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Karl Freund

Karl Freund

Known For Camera
Birthday Jan 16, 1890
Died May 03, 1969 (79)
Birthplace Königinhof, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary [now Dvur Kralove, Czech Republic]
Popularity 0.2 (history)
Updated Aug 04, 2024 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Karl W. Freund, A.S.C. (January 16, 1890-May 3, 1969) was a cinematographer and film director. Born in Dvůr Králové (Königinhof), Bohemia, his career began in 1905 when, at age 15, he got a job as an assistant projectionist for a film company in Berlin wher ... e his family moved in 1901. He worked as a cinematographer on over 100 films, including the German Expressionist films The Golem (1920), The Last Laugh (1924) and Metropolis (1927). Freund emigrated to the United States in 1929 where he continued to shoot well remembered films such as Dracula (1931) and Key Largo (1948). He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for The Good Earth (1937). In 1937, he went to Germany to bring his only daughter, Gerda Maria Freund, back to the United States, saving her from almost certain death in the concentration camps. Karl's ex-wife, Susette Freund (née Liepmannssohn), remained in Germany where she was interned at the Ravensbrück concentration camp and eventually taken in March, 1942 to Bernburg Euthanasia Center where she was murdered. Between 1921 and 1935, Freund also directed ten films, of which the best known are probably The Mummy (1932) starring Boris Karloff, and his last film as director, Mad Love (1935) starring Peter Lorre. Freund's only known film as an actor is Carl Dreyer's Michael (1924) in which he has a cameo as a sycophantic art dealer who saves the tobacco ashes dropped by a famous painter. At the beginning of the 1950s, he was persuaded by Desi Arnaz at Desilu to be the cinematographer in 1951 for the televisions series I Love Lucy. Critics have credited Freund for the show's lustrous black and white cinematography, but more importantly, Freund designed the "flat lighting" system for shooting sitcoms that is still in use today. This system covers the set in light, thus eliminating shadows and allowing the use of three moving cameras without having to modify the lighting in-between shots. And where Freund did not invent the three camera shooting system, he did perfect it for use with film cameras in front of a live audience. Freund and his production team also worked on other sitcoms produced at/through Desilu such as "Our Miss Brooks". Description above from the Wikipedia article Karl Freund, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Filmography

No data available

I Love Lucy: The Movie

I Love Lucy: The Movie

1953

Director of Photography

Montana

Montana

1950

Director of Photography

Bright Leaf

Bright Leaf

1950

Director of Photography

South of St. Louis

South of St. Louis

1949

Director of Photography

Wallflower

Wallflower

1948

Director of Photography

The Decision of Christopher Blake

The Decision of Christopher Blake

1948

Director of Photography

Key Largo

Key Largo

1948

Director of Photography

That Hagen Girl

That Hagen Girl

1947

Director of Photography

This Time for Keeps

This Time for Keeps

1947

Director of Photography

Two Smart People

Two Smart People

1946

Director of Photography

Undercurrent

Undercurrent

1946

Director of Photography

A Letter for Evie

A Letter for Evie

1946

Director of Photography

Without Love

Without Love

1945

Director of Photography

Dangerous Partners

Dangerous Partners

1945

Director of Photography

The Seventh Cross

The Seventh Cross

1944

Director of Photography

The Thin Man Goes Home

The Thin Man Goes Home

1944

Director of Photography

A Guy Named Joe

A Guy Named Joe

1943

Director of Photography

Cry 'Havoc'

Cry 'Havoc'

1943

Director of Photography

Du Barry was a Lady

Du Barry was a Lady

1943

Director of Photography

Tortilla Flat

Tortilla Flat

1942

Director of Photography

The War Against Mrs. Hadley

The War Against Mrs. Hadley

1942

Director of Photography

The Affairs of Martha

The Affairs of Martha

1942

Director of Photography

A Yank at Eton

A Yank at Eton

1942

Director of Photography

Blossoms in the Dust

Blossoms in the Dust

1941

Director of Photography

The Chocolate Soldier

The Chocolate Soldier

1941

Director of Photography

Comrade X

Comrade X

1940

Camera Operator

Green Hell

Green Hell

1940

Director of Photography

Florian

Florian

1940

Director of Photography

We Who Are Young

We Who Are Young

1940

Director of Photography

The Earl of Chicago

The Earl of Chicago

1940

Director of Photography

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

1940

Director of Photography

Golden Boy

Golden Boy

1939

Director of Photography

Rose of Washington Square

Rose of Washington Square

1939

Director of Photography

Barricade

Barricade

1939

Director of Photography

Tail Spin

Tail Spin

1939

Director of Photography

Balalaika

Balalaika

1939

Director of Photography

Three Comrades

Three Comrades

1938

Director of Photography

Man-Proof

Man-Proof

1938

Director of Photography

Letter of Introduction

Letter of Introduction

1938

Director of Photography

Port of Seven Seas

Port of Seven Seas

1938

Director of Photography

Conquest

Conquest

1937

Director of Photography

Parnell

Parnell

1937

Director of Photography

The Good Earth

The Good Earth

1937

Director of Photography

Camille

Camille

1936

Director of Photography

The Great Ziegfeld

The Great Ziegfeld

1936

Director of Photography

The Kiss Before the Mirror

The Kiss Before the Mirror

1933

Director of Photography

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Murders in the Rue Morgue

1932

Director of Photography

Back Street

Back Street

1932

Director of Photography

Air Mail

Air Mail

1932

Director of Photography

Scandal for Sale

Scandal for Sale

1932

Director of Photography

Afraid to Talk

Afraid to Talk

1932

Director of Photography

The Bad Sister

The Bad Sister

1931

Director of Photography

Personal Maid

Personal Maid

1931

Director of Photography

Strictly Dishonorable

Strictly Dishonorable

1931

Director of Photography

Up for Murder

Up for Murder

1931

Director of Photography

Dracula

Dracula

1931

Director of Photography

All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front

1930

Director of Photography

Sleeping Partners

Sleeping Partners

1930

Director of Photography

The Lottery Bride

The Lottery Bride

1930

Director of Photography

The Boudoir Diplomat

The Boudoir Diplomat

1930

Director of Photography

Metropolis

Metropolis

1927

Camera Operator, Director of Photography

Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great

1920

Cinematography

Mad Love

Mad Love

1935

Director

Gift of Gab

Gift of Gab

1934

Director

Madame Spy

Madame Spy

1934

Director

I Give My Love

I Give My Love

1934

Director

Moonlight and Pretzels

Moonlight and Pretzels

1933

Director

The Mummy

The Mummy

1932

Director

Dracula

Dracula

1931

Co-Director

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

Deutscher Filmpreis

as Self

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 01, 1951

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


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2024 5 4 6 4
2024 6 4 6 2
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2025 1 6 16 1
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Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 5 705 258

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