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Merritt B. Gerstad

Cinematographer · Died March 1, 1974, aged 73 · Chicago, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Merritt B. Gerstad (5 July 1900, Chicago, Illinois – 1 March 1974, Laguna Beach, California) was an American cinematographer of silent and early sound films. After beginning as a cinematographer on films for Universal, he worked for MGM, working with director Tod Browning on (the lost) London After Midnight (1927) and Freaks (1932), and Sam Wood on the Marx Brothers A Night at the Opera (1935). Later he was at Warner Bros. for Watch on the Rhine (1943) starring Bette Davis, Conflict (1945) with Humphrey Bogart in the lead, and the Gershwin biopic Rhapsody in Blue (1945), his last credit.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 5, 1900
Died
March 1, 1974 (aged 73)
From
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
22 on MovieCove · 67 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Merritt B. Gerstad's films like?

Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove 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

share of theme weight
Bonds
38%
Morality
22%
Society
16%
Self
13%
Power
7%
Survival
2%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themePrejudice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 21 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 9 · Serious 5 · Dark 7

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 9 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 7 · Charged 10 · Intense 4

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 11 · Shifting 9 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 9 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 14 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 10 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Joyful
8
Melancholic
9
Romantic
6
Absurd
4
Other
16

How their films linger

Feel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy10
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic1

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 Merritt B. Gerstad's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 22 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Merritt B. Gerstad's titles on MovieCove; 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

67 credits, 22 with a MovieCove page.

  • Rhapsody in Blue(1945)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Conflict(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Watch on the Rhine(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Night in New Orleans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Tom, Dick and Harry(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The House Across the Bay(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Andy Hardy's Dilemma: A Lesson in Mathematics... and Other Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • Slightly Honorable(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Eternally Yours(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Winter Carnival(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Bulldog Drummond's Secret Police(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • She Married an Artist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Souls at Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Seventh Heaven(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Brute (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • The Luckiest Girl in the World(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • One Rainy Afternoon(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Great Ziegfeld(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Strike Me Pink (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • A Night at the Opera(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Daring Young Man(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Imitation of Life(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Social Register (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Beloved (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Only Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • The Mayor of Hell(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Secret of Madame Blanche(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Goldie Gets Along (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Payment Deferred (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Strange Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Night World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Freaks(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • West of Broadway(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Flying High (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Guilty Hands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Great Lover (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Never the Twain Shall Meet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Daybreak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Gentleman's Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Sevilla de mis Amores (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Remote Control (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Those Three French Girls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Call of the Flesh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Our Blushing Brides (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Every Woman's Longing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • A Lady to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Devil-May-Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Navy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Thirteenth Chair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Wonder of Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • A Man's Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Bridge of San Luis Rey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Tide of Empire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Alias Jimmy Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Circus Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • London After Midnight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Mockery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Unknown(1927)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Ice Flood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Tessie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • The Mad Whirl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • Fight and Win (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Galloping Ace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Phantom Horseman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Man from Wyoming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Poor Simp (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 66 titles from 1920 to 1945.

Biggest box office

A Night at the Opera (1935)

$10K worldwide

Highest rated

Freaks (1932)

Midcredits 96th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography65 of 66: 65 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thOther crew1 of 66: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s20 · crew1930s39 · crew1940s7 · crew

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 MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Merritt B. Gerstad's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 65th percentile, the median of all 22; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Reach · how many have seen their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 21

Midcredits score across 22 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th7
  • 25th to 49th5
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

11 of their 22 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Crowd Pleaser11
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed3

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Luckiest Girl in the World (1936)

82nd percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Freaks (1932)

Midcredits 96th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 62/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 48. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; 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 MovieCove 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 Merritt B. Gerstad work with?

People who share at least 2 of Merritt B. Gerstad's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dorothy Spencer shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers