Charles Rosher
Cinematographer · Died January 15, 1974, aged 88 · London, England, UK
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles G. Rosher, A.S.C. (November 17, 1885 – January 15, 1974) was a two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer who worked from the early days of silent films through the 1950s. He was the first cinematographer to receive an Academy Award, along with 1929 co-winner Karl Struss. Charles Rosher was born in London in 1885. He studied photography in his youth but earned a reputation early as a newsreel cameraman, before moving to the United States in 1909. He subsequently found work for David Horsley working in his production company in New Jersey. Because early film was largely restricted to using daylight, Horsley relocated his production company to Hollywood in 1911, taking Rosher with him, and opened the first movie studio there. This made Rosher the first full-time cameraman in Hollywood. In 1913 he went to Mexico to film newsreel footage of Pancho Villa's rebellion. In 1918, he was one of the founders of the American Society of Cinematographers and served as the group's first Vice-President. In the 1920s he was one of the most sought-after cinematographers in Hollywood, and a personal favorite of stars such as Mary Pickford, working with her on films such as Suds (1920), Little Annie Rooney (1925), and even Coquette (1929), Pickford's first sound film. His work with Karl Struss on F.W. Murnau's 1927 film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans is viewed as a milestone in cinematography. He shot five films for producer David O. Selznick, including Rockabye (1932), Our Betters (1933) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936). Rosher worked at several studios, but spent the last twelve years of his career exclusively at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, photographing such films as Annie Get Your Gun, Show Boat, Kiss Me Kate, and The Yearling. Rosher was the father of actress Joan Marsh and cinematographer Charles Rosher, Jr. Rosher died of an accidental fall in Lisbon, Portugal, on January 15, 1974. He was 88.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 17, 1885
- January 15, 1974 (aged 88)
- London, England, UK
- Cinematographer
- 43 on Motif · 115 credits in all
What are Charles Rosher's films like?
Across their 41 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 38
Light 25 · Serious 12 · Dark 4
A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 9
Gentle 18 · Charged 22 · Intense 1
Steady 25 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 2
Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 20 · Funny 6
Slow burn 24 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 0
Casual 35 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 1
Easy watch 23 · Affecting 14 · Heavy 4
Resolved 36 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy29
- Bittersweet10
- Ambiguous2
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Charles Rosher's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 43 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (7).
Subscription and free streaming for Charles Rosher's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
115 credits, 43 with a Motif page.
Jupiter's Darling(1955)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Kiss Me Kate(1953)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Young Bess(1953)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Story of Three Loves(1953)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Scaramouche(1952)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Show Boat(1951)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Pagan Love Song(1950)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Annie Get Your Gun(1950)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
East Side, West Side(1949)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Red Danube(1949)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Neptune's Daughter(1949)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Words and Music(1948)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
On an Island with You(1948)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Song of the Thin Man(1947)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Dark Delusion (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1947)
Fiesta(1947)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Yearling(1946)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Yolanda and the Thief(1945)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Ziegfeld Follies(1945)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Kismet(1944)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Swing Fever(1943)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
Assignment in Brittany (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)
Stand by for Action(1942)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Pierre of the Plains(1942)
Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films
Mokey (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1942)
One Foot in Heaven(1941)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Million Dollar Baby (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)
Four Mothers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1941)
My Love Came Back(1940)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Three Cheers for the Irish (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1940)
Brother Rat and a Baby(1940)
Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films
A Child Is Born(1939)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Espionage Agent (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)
Hell's Kitchen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)
Yes, My Darling Daughter(1939)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Off the Record (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)
Hard to Get (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)
White Banners (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1938)
Hollywood Hotel(1937)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Perfect Specimen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)
The Woman I Love(1937)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Men Are Not Gods(1936)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Small Town Girl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)
Little Lord Fauntleroy(1936)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Broadway Melody of 1936(1935)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Call of the Wild(1935)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
After Office Hours (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1935)
What Every Woman Knows(1934)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Outcast Lady (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)
The Affairs of Cellini(1934)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Moulin Rouge (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)
After Tonight (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)
Bed of Roses (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)
The Silver Cord (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)
Our Betters (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)
The Past of Mary Holmes(1933)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Rockabye (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)
Flaming Gold (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)
Two Against the World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)
What Price Hollywood? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)
The Beloved Bachelor (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)
Silence (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)
This Modern Age(1931)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Laughing Sinners(1931)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Dance, Fools, Dance(1931)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Paid(1930)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
War Nurse(1930)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Atlantic (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
Two Worlds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
The Two Worlds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
Two Worlds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
The Price of Things (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
Knowing Men (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)
The Road Is Fine (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)
Atlantic (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)
Atlantic (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)
Eternal Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)
The Vagabond Queen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)
Tempest (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)
Sunrise(1927)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
My Best Girl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)
Sparrows(1926)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Little Annie Rooney (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)
Three Women (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)
Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)
Rosita (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)
Tess of the Storm Country (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)
Smilin' Through (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)
Little Lord Fauntleroy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)
Through the Back Door (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)
The Love Light (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1921)
Dinty (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)
Suds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)
Pollyanna (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1920)
The Hoodlum (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)
Daddy-Long-Legs (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)
The Dub (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1919)
Johanna Enlists (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)
How Could You, Jean? (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)
The Honor of His House (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)
The Widow's Might (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1918)
The Secret Game (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
A Little Princess (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
Hashimura Togo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
At First Sight (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
A Mormon Maid (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
On Record (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)
The Plow Girl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
The Heir to the Hoorah (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
Anton the Terrible (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
Common Ground (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
The Clown (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
The Sowers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1916)
Carmen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1915)
Blackbirds (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1915)
Career shape
A full career of 115 titles from 1915 to 1955.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.
