love You (1944)
- Because of Him (1946)
- The Lost Moment (1947)
- An Act of Murder (1948)
- Woman on the Run (1950)
- Rancho Notorious (1952)
- The Wild One (1953)
- Baby Faced Nelson (1957)
- The Lineup (1958)
- The Last Voyage (1959)
- Underworld U.S.A (1960)
- The Man from the Diners' Club (1963)
- The Bamboo Saucer (1968)
- Topaz (1969) (photographic consultant only)
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Others included Jane Wyatt,[17] Ann Sothern,[18] and, for a moment, Mohr's own wife, Evelyn Venable, a rumor promptly shot down by both husband and wife.[19]
- ^ Venable herself was a lifelong vegetarian who, as of June 1935, was reportedly in the process of converting her husband, and who, as of August 1936, had, by her own account, succeeded.[45][46]
References
edit- ^ Mohr, Harold L. (January 25, 1916). "Censorship of Movies". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 16. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ a b "Mrs. R. Mohr Called to Rest". Petaluma Argus-Courier. March 4, 1926. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Word has been received here of the death in San Francisco on Wednesday of Mrs. Rosalie Mohr, pioneer resident of this city and daughter of the late Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Remarque [...] She was the beloved wife of the late Michael Mohr, loving mother of Mrs. T. A. Clark, Normard W., Oscar H. and Harold L. Mohr,"
- ^ "DOCUMENTS RECORDED WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1927, TO 5 P. M. – Probate". Edward's Abstract from Records. March 31, 1927. p. 3. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Mar 30, 27—Est Rosalia Mohr ... Normand W & Ruth A Mohr, Leona Frumpet Clark & Harold Leon Mohr"
- ^ Rogers, Will; Sterling, Bryan B. (1980). The Will Rogers Scrapbook. Bonanza Books. p. 187. ISBN 9780517334584. "HAL MOHR, b. San Francisco, Cal., Aug. 2, 1894, d. May 10, 1974. Film pioneer, inventor and innovator, began career as independent film producer, director and cameraman , then came to Hollywood."
- ^ Knickerbocker, Paine (April 27, 1958). "Dope, Gangsters and S.F. Cops Meet in the Line-Up". San Francisco Chronicle. p. 14TW. Retrieved October 19, 2025. "It is fitting that the world premiere of the motion picture, "The Lineup," should be in San Francisco. [...] Its cinematographer, Hal Mohr, is a native of San Francisco, and its technical director was Inspector John Kane of the local police department [...] Mohr, who was born in a house at Van Ness and Vallejo, went to Lowell (and flunked out) and then to Polytechnic High."
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1971). Behind the Camera: The Cinematographer's Art. New York: Signet. p. 92. OCLC 251865. "Mohr: [...] I finished my grammar school, and then in high school I went to Poly, and in my second year at Polytechnic, I get a side job—I cut school for about the last year, and never finished high school. I got a job in the film exchange, splicing film and inspecting films that would come back from the movie theaters."
- ^ a b "A.S.C. MOURNS HAL MOHR". American Cinematographer. June 1974. p. 680. ProQuest 2296224621.
- ^ O'Driscoll, Margie (1994) "SF Art World; Celluloid in the City by the Bay". San Francisco Art Institute Graduate Catalog, 1994-1996. p. 21. Retrieved October 21, 2025. "In 1913, in anticipation of the Panama Pacific Exposition, the San Francisco Examiner conducted a campaign to rid the city of prostitution. [...] Anxious to record the final night of debauchery, promoter Sol Lesser hired Hal Mohr to document 'The Last Night of the Barbary Coast.' While the 1400-foot long film did little to eradicate prostitution, Moving Picture World noted, 'Seldom has a two-reel feature aroused more interest among the critics.'"
- ^ Symanski, Richard (1981). The Immoral Landscape : Female Prostitution in Western Societies. Toronto : Butterworth. p. 12. ISBN 0409871303. "The commercialized prostitution which enjoyed quasi-legal status in San Francisco’s Barbary Coast for more than 60 years was a financial pillar to the city and one of its main attractions. [...] When the red-light district was finally closed in 1917, scores of brothels, saloons and other dives were shut down and 1,000 prostitutes went into retirement or found other places to work."
- ^ Tarbox, Charles H. (1983). Lost Films 1895-1917. Los Angeles, CA: Film Classic Exchange. p. 140. ISBN 9780961091606. "Other films of this sort of which few details are available include The Lure of New York (gangsters); From Dusk to Dawn, featuring Clarence Darrow in a courtroom scene; films of the Harry Thaw murder case; Ten Nights in a Barroom; and The Last Night of the Barbary Coast, filmed in San Francisco."
