I am searching for information on the great cinematographers of the B-movie era

I want to honor the legacy of the cinematographers and other production people who worked in relative obscurity during the heyday of the B-Western and the Saturday matinee serial. If you have information about DPs, directors, production managers or other behind-the-scenes people involved in making B-movies, serials or early TV shows from the silent era through the 1950s — especially those involved in location work and anyone who may have worked at the Iverson Movie Ranch — I would love to hear from you.

With the exception of the most high-profile figures from this period — movie stars and prominent directors, mainly — I have been able to dig up precious little information on the talented people who shaped our movie history and our culture through low-budget, independent productions. I think it would be tragic to allow their legacies to fade from memory while there are still people around who can tell their stories.

I would especially like to hear from the survivors — spouses, friends, co-workers, children, grandchildren and beyond — of those who played a role in making movies at Iverson, as well as anyone who is around who has memories of Iverson.

I am especially interested in hearing about the cinematographers — the men who aimed their cameras at Iverson's dramatic rock formations, among other things, and thereby recorded the ranch's legacy for posterity. I hope to hear from anyone who might be able to help flesh out their biographical information and gain insights into what made them tick.

Here are some of the cinematographers I would like to find out more about:

Robert Cline

Ernest Miller

John MacBurnie

Reggie Lanning

Fayte Browne

Milford Anderson

William Nobles

William Bradford

George Meehan
Bud Thackery

Jack Greenhalgh

Jack Marta

Mack Stengler

Marcel Le Picard

Benjamin Kline
Gilbert Warrenton

Ira H. Morgan

George Kelley

Rex Wimpy

William Hyer

James S. Brown Jr.

Edward Kull

Ellis W. Carter

Harry Neumann

... and others who may not yet be on the radar

Please contact me by commenting on any of the blog entries or by e-mailing me at iversonfilmranch@aol.com.

The great Iverson cinematographers: William Bradford

born September 1905, Vermont

died May 1959, Los Angeles (age 53)

William Bradford’s career as a movie cinematographer essentially spanned 1942-1954, followed by a healthy plunge into TV. He shot B-Westerns for Republic for six years before hitching his wagon to Gene Autry when the Republic star went independent in the late 1940s. 

"Secret Service in Darkest Africa" (1943)

Early in his career, Bradford "apprenticed" at Republic, learning the ropes from legendary Iverson cinematographer Ernest Miller and graduating to director of photography on a series of labor-intensive serials such as "Secret Service in Darkest Africa."

"Annie Oakley" TV show (1954)

Bradford later became the primary DP for Gene Autry Productions, shooting the company’s entire film output over the next five years before leading the camera work on the various Autry TV productions.

The Aztec, center, and Notch Hill, filmed by William Bradford in Carson City Raiders (1948)

He distinguished himself at Republic with some standout work with cowboy stars Roy Rogers, Allan “Rocky” Lane and Wild Bill Elliott. 

All of these features remain in place today

Prime examples of Bradford's Iverson cinematography from this period include the Rocky Lane features Carson City Raiders (1948) and Stagecoach to Monterey (1944), the Roy Rogers classic Heldorado (1946), the Wild Bill Elliott Western Old Los Angeles (1948) and a pair of 1947 Red Ryder movies starring Rocky Lane, Rustlers of Devil’s Canyon and Marshal of Cripple Creek.

"The Hills of Utah" (1951) — Upper Iverson

A highlight of Bradford's film work with Gene Autry Productions is The Hills of Utah (1951). He would continue to work at Iverson on TV shows such as Range Rider, Death Valley Days, Buffalo Bill Jr., The Gene Autry Show, The Adventures of Champion, Annie Oakley and eventually Sky King.

William Bradford — Plymouth Colony governor (not the same guy)

William Bradford filmography on IMDb

Bradford — the cinematographer, not the Plymouth Colony governor — kept working his whole life, but died at the age of 53. It may be that the DPs of the era were overworked, because I've found that many of them died young.