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Edward Scaife

Cinematographer · Died November 1, 1994, aged 82 · London, England, UK

Edward Scaife BSC (23 May 1912 – November 1994) was an English cinematographer, who worked five times with the director John Huston. Sometimes credited as Ted Scaife, he worked originally in the sound department of a London film company. From 1940 onwards, he was a member of the camera crew in productions such as Michael Powell's Black Narcissus (1947) and Huston's African Queen. From 1951 he was first employed as a chief camera man, and photographed films of all genres, including Night of the Demon (1957), 633 Squadron (1964), Khartoum (1966), and The Dirty Dozen (1967), before retiring from the industry in 1979.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 23, 1912
Died
November 1, 1994 (aged 82)
From
London, England, UK
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
34 on Motif · 57 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 28Up 32% in 30 days

What are Edward Scaife's films like?

Across their 29 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Adventure7 titlesTypical Motif score: 48th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action6 titlesTypical Motif score: 71st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Motif score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama6 titlesTypical Motif score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Motif score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Crime 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
28%
Morality
26%
Self
15%
Survival
13%
Power
7%
Ideas
6%
Society
5%
Loyalty6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 29 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 11 · Serious 7 · Dark 11

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 18 · Stylized 10 · Heightened 1

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

Gentle 6 · Charged 12 · Intense 11

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

Steady 15 · Shifting 14 · Whiplash 0

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 17 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 5

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

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 17 · Relentless 0

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

A split, not a type: Casual 14 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 4

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 13 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 6

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

Resolved 22 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
18
Melancholic
8
Joyful
6
Thrilling
7
Dread
6
Other
25

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous4

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 Edward Scaife's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 34 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (10).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Edward Scaife'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

57 credits, 34 with a Motif page.

  • The Last Giraffe (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • The Corn Is Green (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Cinematographer

  • The Water Babies(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Sitting Target(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hannie Caulder(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Catlow(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Forbush and the Penguins(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Kremlin Letter(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 51st percentile of all films

  • A Walk with Love and Death (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1969)

    Cinematographer

  • Sinful Davey(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Play Dirty(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Dark of the Sun(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Dirty Dozen(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Khartoum(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Liquidator(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Truth About Spring(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Young Cassidy (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • 633 Squadron(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The List of Adrian Messenger(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Follow the Boys(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Tarzan's Three Challenges (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • The Dock Brief (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lion(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • All Night Long(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • On the Fiddle(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • His and Hers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • Tarzan the Magnificent (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • Carry On Constable (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • Please Turn Over (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • The Boy and the Bridge (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Tarzan's Greatest Adventure(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • The Last Blitzkrieg(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Law and Disorder (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • Happy Is the Bride(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Two-Headed Spy(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Curse of the Demon(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Birthday Present (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Smiley (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1956)

    Cinematographer

  • Storm Over the Nile(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 39th percentile of all films

  • A Kid for Two Farthings(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Constant Husband (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Beautiful Stranger (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • An Inspector Calls (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • The Intruder(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Melba (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • The Captain's Paradise(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Holly and the Ivy(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Ringer (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Who Goes There! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Home at Seven (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • The African Queen(1951)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Outcast of the Islands(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Pandora and the Flying Dutchman(1951)

    Second Unit Director of Photography

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Great Manhunt(1950)

    Camera Operator

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Third Man(1949)

    Camera Operator

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Bonnie Prince Charlie (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1948)

    Camera Operator

  • Lappblod (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1948)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 55 titles from 1948 to 1979.

Highest rated

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Motif 96th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography52 of 55: 52 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Motif score67thOther crew3 of 55: 3 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1940s3 · crew1950s25 · crew1960s20 · crew1970s7 · 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 Edward Scaife's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 34; across their 29 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Approval · how many liked their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 29

Motif score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up10
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Water Babies (1978)

54th percentile spread · 16% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Dirty Dozen (1967)

Motif 96th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 68/100 in their films, across 28 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 54. 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 Edward Scaife's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 Motif titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 65 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 37 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 45 · 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 Edward Scaife work with?

People who share at least 2 of Edward Scaife's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bert Bates shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles