Harold Rosson
Cinematographer · Died September 6, 1988, aged 93 · New York City, New York, USA
From Wikipedia Harold G. "Hal" Rosson, A.S.C. (April 6, 1895 – September 6, 1988) was an American cinematographer who worked during the early and classical Hollywood cinema. He is best known for his work on the 1939 fantasy film The Wizard of Oz. Harold Rosson began his film career in 1908 as an actor at the Vitagraph Studios in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, New York City. He became the assistant to Irvin Willat at the Mark Dintenfass Studios. In 1912 he divided his time as an office boy in a stockbrokers firm and as an assistant, extra, and handyman at the Famous Players Studio in New York. His first film for Famous Players was David Harum (1915). In December 1914, Rosson moved to California and joined Metro Pictures. During World War I, he served in the United States Army. After his demobilization, he went to work on the Marion Davies film The Dark Star. He was offered a contract with the Davies Company. In 1920 he was signed by Mary Pickford, working primarily with her brother Jack Pickford. In the 1930s, Rosson signed with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed the photography for some of the studio's most popular films including Treasure Island (1934), The Wizard of Oz, Duel in the Sun, and Singin' in the Rain (1952). In 1936, Rosson and fellow cinematographer W. Howard Greene were awarded an Honorary Oscar for the color cinematography of the 1936 David O. Selznick production The Garden of Allah. Rosson later said it was the first time he attempted to film in color. After a very long and successful career in Hollywood, Rosson retired in 1958. He briefly came out of retirement in 1966 for the Howard Hawks film El Dorado starring John Wayne. Rosson was married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce, and had no children. While shooting the film Bombshell in 1933, actress Jean Harlow proposed to Rosson. The two had worked together previously on Red-Headed Woman, Dinner at Eight, Hold Your Man, and Red Dust and had struck up a friendship. On September 17, 1933, the two were married in Yuma, Arizona. In an interview with Leicester Wagner, Harlow recalled that she and Rosson grew closer after the death of her second husband, Paul Bern, and he encouraged her to go out and socialize. Rosson and Harlow separated in May 1934 with Harlow charging that Rosson was "rude, sullen and irritable". She was granted a divorce in March 1935. On October 11, 1936, Rosson married socialite Yvonne Crellin in Beverly Hills. They divorced in June 1945. On September 6, 1988, Rosson died, age 93, at his home in Palm Beach, Florida. He is buried in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
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Biography from TMDB.
- April 6, 1895
- September 6, 1988 (aged 93)
- New York City, New York, USA
- Cinematographer
- 68 on MovieCove · 129 credits in all
What are Harold Rosson's films like?
Across their 66 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 2 · Earnest 62
A split, not a type: Light 37 · Serious 18 · Dark 11
A split, not a type: Grounded 37 · Stylized 22 · Heightened 7
Gentle 22 · Charged 40 · Intense 4
A split, not a type: Steady 35 · Shifting 26 · Whiplash 5
Straight-faced 26 · Some laughs 28 · Funny 12
Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 39 · Relentless 2
Casual 47 · Engaged 17 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 37 · Affecting 22 · Heavy 7
Resolved 61 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy36
- Bittersweet22
- Tragic4
- Ambiguous3
- 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 Harold Rosson's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 68 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).
- No Time for Sergeants (1958) · cinematographer · free
- The Docks of New York (1928) · cinematographer · free
- On the Town (1949) · cinematographer · free
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) · cinematographer · free
- The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) · cinematographer · free
- The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936) · cinematographer · free
- Ulysses (1954) · cinematographer · free
- As You Like It (1936) · cinematographer · free
- Mambo (1954) · cinematographer · free
Subscription and free streaming for Harold Rosson'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
129 credits, 68 with a MovieCove page.