- ^ Deutelbaum, Marshall, ed. (1979). "Image" on the Art and Evolution of the Film : Photographs and Articles from the Magazine of the International Museum of Photography. New York : Dover Publications. pp.216–217. ISBN 0-486-23777-X.
- ^ Maltin, op. cit., pp. 134, 135. "THE FILMS OF HAL MOHR [...] 19. THE JAZZ SINGER—Warner Brothers 1927—Alan Crosland"
- ^ Beach, Christopher (2015). A Hidden History of Film Style: Cinematographers, Directors, and the Collaborative Process. Oakland, CA: University of California Press. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-520-28435-7. "Evidence that some cinematographers other than Toland were interested in achieving deeper focus can be seen in Hal Mohr's invention of a novel 'swinging lens-mount,' which he used in two of his 1936 films, Bullets and Ballots and Green Pastures. This lens mount allowed the lens to be rotated in such a way that the camera could maintain in clear focus 'everything from the immediate foreground to infinity.' Although Mohr's invention would seem to have been an important development in Hollywood cinematography, other DPs did not adopt it, and it quickly disappeared from the scene."
- ^ Darby, William (1991). Masters of Lens and Light : A Checklist of Major Cinematographers and Their Feature Films. Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press. pp. 384, 386, 387. LCCN 91--20656.
- ^ "Hal Mohr May Direct". The Hollywood Reporter. May 1, 1936. p. 1. ProQuest 2297265859.
Negotiations are on for Hal Mohr, one of the industry's top cameramen, to join Universal on a term deal under which he would both lens and direct.
- ^ "'U' Closes With Mohr". The Hollywood Reporter. May 12, 1936. p. 1. ProQuest 2297279987.
Hal Mohr yesterday signed a long-term contract as cameraman-director with Universal.
- ^ "'Class Prophecy' Purchased". The Los Angeles Times. June 21, 1936. pt. III, p. 3. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ Graham, Sheila (December 9, 1936). "Hollywood Gossip". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. p. 4C. Retrieved October 28, 2025. "Virginia Bruce and not Ann Sothern, will play the latter's life story in 'Class Prophecy.'"
- ^ Shaffer, George (December 7, 1936). "Evelyn Venable and Husband Balk at Working in Same Film". Chicago Tribune. p. 19. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ Schallert, Edwin (1936). "Hal Mohr to Direct Class Prophecy". The Los Angeles Times. p. 10. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "New York Reviews: 'When Love Is Young'". The Hollywood Reporter. April 28, 1937. p. 12. ProQuest 2298619707.
Herald Tribune: The story is so thin it seems incredible that three authors worked on it. Walter Brennan does all that he can to enliven the piece. [...] Sun: Just one of those amiable little musicals that wander on from Hollywood now and then. It is light. It is pretty. It has a nice song or two. Its cast is sufficiently good looking. That about sums it up. [...] Times: Under Hal Mohr's direction the film is fresh and crisply paced. [...] News: The entire cast is extremely good [...] They all work well together under the alert direction of Hal Mohr. [...] American: Under the twinkling directorial touch of Hal Mohr, this stenciled story is not as stereotyped as it sounds.
- ^ a b "A.S.C. Members On Parade". American Cinematographer. April 1937. p. 140. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ Movie Reviews: The Great O’Malley; ; Class Prophecy. ‘’Rob Wagner's Beverly Hills Script’’.
- ^ Rollyson, Carl (2015). A Real American Character: The Life of Walter Brennan. : The University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-62846-048-3. "Hal Mohr, better known as a cinematographer, was directing his first full-length film for Universal and proceeded at a very slow, deliberate pace, completing thirty-nine days of shooting on February 5, 1937, and bringing in the project at $254,000—$54,000 more than the original budget."
- ^ Osborne, Robert A. (1989). 60 Years of the Oscar : The Official History of the Academy Awards. New York : Abbeville Press. p. 43. ISBN 9781558597150. "(NOTE: A Midsummer Night's Dream was not a nominee but won the award as a write-in choice. Write-in votes were allowed in 1934 and 1935 but since then have not been counted in Academy tallies.)"
- ^ "Academy Award Winners". American Cinematographer. April 1944. p. 119. Retrieved October 21, 2025. "Left, Hal Mohr, A.S.C., receiving Academy Award for Color Cinematography on 'Phantom of the Opera'. Above, W. Howard Green, A.S.C., who shared honors with Mohr."
- ^ Mathews, Charles E. (1995). Oscar A to Z : A Complete Guide to More Than 2,400 Movies Nominated for Academy Awards. New York: Doubleday. p. 298. ISBN 0-385-47364-8. "Stanley Kramer Productions; Columbia. 1953. Nomination Black-and-White Cinematography: Hal Mohr. [...] Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn starred in the Jan de Hartog play on Broadway. The film was actually made in 1951 but held for release until the Broadway run was over."
