Elwood Bredell
Cinematographer · Died February 26, 1969, aged 66 · Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Elwood Bailey Bredell (24 December 1902 – 26 February 1969) was an American cinematographer and child silent screen actor. He is sometimes credited as Woody Bredell or Elwood Dell. Although he worked in many genres, mostly at Universal, Bredell is best known for his film noir cinematography on such movies as Phantom Lady (1944), Lady on a Train (1945) The Killers (1946), and The Unsuspected (1947). Famed Warner Bros. editor George Amy said Bredell could “light a football stadium with a single match.” Bredell was the son of stage actress Mary Palmer Nields. He was named Jesse B. Bredell, Jr., after his father. Nields later married Vaughn "Val" Paul, a silent film actor turned production manager. (Paul's son with Nields, Vaughn Jr., was Deanna Durbin's first husband.) After working as an adolescent actor in silent films, Bredell took a job as a studio lab technician while he cultivated a talent for photography. From about 1929–34, Bredell worked as a still photographer at RKO and Paramount, coinciding with his stepfather's tenures at those studios. At Paramount, Bredell apprenticed under veteran cinematographers Charles Lang and Arthur C. Miller. In 1936, Val Paul brought Bredell to Universal, where he continued his training under the studio's best cinematographer, Joseph Valentine. Bredell was promoted to cinematographer the next year, when Val produced Reckless Living (1938). Bredell's work on horror films such as Black Friday (1940), The Mummy's Hand (1940), and Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), anticipated his work in film noir. He also photographed Deann Durbin musicals and comedies such as Hold That Ghost (1941), Hellzapoppin' (1941) and The Inspector General (1949). His final credit was on the 1955 B-movie Female Jungle. From the Wikipedia article 'Elwood Bredell'
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Biography from TMDB.
- December 24, 1902
- February 26, 1969 (aged 66)
- Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
- Cinematographer
- 24 on MovieCove · 56 credits in all
What are Elwood Bredell's films like?
Across their 21 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
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 0 · Earnest 18
Light 12 · Serious 4 · Dark 5
Grounded 8 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 2
Gentle 7 · Charged 12 · Intense 2
A split, not a type: Steady 10 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 0
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 9
Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 15 · Relentless 2
Casual 11 · Engaged 8 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 14 · Affecting 5 · Heavy 2
Resolved 16 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 1
Moods and endings
- Happy14
- Bittersweet4
- Tragic2
- Ambiguous1
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 Elwood Bredell's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 24 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.
Subscription and free streaming for Elwood Bredell'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
56 credits, 24 with a MovieCove page.
Female Jungle(1955)
Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films
Journey Into Light (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
The Inspector General(1949)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Adventures of Don Juan(1948)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
Romance on the High Seas(1948)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
The Unsuspected(1947)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Killers(1946)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Tangier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Smooth as Silk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Lady on a Train(1945)
Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films
Can't Help Singing(1944)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Christmas Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Phantom Lady(1944)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
His Butler's Sister(1943)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
So's Your Uncle(1943)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Hers to Hold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Cowboy in Manhattan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Follow the Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
How's About It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Private Buckaroo(1942)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Tough as They Come (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Escape from Hong Kong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
The Mystery of Marie Roget (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
The Strange Case of Doctor Rx (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Butch Minds the Baby (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Hellzapoppin'(1941)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
South of Tahiti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Mob Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)
Hold That Ghost(1941)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Horror Island(1941)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Man Made Monster(1941)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Invisible Woman(1940)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Mummy's Hand(1940)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
La Conga Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Gangs of Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Double Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Black Friday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)
Boom Town(1940)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
The Big Guy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Call a Messenger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Two Bright Boys (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Ex-Champ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Strange Faces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)
Little Tough Guy(1938)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Behind the Mike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Thirty Day Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)
She Done Him Wrong(1933)
Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films
The Billion Dollar Scandal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)
The Devil Is Driving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
The Secret Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)
Snowbound (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
The Magic Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)
Southern Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
Career shape
A full career of 54 titles from 1917 to 1956.
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 Elwood Bredell's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 63rd percentile, the median of all 24; across their 21 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 66th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th6
- 25th to 49th9
Shape of the crowd
12 of their 24 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved3
- Crowd Pleaser12
- Broadly Agreed6
- Mixed3
Reviewers score the cinematography 70/100 in their films, across 16 reviewed titles; fans 75, 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.
Who does Elwood Bredell work with?
People who share at least 2 of Elwood Bredell's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hans J. Salter shares the most, 7.
Directors
- George WaggnerShared titles: The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Horror Island (1941), Man Made Monster (1941)See all 3 shared titles with George Waggner
- Michael CurtizShared titles: Romance on the High Seas (1948), The Unsuspected (1947)See all 2 shared titles with Michael Curtiz
- Robert SiodmakShared titles: The Killers (1946), Phantom Lady (1944)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Siodmak
Writers
- Harry KurnitzShared titles: The Inspector General (1949), Adventures of Don Juan (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Harry Kurnitz
- Frederic I. RinaldoShared titles: Hold That Ghost (1941), The Invisible Woman (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Frederic I. Rinaldo
- Robert LeesShared titles: Hold That Ghost (1941), The Invisible Woman (1940)See all 2 shared titles with Robert Lees
Actors
- Evelyn AnkersShared titles: His Butler's Sister (1943), Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Hold That Ghost (1941)See all 4 shared titles with Evelyn Ankers
- Walter CatlettShared titles: The Inspector General (1949), His Butler's Sister (1943), Horror Island (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Catlett
- Deanna DurbinShared titles: Lady on a Train (1945), His Butler's Sister (1943), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Deanna Durbin
- Dick ForanShared titles: Private Buckaroo (1942), Horror Island (1941), The Mummy's Hand (1940)See all 3 shared titles with Dick Foran
Composers and editors
- Hans J. SalterShared titles: His Butler's Sister (1943), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Hold That Ghost (1941), Man Made Monster (1941), The Mummy's Hand (1940), Little Tough Guy (1938)See all 7 shared titles with Hans J. Salter
- Frank SkinnerShared titles: The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (1942), The Invisible Woman (1940), The Mummy's Hand (1940), Little Tough Guy (1938)See all 5 shared titles with Frank Skinner
- Ted J. KentShared titles: Lady on a Train (1945), His Butler's Sister (1943), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942)See all 4 shared titles with Ted J. Kent
- Arthur HiltonShared titles: The Killers (1946), Phantom Lady (1944), Man Made Monster (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Arthur Hilton
Producers
- Frank ShawShared titles: Lady on a Train (1945), His Butler's Sister (1943), The Amazing Mrs. Holliday (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Frank Shaw
- Alex GottliebShared titles: Romance on the High Seas (1948), Hold That Ghost (1941), Horror Island (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Alex Gottlieb
- Jerry WaldShared titles: The Inspector General (1949), Adventures of Don Juan (1948)See all 2 shared titles with Jerry Wald
- Felix JacksonShared titles: Lady on a Train (1945), His Butler's Sister (1943)See all 2 shared titles with Felix Jackson