El Dorado(1966)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
No Time for Sergeants(1958)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Onionhead(1958)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
The Enemy Below(1957)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Toward the Unknown(1956)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
The Bad Seed(1956)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Pete Kelly's Blues(1955)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Strange Lady in Town(1955)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Ulysses(1954)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Mambo(1954)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Actress(1953)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Dangerous When Wet(1953)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
The Story of Three Loves(1953)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
I Love Melvin(1953)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Lone Star(1952)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Singin' in the Rain(1952)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Love Is Better Than Ever(1952)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Red Badge of Courage(1951)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
To Please a Lady(1950)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
The Asphalt Jungle(1950)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Key to the City(1950)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
On the Town(1949)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Any Number Can Play(1949)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
The Stratton Story(1949)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Command Decision(1948)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Homecoming(1948)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Hucksters(1947)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Living in a Big Way(1947)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Duel in the Sun(1946)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Three Wise Fools (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
No Leave, No Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Between Two Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
An American Romance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
Slightly Dangerous(1943)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Tennessee Johnson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Somewhere I'll Find You(1942)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Tortilla Flat(1942)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
Johnny Eager (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Honky Tonk(1941)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Washington Melodrama (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Men of Boys Town(1941)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
The Chocolate Soldier(1941)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Dr. Kildare Goes Home(1940)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Boom Town(1940)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
I Take This Woman(1940)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Edison, the Man(1940)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Flight Command(1940)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Forgotten Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
The Wizard of Oz(1939)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Too Hot to Handle(1938)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
That Mothers Might Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
A Yank at Oxford(1938)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Double Wedding(1937)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
Captains Courageous(1937)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
They Gave Him a Gun(1937)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Garden of Allah(1936)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
The Devil Is a Sissy(1936)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
As You Like It(1936)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Ghost Goes West(1935)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Scarlet Pimpernel(1934)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Treasure Island(1934)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
The Cat and the Fiddle(1934)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
This Side of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
The Girl from Missouri(1934)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Bombshell(1933)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Penthouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Turn Back the Clock(1933)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Hold Your Man(1933)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
The Barbarian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
Red Dust(1932)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Kongo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Downstairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Red-Headed Woman(1932)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Tarzan the Ape Man(1932)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
The Cuban Love Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Sporting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Son of India (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
The Squaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Love in Every Port (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Men Call It Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Passion Flower(1930)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Madam Satan(1930)
Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films
This Mad World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
South Sea Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Frozen Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
The Far Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Trent's Last Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
The Case of Lena Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)
Three Week Ends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
The Docks of New York(1928)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
The Sawdust Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
The Drag Net (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Abie's Irish Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
Open Range (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
A Gentleman of Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Service for Ladies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Rough House Rosie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Evening Clothes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Getting Gertie's Garter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Man Bait (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
Jim the Conqueror (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
For Wives Only (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
Almost a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
Up in Mabel's Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)
The Little French Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
A Man Must Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
Too Many Kisses (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)
Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Manhandled (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
A Society Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Big Brother (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Zaza (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
The Glimpses of the Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Quicksands (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Dark Secrets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Through a Glass Window (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)
A Virginia Courtship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
Buried Treasure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
Heliotrope (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)
The Cinema Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)
The American Consul (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Panthea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Oliver Twist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
Career shape
A full career of 120 titles from 1916 to 1966.
Biggest box office
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Highest rated
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Most popular right now
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
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 Harold Rosson's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 67th percentile, the median of all 68; across their 66 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up25
- 50th to 74th29
- 25th to 49th14
Shape of the crowd
None of their 68 titles divides audiences: 43 are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved11
- Crowd Pleaser43
- Broadly Agreed7
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the cinematography 70/100 in their films, across 54 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 56. 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.
Is Harold Rosson's work okay for kids?
Across up to 11 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does Harold Rosson work with?
People who share at least 2 of Harold Rosson's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Clark Gable shares the most, 11.
