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Homer Scott

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Homer Scott
Born
Homer Almariam Scott

(1880-10-01)October 1, 1880
New York City, New York
DiedDecember 23, 1956(1956-12-23) (aged 76)
Sacramento, California
Burial placeEast Lawn Memorial Park
OccupationCinematographer
TitleASC Founding Member (President 1925–1926)
SpouseMabel L. Upper

Homer A. Scott (October 1, 1880 – December 23, 1956) was a founding member of the American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C.) and was their president from 1925-1926. He was also a member and director of its predecessor organization, The Static Club of America.[1]

Mexican Revolution

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Newspaper ad for a 2-reel 1913 Mexican Revolution documentary filmed by Homer Scott

Little is known of Homer Scott's early work before 1911-1912, when he made several trips from El Paso, Texas into Mexico to photograph and film both sides of the Mexican Revolution. His war photographs were syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, and he also furnished images for the New York Herald, Collier's, and Leslie's Weekly. During one trip, Scott was arrested and nearly executed as a spy.[2] His work is in major collections including the Getty Images and was included in an exhibition titled "Mexico: Photography and Revolution" in 2011 in Mexico City.

He also worked as a staff photographer for the El Paso Herald.[3] In August 1912, Scott traveled to Buffalo, NY, to attend the funeral of his father, William W. Scott,[4] then returned to El Paso.

Early movies

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News items from December 1913 indicate Scott was filming with Buck Connors at Fort Bliss, Texas for the newly formed Albuquerque Film Company[5] Perhaps the film was The First Law of Nature, a 3-reel film with Dot Farley and Buck Connors which was the Albuquerque Company's first release.[6] Scott's first known cinematography work in Southern California was The Key to Yesterday for Carlyle Blackwell's Favorite Players Film Company in 1914. Scott filmed the four features produced by that company before the company folded in 1915.

For three years Homer Scott was closely associated with director William Desmond Taylor. Scott and Taylor both went from Favorite Players, to American Film,[7] to Pallas-Morosco,[8] to Fox,[9] and back to Pallas-Morosco (which had been absorbed by Famous Players–Lasky).[10] Their collaboration lasted from 1915-1918.

Scott freelanced for several years, and in 1920 filmed noted underwater scenes in Annette Kellerman's What Women Love (1920) and Maurice Tourneur's Deep Waters (1920).

In 1921 Mack Sennett hired Scott as cameraman for Mabel Normand, and Scott filmed her features Molly O (1921), Suzanna (1923), and The Extra Girl (1923), plus other features for Sennett.

Shooting for the Warner Bros.

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In 1923 Scott filmed Little Church Around the Corner, Main Street, and Where the North Begins[11] for Warner Brothers.

Later life

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Scott's name has not been found in the credits of feature films after 1923, but trade publications and publicity items indicate he did camerawork for The Lost World[12] (1925), Tiger Shark[13] (1932), Bird of Paradise (1932), and Below the Sea (1933).[14][15] Harold Lloyd has indicated Scott worked for him as second cameraman.[16]

Scott moved to a ranch near Newcastle, California in the mid-1930s, and resided there until his death in Sacramento on December 23, 1956. He was buried at East Lawn Memorial Park.[17]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "The Static Club". Moving Picture World: 273. July 10, 1915. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  2. ^ "El Pasoan in a Mexican Prison: Homer Scott, Held as Spy, Faces Death, Finally Gains Freedom", El Paso Herald, p. 1, June 29, 1912, retrieved December 27, 2013
  3. ^ Arms, Lewis (February 26, 1912), "Campa Says Juarez...", El Paso Herald, p. 3, retrieved December 27, 2013 "...Homer Scott, staff photographer for The Herald..."
  4. ^ "Deaths and Burials: W. W. Scott", El Paso Herald, p. 2, December 19, 1912, retrieved December 27, 2013; also "Died: ...Scott–..." (PDF), Buffalo Courier, p. 1, August 28, 1912, retrieved December 28, 2013
  5. ^ "Tenth Cavalry Will Soon Appear in the "Movies"", El Paso Herald, p. 16, December 19, 1913, retrieved December 27, 2013; also "Mimic Battle is Staged for "Movies"", El Paso Herald, p. 2, December 19, 1913, retrieved December 27, 2013
  6. ^ "A New Type of "Westerns"". Motion Picture News: 22. February 14, 1914. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  7. ^ "Director Taylor Makes Record..." Motion Picture News. 12 (12): 58. September 25, 1915. Retrieved December 26, 2013. Scott became cameraman on The Diamond From the Sky in August 1915. Taylor had been directing the serial since May 1915, and Scott had been filming features for Lasky prior to rejoining Taylor.
  8. ^ "Her Father's Son". Moving Picture World: 380. October 21, 1916. Retrieved December 26, 2013. Pallas Pictures and the Oliver Morosco Photoplay Company used the same studio and personnel, with films distributed by Paramount Pictures.
  9. ^ "Pacific Coast Notes: William D. Taylor, the Fox producer..." Motography. XVII (6): 327. February 10, 1917. Retrieved December 26, 2013. Other clippings specifically name Scott: "Dustin Farnum in Fox Play"
  10. ^ "Homer Scott, the other half of the Taylor-Scott combine..." Moving Picture World: 81. April 7, 1917. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  11. ^ "In Camerafornia". American Cinematographer: 26. May 1923. Retrieved December 27, 2013. The working title "Wolf Fangs" was changed for release to "Where the North Begins."
  12. ^ "In Camerafornia". American Cinematographer: 13. December 1924. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  13. ^ "Hunt Shark and Tuna with Camera". The International Photographer: 13. August 1932. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  14. ^ "Even an Octopus was Made to Act in Subsea Film", Washington Post, April 30, 1933
  15. ^ Scott, Homer (September 1933). "Strange Perils of Making Movies Beneath the Sea". Modern Mechanix and Inventions: 62–65, 127. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  16. ^ Brownlow, Kevin (1968), "42: Harold Lloyd", The Parade's Gone By..., New York: Alfred A. Knopf, p. 469
  17. ^ "Homer A. Scott". Auburn Journal. December 27, 1956. p. 4. Retrieved December 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
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