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Hal Mohr

Hal Mohr

Cinematographer, also director · Died May 10, 1974, aged 79 · San Francisco, California, USA

Hal Mohr, A.S.C. (August 2, 1894 in San Francisco – May 10, 1974 in Santa Monica, California) was a famed movie cinematographer. He is known for his Oscar-winning work on the 1935 film, A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was awarded another Oscar for his work on The Phantom of the Opera in 1943, and received a nomination for The Four Poster in 1952. 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, unfortunately, was never seen by the public because of problems with the motion picture distribution company. 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. He was inspired by the moving shots in the Italian movie, Cabiria, and developed a camera with special tracking abilities for his 1914 film, Pan's Mountain. Notably, 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). The Academy later changed the Oscar rules, making write-in voting impossible. 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, this time with W. Howard Greene for Best Cinematography in a Color Film, for their work on The Phantom of the Opera (1943). 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. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Cinematography in a Black and White Film, for his work on the same movie. Other film 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). Mohr served as president of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1930 to 1931. Then, for two terms from 1963 to 1965 and finally from 1969 to 1970. He was one of the first members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and a senior member of the Academy's Board of Directors. He headed the Academy's Cinematography Branch for over 20 years, and was also a part of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Before his death, he would travel the country promoting cameramen and the industry of cinematography. For his many contributions to motion pictures and the film industry, Hal Mohr received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 2, 1894
Died
May 10, 1974 (aged 79)
From
San Francisco, California, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also director
Titles
51 on Motif · 102 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 20% in 30 days

What are Hal Mohr's films like?

Across their 50 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama16 titlesTypical Motif score: 57th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy11 titlesTypical Motif score: 47th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime10 titlesTypical Motif score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action3 titlesTypical Motif score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Motif score: 46th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Western2 titlesTypical Motif score: 66th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Western movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
32%
Morality
22%
Self
20%
Power
11%
Society
7%
Survival
7%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love19 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 50 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 22 · Serious 8 · Dark 20

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 22 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 13

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

Gentle 11 · Charged 22 · Intense 17

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

A split, not a type: Steady 28 · Shifting 19 · Whiplash 3

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 30 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 9

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 25 · Even-paced 24 · Relentless 1

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

Casual 28 · Engaged 22 · 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 23 · Affecting 16 · Heavy 11

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

Resolved 44 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
29
Melancholic
24
Romantic
15
Joyful
10
Warm
8
Other
47

How their films linger

Bittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy19
  • Bittersweet21
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

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 Hal Mohr's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 51 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Hal Mohr's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

102 credits, 51 with a Motif page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Topaz(1969)

    Technical Advisor

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Bamboo Saucer(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Jack and the Beanstalk(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Invisible Diplomats (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • The Man from the Diners' Club(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Creation of the Humanoids(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Underworld U.S.A.(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 8 episodes · Cinematographer

  • The Last Voyage(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Gun Runners(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Lineup (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • No Time at All (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Baby Face Nelson(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Boss(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Rookie of the Year (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Jamboree(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • The Wild One(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Member of the Wedding(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Four Poster (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Rancho Notorious(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Big Night(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Woman on the Run(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Second Woman(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Johnny Holiday (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • An Act of Murder(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Another Part of the Forest(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Lost Moment(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Song of Scheherazade (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • I'll Be Yours (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • Because of Him (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Salome, Where She Danced(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Her Lucky Night (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Enter Arsène Lupin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • The Climax(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films

  • This Is the Life (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • San Diego I Love You(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Top Man (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Watch on the Rhine(1943)

    Co-Director · Cinematographer

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Phantom of the Opera(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Lady in a Jam(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • International Lady(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Pot o' Gold(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Cheers for Miss Bishop(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • When the Daltons Rode(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Destry Rides Again(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Rio (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Back Door to Heaven(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 31st percentile of all films

  • I Met My Love Again(1938)

    Cinematographer · as College Student (uncredited)

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • When Love Is Young (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1937)

    Director

  • Top of the Town(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Ladies in Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • The Green Pastures(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Bullets or Ballots(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Walking Dead(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Captain Blood(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Under Pressure(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Servants' Entrance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Change of Heart (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • David Harum (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • The Devil's in Love (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • I Loved You Wednesday (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • The Warrior's Husband (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • State Fair(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Tess of the Storm Country (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • The First Year (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Week Ends Only (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Lady with a Past(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • A Woman Commands (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Devotion (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Big Gamble (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • A Woman of Experience (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Front Page(1931)

    Additional Photography · Cinematographer

    Motif score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Outward Bound (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Czar of Broadway (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Big Boy(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • King of Jazz (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Honeymoon (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Shanghai Lady (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Last Performance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Broadway (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Last Warning (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Noah's Ark(1928)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Glorious Betsy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Tenderloin (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • The Wedding March(1928)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Jazz Singer(1927)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Old San Francisco(1927)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Heart of Maryland (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Bitter Apples (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Third Degree(1926)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Sparrows(1926)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Marriage Clause (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Little Annie Rooney (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • The Monster(1925)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Vanity's Price (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • A Woman Who Sinned (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Bag and Baggage (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • The Strange Adventures of Prince Courageous (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • Watch Him Step (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1922)

    Cinematographer

  • The Big Idea (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Cinematographer · Writer

  • Perils of the Secret Service (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

Career shape

A full career of 97 titles from 1917 to 1969.

Biggest box office

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

$2.6M worldwide

Highest rated

Captain Blood (1935)

Motif 95th

Most popular right now

The Jazz Singer (1927)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 97: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting4 of 97: 2 only directing, 2 with another roleWriting1 of 97: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleCinematography93 of 97: 90 only cinematography, 3 with another role · typical Motif score56thOther crew2 of 97: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

97 titles, 3 with more than one role — cinematography and directing overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1910s2 · crew1920s22 · crew1930s32 · 1 acting · 32 crew1940s19 · crew1950s13 · crew1960s9 · 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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Hal Mohr's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 56th percentile, the median of the 50 of 51 with a score; across their 49 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Approval · how many liked their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Reach · how many have seen their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 49

Motif score across 50 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up11
  • 50th to 74th22
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

34 of their 50 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser34
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · cinematographer

Big Boy (1930)

72nd percentile spread · 24% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Captain Blood (1935)

Motif 95th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 66/100 in their films, across 49 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 52. 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 Motif 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.

Is Hal Mohr's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 Motif titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 40 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 10 · minimalMedian of all films: 31
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Hal Mohr work with?

People who share at least 2 of Hal Mohr's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles