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Personal Information

Known ForCamera
GenderMale
Born / DiedDec 15, 1883 (Died at 90)
Zodiac Sign♐Sagittarius
Place of BirthAmsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Career Span1920 – 1973
Known Credits85 Titles
Official Links
CameraPopularity Score 0.7

David Abel

Total Works

85

85 movies • 0 shows

Avg Rating

6.6 / 10

across rated releases

Box Office

—

worldwide gross

Global Reach

#1

TMDB star index

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia David Abel (15 December 1883 – 12 November 1973) was a cinematographer. Born in Amsterdam to Russian parents, Abel began his career in 1916. He came to the United States as a child in the first decade of the 1900s and worked as a portrait photographer in New York before entering films with Flying A Studios in 1913. His credits include Grumpy (1930), The Virtuous Sin (1930), Huckleberry Finn (1931), The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), and The Affairs of Susan (1945). At RKO Pictures during the 1930s, Abel was a favorite collaborator of director Mark Sandrich and was responsible for the photography of five Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers musicals (The Gay Divorcee, Top Hat, Follow the Fleet, Swing Time, and Shall We Dance). Other credits include The Awful Truth, Huckleberry Finn, Hips, Hips, Hooray!, Grumpy, The Virtuous Sin, and History Is Made at Night. He filmed a total of 110 films. He retired in 1937, but Sandrich persuaded him to come back as cameraman for the classic Holiday Inn (1942). After two more films, Follow the Boys (1944) and The Affairs of Susan (1945), Abel left Hollywood film work for good.

Signature Roles & Milestones

Top Hat
7.2
Top Hat
1935•movie
Role: Director of Photography
Swing Time
6.8
Swing Time
1936•movie
Role: Director of Photography
Holiday Inn
7.1
Holiday Inn
1942•movie
Role: Director of Photography
The Gay Divorcee
6.9
The Gay Divorcee
1934•movie
Role: Director of Photography

Full Filmography & Credits

Showing 85 titles featuring David Abel

Top Hat
7.2
Top Hat
1935•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Swing Time
6.8
Swing Time
1936•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Holiday Inn
7.1
Holiday Inn
1942•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Gay Divorcee
6.9
The Gay Divorcee
1934•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Shall We Dance
7.3
Shall We Dance
1937•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Follow the Fleet
6.9
Follow the Fleet
1936•movie

Role: Director of Photography

History Is Made at Night
6.7

Role: Director of Photography

Merrily We Go to Hell
6.4

Role: Director of Photography

Madame Butterfly
5.4
Madame Butterfly
1932•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Case of the Curious Bride
6.0

Role: Director of Photography

I Dream Too Much
5.4
I Dream Too Much
1935•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Beau Brummel
7.0
Beau Brummel
1924•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Rafter Romance
6.8
Rafter Romance
1933•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Racketeer
5.1
The Racketeer
1929•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Crime of the Century
6.5

Role: Director of Photography

Ann Vickers
5.8
Ann Vickers
1933•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Follow the Boys
5.7
Follow the Boys
1944•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Affairs of Susan
6.5

Role: Director of Photography

This Man Is Mine
5.9
This Man Is Mine
1934•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Bunker Bean
5.2
Bunker Bean
1936•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Hips, Hips, Hooray!
7.0

Role: Director of Photography

Pick-up
5.1
Pick-up
1933•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Miracle Man
5.9
The Miracle Man
1932•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Virtuous Sin
4.8
The Virtuous Sin
1930•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Phantom President
6.5

Role: Director of Photography

Cockeyed Cavaliers
5.8
Cockeyed Cavaliers
1934•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Make Way for a Lady
5.5

Role: Director of Photography

Rich Man's Folly
5.2
Rich Man's Folly
1931•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Primitive Lover
6.7

Role: Director of Photography

The First Auto
5.8
The First Auto
1927•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Stand and Deliver
6.0
Stand and Deliver
1928•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Criminal Lawyer
6.5
Criminal Lawyer
1937•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Where Sinners Meet
4.4
Where Sinners Meet
1934•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Grumpy
5.2
Grumpy
1930•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Bachelor Bait
6.5
Bachelor Bait
1934•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Huckleberry Finn
7.0
Huckleberry Finn
1931•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Heart of Wetona
6.0

Role: Director of Photography

Unseen Forces
6.1
Unseen Forces
1920•movie

Role: Cinematography

Ladies of the Big House
6.0

Role: Director of Photography

Swing High
7.7
Swing High
1930•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Secret Call
7.7
The Secret Call
1931•movie

Role: Director of Photography

A Notorious Gentleman
6.5

Role: Cinematography

Little Miss Smiles
6.0
Little Miss Smiles
1922•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Show Folks
7.0
Show Folks
1928•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Seven Sinners
6.5
Seven Sinners
1925•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Thais
4.5
Thais
1917•movie

Role: Director of Photography

A Sister of Six
7.5
A Sister of Six
1916•movie

Role: Cinematography

Rip Van Winkle
7.5
Rip Van Winkle
1921•movie

Role: Cinematography

Craig's Wife
7.0
Craig's Wife
1928•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Midnight Madness
9.0
Midnight Madness
1928•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Forbidden Woman
7.0

Role: Director of Photography

Mixed Faces
8.0
Mixed Faces
1922•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Footloose Widows
7.0
Footloose Widows
1926•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The New Moon
8.0
The New Moon
1919•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Sky Bride
8.0
Sky Bride
1932•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Scandal Sheet
10.0
Scandal Sheet
1931•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Grand Parade
7.0
The Grand Parade
1930•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Square Shoulders
8.0
Square Shoulders
1929•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Probation Wife
7.0
The Probation Wife
1919•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Way of a Woman
8.0
The Way of a Woman
1919•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Isle of Conquest
9.0

Role: Director of Photography

She Loves and Lies
8.0
She Loves and Lies
1920•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Dark Swan
8.0
The Dark Swan
1924•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Honeymoon Express
8.0

Role: Director of Photography

A Daughter of Two Worlds
8.0

Role: Director of Photography

The Woman Gives
7.0
The Woman Gives
1920•movie

Role: Director of Photography

A Woman's Awakening
7.0

Role: Director of Photography

Recompense
8.0
Recompense
1925•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Cave Man
8.0
The Cave Man
1926•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Lovebound
9.0
Lovebound
1923•movie

Role: Director of Photography

A Self-Made Man
7.0
A Self-Made Man
1922•movie

Role: Cinematography

Geraldine
8.0
Geraldine
1929•movie

Role: Cinematography

How Baxter Butted In
10.0

Role: Director of Photography

A Lost Lady
10.0
A Lost Lady
1924•movie

Role: Director of Photography

The Great Night
9.0
The Great Night
1922•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Maggie Pepper
8.0
Maggie Pepper
1919•movie

Role: Director of Photography

What Every Girl Should Know
8.0

Role: Cinematography

The Lover of Camille
10.0

Role: Director of Photography

The Barefoot Boy
7.0
The Barefoot Boy
1923•movie

Role: Cinematography

Noisy Neighbors
9.0
Noisy Neighbors
1929•movie

Role: Director of Photography

My Official Wife
8.0
My Official Wife
1926•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Billion Pound Cruises: All At Sea

as Self - Diamond Princess passenger

The Bad Boy
The Bad Boy
1917•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Madame Bo-Peep
Madame Bo-Peep
1917•movie

Role: Director of Photography

Our Little Wife
Our Little Wife
1918•movie

Role: Director of Photography