How do Charles Rosher's films land?
Their typical Motif film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 43; across their 41 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 59th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up8
- 50th to 74th19
- 25th to 49th13
- Below 25th3
Shape of the crowd
21 of their 43 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved2
- Crowd Pleaser21
- Broadly Agreed6
- Mixed14
Reviewers score the cinematography 74/100 in their films, across 32 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 62. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does Charles Rosher work with?
People who share at least 2 of Charles Rosher's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Sidney shares the most, 8.
Directors
- George SidneyShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Young Bess (1953), Scaramouche (1952), Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), The Red Danube (1949), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 8 shared titles with George Sidney
- Vincente MinnelliShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), Yolanda and the Thief (1945), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 3 shared titles with Vincente Minnelli
- Busby BerkeleyShared titles: Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Hollywood Hotel (1937)See all 2 shared titles with Busby Berkeley
- Richard ThorpeShared titles: On an Island with You (1948), Fiesta (1947)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Thorpe
Writers
- Dorothy KingsleyShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Neptune's Daughter (1949), On an Island with You (1948)See all 4 shared titles with Dorothy Kingsley
- John MeehanShared titles: Kismet (1944), What Every Woman Knows (1934), This Modern Age (1931)See all 3 shared titles with John Meehan
- Arthur WimperisShared titles: Young Bess (1953), The Red Danube (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Arthur Wimperis
- George FroeschelShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), Scaramouche (1952)See all 2 shared titles with George Froeschel
Actors
- Esther WilliamsShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Pagan Love Song (1950), Neptune's Daughter (1949), On an Island with You (1948), Fiesta (1947)See all 5 shared titles with Esther Williams
- Howard KeelShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Pagan Love Song (1950)See all 5 shared titles with Howard Keel
- Joan CrawfordShared titles: Dance, Fools, Dance (1931), Laughing Sinners (1931), This Modern Age (1931), Paid (1930)See all 4 shared titles with Joan Crawford
- Kathryn GraysonShared titles: Kiss Me Kate (1953), Show Boat (1951), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 3 shared titles with Kathryn Grayson
Composers and editors
- Ralph E. WintersShared titles: Jupiter's Darling (1955), Kiss Me Kate (1953), The Story of Three Loves (1953), Young Bess (1953)See all 4 shared titles with Ralph E. Winters
- Miklós RózsaShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), Young Bess (1953), East Side, West Side (1949), The Red Danube (1949)See all 4 shared titles with Miklós Rózsa
- Heinz RoemheldShared titles: Brother Rat and a Baby (1940), My Love Came Back (1940), A Child Is Born (1939), Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939)See all 4 shared titles with Heinz Roemheld
- James E. NewcomShared titles: Scaramouche (1952), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), The Red Danube (1949)See all 3 shared titles with James E. Newcom
Producers
- Arthur FreedShared titles: Show Boat (1951), Annie Get Your Gun (1950), Pagan Love Song (1950), Yolanda and the Thief (1945), Ziegfeld Follies (1945)See all 5 shared titles with Arthur Freed
- Hal B. WallisShared titles: One Foot in Heaven (1941), Brother Rat and a Baby (1940), My Love Came Back (1940), A Child Is Born (1939), Yes, My Darling Daughter (1939)See all 5 shared titles with Hal B. Wallis
- Jack CummingsShared titles: Kiss Me Kate (1953), Neptune's Daughter (1949), Fiesta (1947)See all 3 shared titles with Jack Cummings
- Sidney FranklinShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), Young Bess (1953), The Yearling (1946)See all 3 shared titles with Sidney Franklin
Mixed roles
- Edgar SelwynShared titles: Pierre of the Plains (1942), War Nurse (1930)See all 2 shared titles with Edgar Selwyn