- ^ "Akron Firm Wins Boothe Contest". American Cinematographer. March 1931. p. 17. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "The judges of this contest, which was started last October, were Mr. Hal Mohr, President of the American Society of Cinematographers; Mr. John Arnold, Treasurer of the American Society of Cinematographers, [...] and Mr. William Johnson, head of the Electrical Department of the R-K-O Studios."
- ^ Keating, Patrick (2018). A Companion To Luis Bunuel. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. p. 81. ISBN 978-0-8135-6349-7. "One exchange in 1965 between Richard Moore, a cameraman and founder of Panavision, and Hal Mohr, ASC president from 1963 to 1965, illustrates the mix of opinions among cinematographers regarding the zoom’s stylistic effects and practicality."
- ^ "Gregory Peck Talks About the American Film Institute". American Cinematographer. July 2, 1968. p. 551. ProQuest 2835075703.
HAL MOHR, PRESIDENT OF ASC: I want you to know, Mr. Peck, that you have given us what I think is a most exciting bit of news.
- ^ "Cinematographers Mark Golden Anniversary". Hollywood Citizen-News. January 17, 1969. p. C-1. Retrieved October 21, 2025. "Presiding over the festivities at the Hilton will be Hal Mohr, himself a two-time Oscar winner ('A Midsummer Night's Dream' in 1935 and 'The Phantom of the Opera' in 1943), who is completing his third popular term as president of the club, located in its majestic museum headquarters at 1728 No. Orange Dr."
- ^ a b "Photographers Local President Mohr Dead". The Hollywood Reporter. May 13, 1974. p. 3. ProQuest 2931988983.
Hal Mohr, 79, president of International Photographers, Local 659, ITASE, and two-time Academy Award winning cameraman, died Friday at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica following a brief illness. [...] He was a pioneer member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a senior member of the Academy's Board of Governors. He was a representative of the Academy's Cinematography branch for more than half of the organization's 37 years and, at the time of his death, was third v-p of the American Society of Cinematographers. [...] He is survived by his widow, the former Evelyn Venable, a son and four daughters.
- ^ TV Academy Board Named". Hollywood Citizen-News. May 6, 1955. p. 11. Retrieved October 21, 2025. "Members of the 1955-56 Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences were announced today by Price-Waterhouse, certified public accountants, who counted the ballots. The new board consists of Dr. Frank C. Baxter, Don DeFore, Ralph Berger, William Smith, Hal Mohr, Norbert Brodine, Sheldon Leonard, Ozzie Nelson ..."
- ^ a b c d Who's Who in the West. Chicago IL: Marquis — Who's Who. p. 485. LCCN 87-647995. "MOHR, Hal, motion picture exec; b. San Francisco, Aug. 2, 1894; s. Michael and Rosalia (Remarque) M.; student pub. schs., San Francisco; m. Aileen Gocher, Nov. 29, 1919; children— Michael. Aileen (Mrs. Gene Hannls), Joan (Mrs. Don Allen); m. 2d Clara Loerch Swanner, Aug. 14. 1926; m. 3d, Evelyn Venable, Dec. 7, 1934; children — Dolores, Rosalia."
- ^ "Hollywood Hears Evelyn Will Be Bride; Miss Venable Will Wed Hal Mohr, Cameraman, Film Gossip Predicts". The Cincinnati Post. July 11, 1934. p. 2. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Mohr's name has previously been mentioned in connection with Miss Venable. He was divorced in 1925 from Mrs. Aileen Mohr."
- ^ "Jap Scrip—Gold Teeth! They're Collectors' Items to Marine". Hollywood Citizen-News. May 27, 1943. p. 4. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Somewhere in the South Pacific in a former Hollywood High School graduate, Michael Mohr, is collecting worthless Jap script and gold teeth. [From his] letter to father, Hal Mohr, Universal Studio cameraman, [...] the father also learned of Mike's marriage, presumably to an Australian girl [...] 'My wife's name is Eileen,' he wrote."
- ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL7-2JWR : Fri Mar 08 18:18:12 UTC 2024), Entry for Michael Gocher Mohr and Harold L Mohr, 16 February 1921.
- ^ "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGL7-FFB2 : Tue Feb 18 23:29:32 UTC 2025), Entry for Aileen Louise Rosalie Mohr and Harold L Mohr, 18 February 1923.
- ^ "Entertains at Family Party". Redwood City Tribune. July 18, 1928. p. 15. Retrieved October 20, 2025 "Mrs. John D. Worthington entertained a group of relatives from San Francisco yesterday [...] The visitors included her mother, Mrs. C. K. Gosher; two sisters, Mrs. Thomas Gosher and Mrs. Aileen Mohr; [...] two nephews, Crawford Gosher and Michael Mohr, and her niece, Joan Mohr."
- ^ "Evelyn Venable Sets Date; Cameraman To Wed Star On Birthday, Is Movie Tip". The Cincinnati Enquirer. July 11, 1934. p. 1. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Mohr, whose name has been linked with that of Miss Venable before, was divorced in 1925 from Mrs. Aileen Mohr, according to records."
- ^ "VIENNA SETTING FOR WEDDING; Cathedral to be Reproduced at Studio: Claire Del Mar and Hal Mohr". The Los Angeles Times. August 4, 1926. p. 19. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
- ^ "Obituaries: Claire Del Mar". Variety. January 21, 1959. p. 87. ProQuest 1014813460.
Clare Eloise Mohr, 58, onetime silent screen actress known professionally as Claire Del Mar, was found stabbed to death Jan. 10 in her Carmel County home. [...] She wed cinematographer Hal Mohr in 1926, but the marriage ended in divorce three years later.
- ^ "Times Square: Marriages". Variety. December 11, 1934. p. 60. ProQuest 1475877382.
Evelyn Venable to Hal Mohr at Yuma, Ariz., Dec. 7. Bride is a Paramount contract player. Groom is cameraman at Fox.
- ^ "Men Behind the Stars: Hal Mohr, Cameraman of A Midsummer Night's Dream". Motion Picture. January 1937. p. 16. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "In private life he is solely devoted to two charming young women. One is Evelyn Venable, whom he married shortly after they met on the set of David Harum, which he photographed and in which Evelyn appeared."
- ^ Betts, Jack (June 1935). "All Joking Aside". Modern Screen. p. 124. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "EVELYN VENABLE HAS NEVER TOUCHED A BITE OF MEAT IN HER LIFE AND IS NOW CONVERTING HER HUSBAND HAL MOHR INTO A VEGETARIAN - - and he hates every vegetable known!"
- ^ Alden, Alison (August 1936). "Evelyn Venable Reveals Her Beauty Secrets". Movie Classic. p. 10-11, 69. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "I knew Evelyn was a vegetarian but had never been told whether it was a health measure or a matter of principle. 'It’s both,' Evelyn explained. 'My father was a vegetarian and of course I was brought up that way. I have never tasted beast, fish or fowl. After we were married, my husband became interested in my diet and he, too, is a vegetarian now. Yes, and our baby is a vegetarian.'
- ^ Oliver, Myrna (November 26, 1993). "Evelyn Venable; Shakespearean Actress, UCLA Teacher". p. A44. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "Miss Venable, the widow of Academy Award- -winning cinematographer Hal Mohr, died of cancer Nov. 16 [...] Abandoning her acting career in the early 1940s to raise her daughters, Dolores and Rosalia, Miss Venable returned to college when her children enrolled"
- ^ "Hollywood Happenings". The Hollywood Reporter. May 24, 1976. p. W4. ProQuest 1476175628.
Veteran cinematographer Hal Mohr, who died at 79 in May 1974, will be honored posthumously when the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce dedicates his star on the Walk of Fame Wednesday (26). The star will be place on the sidewalk in front of the Pacific Theatre.
- ^ Kwas, Michael H. (1993). Hollywood Walk of Fame Directory: A Walking Guide. Grandville MI: Hollywood Connection : Distribution by Exposure Unlimited. p. 50. ISBN 9780963795502.
- ^ "Awards Honor 33". Los Angeles Mirror. September 17, 1957. pt. II, p. 7. Retrieved October 20, 2025. "CAMERAMEN: James Wong Howe, William Daniels, George Folsey, Peverell Marley, Hal Mohr, Lee Garmes, Charles Rosher and Arthur Edeson. Garmes, Rosher and Edeson are prior winners."
Bibliography
edit- Petrie, Graham. "Paul Fejos in America." Film Quarterly (ARCHIVE), vol. 32, no. 2, 1979., pp. 28–37 ProQuest 223105967
- "Hal Mohr, 'Jazz Singer' Cameraman." The Washington Post, 1974. ProQuest 146178942
- "Hal Mohr, 79; Filmed First Talking Movie." Boston Globe, 1974. ProQuest 758647181
- "A.S.C. MOURNS HAL MOHR." American Cinematographer, vol. 55, no. 6, 1974., pp. 680, ProQuest 196330148
- Koszarski, Richard. "HAL MOHR'S CINEMATOGRAPHY." Film Comment, vol. 10, no. 5, 1974., pp. 48–53, ProQuest 210232414
- Hal MOHR ProQuest 1745228691
- "CAMERAMAN SAYS STAR IS SUPERB." The Washington Post, 1928. ProQuest 149895183
- Streible, Dan. "Hal Mohr." American National Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2016. http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-02410.html