George Barnes(1892-1953)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Veteran cinematographer George S. Barnes had a well-earned reputation
for reliability and a knack for combining artistry with economic
efficiency. As a result, he was seldom out of work.
Having started as a still photographer for
Thomas H. Ince in 1918, Barnes quickly
rose through the ranks to director of photography. In the course of his
career he spent time at just about every major studio in Hollywood:
Paramount (1919-21), Metro (1924-25), United Artists (1926-31), MGM
(1932), Warner Brothers (1933-38), 20th Century-Fox (1940-41),
Universal (1942) and RKO (1942-48). During the 1920s he was the primary
cinematographer for Samuel Goldwyn and
was largely responsible for the success of films like
The Dark Angel (1925). Under his
auspices Gregg Toland learned his craft,
particularly Barnes' trademark soft-edged, deep-focus photography and
intuitive composition and camera movement. Barnes was an expert at
lighting. He often utilized curtains or reflective surfaces to create
patterns of light and shade. Most importantly, he perfectly suited the
required style of photography to each individual assignment. He brought
a vivid opulence to the dullish Technicolor romance
Frenchman's Creek (1944),
making it a triumph of style over content. His 'catoon colours' were
just as perfectly suited to the fantasy adventure
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947). At
Warner Brothers the dark, somewhat grainy texture of films like
Marked Woman (1937) was in sync with
the realistic look the studio wanted to achieve for its product. He
also excelled at shooting vivid dramatic scenes, such as the flood
sequences featured in
The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926).
Barnes did his best work in the 1940s, shooting two classic
Alfred Hitchcock thrillers: for
Rebecca (1940) he created an atmosphere
of sinister foreboding, right from the beginning, with his shots of
Manderley (Barnes was hired because Toland was unavailable, but he
ended up winning an Academy Award); and
Spellbound (1945), with its unsettling
surrealist Salvador Dalí-designed dream
sequence of wheels, eyes and staircases. A lesser, but nonetheless
good-looking, addition to Barnes' resume is a minor film noir,
The File on Thelma Jordon (1949).
In contrast, he created a suitably lavish look for his color
photography, which enlivened two charismatic swashbuckling adventures,
The Spanish Main (1945) and
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947).
Popular with directors and producers (though he was once fired by
David O. Selznick for failing to bring
the best out of Jennifer Jones)
and stars (Bing Crosby) alike, Barnes was
continually employed until his retirement in 1953. He was also popular
with the ladies, to which his seven marriages testify. One of his wives
was the actress Joan Blondell.
for reliability and a knack for combining artistry with economic
efficiency. As a result, he was seldom out of work.
Having started as a still photographer for
Thomas H. Ince in 1918, Barnes quickly
rose through the ranks to director of photography. In the course of his
career he spent time at just about every major studio in Hollywood:
Paramount (1919-21), Metro (1924-25), United Artists (1926-31), MGM
(1932), Warner Brothers (1933-38), 20th Century-Fox (1940-41),
Universal (1942) and RKO (1942-48). During the 1920s he was the primary
cinematographer for Samuel Goldwyn and
was largely responsible for the success of films like
The Dark Angel (1925). Under his
auspices Gregg Toland learned his craft,
particularly Barnes' trademark soft-edged, deep-focus photography and
intuitive composition and camera movement. Barnes was an expert at
lighting. He often utilized curtains or reflective surfaces to create
patterns of light and shade. Most importantly, he perfectly suited the
required style of photography to each individual assignment. He brought
a vivid opulence to the dullish Technicolor romance
Frenchman's Creek (1944),
making it a triumph of style over content. His 'catoon colours' were
just as perfectly suited to the fantasy adventure
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947). At
Warner Brothers the dark, somewhat grainy texture of films like
Marked Woman (1937) was in sync with
the realistic look the studio wanted to achieve for its product. He
also excelled at shooting vivid dramatic scenes, such as the flood
sequences featured in
The Winning of Barbara Worth (1926).
Barnes did his best work in the 1940s, shooting two classic
Alfred Hitchcock thrillers: for
Rebecca (1940) he created an atmosphere
of sinister foreboding, right from the beginning, with his shots of
Manderley (Barnes was hired because Toland was unavailable, but he
ended up winning an Academy Award); and
Spellbound (1945), with its unsettling
surrealist Salvador Dalí-designed dream
sequence of wheels, eyes and staircases. A lesser, but nonetheless
good-looking, addition to Barnes' resume is a minor film noir,
The File on Thelma Jordon (1949).
In contrast, he created a suitably lavish look for his color
photography, which enlivened two charismatic swashbuckling adventures,
The Spanish Main (1945) and
Sinbad, the Sailor (1947).
Popular with directors and producers (though he was once fired by
David O. Selznick for failing to bring
the best out of Jennifer Jones)
and stars (Bing Crosby) alike, Barnes was
continually employed until his retirement in 1953. He was also popular
with the ladies, to which his seven marriages testify. One of his wives
was the actress Joan Blondell.