Directors
- Mervyn LeRoyShared titles: No Time for Sergeants (1958), The Bad Seed (1956), Toward the Unknown (1956), Strange Lady in Town (1955), Any Number Can Play (1949), Homecoming (1948), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), The Wizard of Oz (1939)See all 8 shared titles with Mervyn LeRoy
- Jack ConwayShared titles: The Hucksters (1947), Honky Tonk (1941), Boom Town (1940), A Yank at Oxford (1938), The Girl from Missouri (1934), Red-Headed Woman (1932)See all 6 shared titles with Jack Conway
- Victor FlemingShared titles: Tortilla Flat (1942), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Captains Courageous (1937), Treasure Island (1934), Bombshell (1933), Red Dust (1932)See all 6 shared titles with Victor Fleming
- Sam WoodShared titles: The Stratton Story (1949), Command Decision (1948), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), The Girl from Missouri (1934), Hold Your Man (1933)See all 5 shared titles with Sam Wood
Writers
- John Lee MahinShared titles: No Time for Sergeants (1958), The Bad Seed (1956), Tortilla Flat (1942), Boom Town (1940), Captains Courageous (1937), The Devil Is a Sissy (1936), Treasure Island (1934), Bombshell (1933), Red Dust (1932)See all 9 shared titles with John Lee Mahin
- Ben HechtShared titles: Ulysses (1954), Duel in the Sun (1946), I Take This Woman (1940), Turn Back the Clock (1933)See all 4 shared titles with Ben Hecht
- Anita LoosShared titles: The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), The Girl from Missouri (1934), Hold Your Man (1933), Red-Headed Woman (1932)See all 4 shared titles with Anita Loos
- James Kevin McGuinnessShared titles: Men of Boys Town (1941), I Take This Woman (1940), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934)See all 3 shared titles with James Kevin McGuinness
Actors
- Clark GableShared titles: Lone Star (1952), To Please a Lady (1950), Any Number Can Play (1949), Command Decision (1948), Homecoming (1948), The Hucksters (1947), Somewhere I'll Find You (1942), Honky Tonk (1941), Boom Town (1940), Hold Your Man (1933), Red Dust (1932)See all 11 shared titles with Clark Gable
- Spencer TracyShared titles: The Actress (1953), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Tortilla Flat (1942), Men of Boys Town (1941), Boom Town (1940), Edison, the Man (1940), I Take This Woman (1940), Captains Courageous (1937), They Gave Him a Gun (1937)See all 9 shared titles with Spencer Tracy
- Frank MorganShared titles: Any Number Can Play (1949), The Stratton Story (1949), Tortilla Flat (1942), Honky Tonk (1941), Boom Town (1940), The Wizard of Oz (1939), The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), Bombshell (1933)See all 9 shared titles with Frank Morgan
- Lionel BarrymoreShared titles: Lone Star (1952), Duel in the Sun (1946), Dr. Kildare Goes Home (1940), A Yank at Oxford (1938), Captains Courageous (1937), The Girl from Missouri (1934), Treasure Island (1934)See all 7 shared titles with Lionel Barrymore
Composers and editors
- Bronislau KaperShared titles: The Red Badge of Courage (1951), To Please a Lady (1950), Homecoming (1948), Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944), Slightly Dangerous (1943), Somewhere I'll Find You (1942), I Take This Woman (1940)See all 7 shared titles with Bronislau Kaper
- Herbert StothartShared titles: Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Men of Boys Town (1941), Edison, the Man (1940), The Devil Is a Sissy (1936), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), Treasure Island (1934), Turn Back the Clock (1933)See all 7 shared titles with Herbert Stothart
- Franz WaxmanShared titles: Tortilla Flat (1942), Honky Tonk (1941), Boom Town (1940), Flight Command (1940), Captains Courageous (1937), The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937)See all 6 shared titles with Franz Waxman
- Blanche SewellShared titles: Honky Tonk (1941), Boom Town (1940), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Treasure Island (1934), Red Dust (1932), Red-Headed Woman (1932)See all 6 shared titles with Blanche Sewell
Producers
- Pandro S. BermanShared titles: Living in a Big Way (1947), Marriage Is a Private Affair (1944), Slightly Dangerous (1943), Somewhere I'll Find You (1942), Honky Tonk (1941)See all 5 shared titles with Pandro S. Berman
- Bernard H. HymanShared titles: I Take This Woman (1940), The Cat and the Fiddle (1934), The Girl from Missouri (1934), Hold Your Man (1933), Tarzan the Ape Man (1932)See all 5 shared titles with Bernard H. Hyman
- Gottfried ReinhardtShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), The Red Badge of Courage (1951), Command Decision (1948), Homecoming (1948)See all 4 shared titles with Gottfried Reinhardt
- Sidney FranklinShared titles: The Story of Three Loves (1953), Command Decision (1948), Homecoming (1948), Duel in the Sun (1946)See all 4 shared titles with Sidney Franklin
Mixed roles
- Dore ScharyShared titles: The Red Badge of Courage (1951), Edison, the Man (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Dore Schary
- Richard BoleslawskiShared titles: They Gave Him a Gun (1937), The Garden of Allah (1936)See all 2 shared titles with Richard Boleslawski
