Person
David Abel
Camera · 1883–1973 · Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
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.
Known for

Holiday Inn
Director of Photography

Bachelor Bait
Director of Photography

Cockeyed Cavaliers
Director of Photography

The Gay Divorcee
Director of Photography

Top Hat
Director of Photography

Shall We Dance
Director of Photography

Merrily We Go to Hell
Director of Photography

Swing Time
Director of Photography

Pick-up
Director of Photography

This Man Is Mine
Director of Photography
Filmography
- 1945The Affairs of SusanDirector of Photography
- 1944Follow the BoysDirector of Photography
- 1942Holiday InnDirector of Photography
- 1937Shall We DanceDirector of Photography
- 1937History Is Made at NightDirector of Photography
- 1937Criminal LawyerDirector of Photography
- 1936Make Way for a LadyDirector of Photography
- 1936Swing TimeDirector of Photography
- 1936Bunker BeanDirector of Photography
- 1936Follow the FleetDirector of Photography
- 1935I Dream Too MuchDirector of Photography
- 1935Top HatDirector of Photography
- 1935The Case of the Curious BrideDirector of Photography
- 1935A Notorious GentlemanCinematography
- 1934The Gay DivorceeDirector of Photography
- 1934Bachelor BaitDirector of Photography
- 1934Cockeyed CavaliersDirector of Photography
- 1934Where Sinners MeetDirector of Photography
- 1934This Man Is MineDirector of Photography
- 1934Hips, Hips, Hooray!Director of Photography
- 1933Ann VickersDirector of Photography
- 1933Rafter RomanceDirector of Photography
- 1933Pick-upDirector of Photography
- 1933The Crime of the CenturyDirector of Photography
- 1932Madame ButterflyDirector of Photography
- 1932The Phantom PresidentDirector of Photography
- 1932Merrily We Go to HellDirector of Photography
- 1932Sky BrideDirector of Photography
- 1932The Miracle ManDirector of Photography
- 1931Ladies of the Big HouseDirector of Photography
- 1931Rich Man's FollyDirector of Photography
- 1931Huckleberry FinnDirector of Photography
- 1931The Secret CallDirector of Photography
- 1931Scandal SheetDirector of Photography
- 1930The Virtuous SinDirector of Photography
- 1930GrumpyDirector of Photography
- 1930Swing HighDirector of Photography
- 1930The Grand ParadeDirector of Photography
- 1929The RacketeerDirector of Photography
- 1929Square ShouldersDirector of Photography
- 1929Noisy NeighborsDirector of Photography
- 1929GeraldineCinematography
- 1928Show FolksDirector of Photography
- 1928Craig's WifeDirector of Photography
- 1928Tenth AvenueDirector of Photography
- 1928Midnight MadnessDirector of Photography
- 1928Stand and DeliverDirector of Photography
- 1927The Forbidden WomanDirector of Photography
- 1927The First AutoDirector of Photography
- 1927What Every Girl Should KnowCinematography
- 1926My Official WifeDirector of Photography
- 1926The Honeymoon ExpressDirector of Photography
- 1926Footloose WidowsDirector of Photography
- 1926The Cave ManDirector of Photography
- 1925Seven SinnersDirector of Photography
- 1925How Baxter Butted InDirector of Photography
- 1925RecompenseDirector of Photography
- 1924A Lost LadyDirector of Photography
- 1924The Dark SwanDirector of Photography
- 1924The Lover of CamilleDirector of Photography
- 1924Beau BrummelDirector of Photography
- 1923The Barefoot BoyCinematography
- 1923LoveboundDirector of Photography
- 1922The Great NightDirector of Photography
- 1922Mixed FacesDirector of Photography
- 1922A Self-Made ManCinematography
- 1922The Men of ZanzibarDirector of Photography
- 1922The Primitive LoverDirector of Photography
- 1922Little Miss SmilesDirector of Photography
- 1921Rip Van WinkleCinematography
- 1920Unseen ForcesCinematography
- 1920The Woman GivesDirector of Photography
- 1920A Daughter of Two WorldsDirector of Photography
- 1920She Loves and LiesDirector of Photography
- 1919The Isle of ConquestDirector of Photography
- 1919The Way of a WomanDirector of Photography
- 1919The Probation WifeDirector of Photography
- 1919The New MoonDirector of Photography
- 1919Maggie PepperDirector of Photography
- 1919The Heart of WetonaDirector of Photography
- 1918Our Little WifeDirector of Photography
- 1917ThaisDirector of Photography
- 1917Madame Bo-PeepDirector of Photography
- 1917A Woman's AwakeningDirector of Photography
- 1917The Bad BoyDirector of Photography
- 1916The Heiress at Coffee Dan'sCinematography
- 1916A Sister of SixCinematography
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