Jack Asher

Jack Asher B.S.C. (29 March 1916, London – 1991) was an English cinematographer. His brother Robert Asher was a film and TV director with whom he worked on several occasions.

For the shinty player and referee, see Jack Asher (shinty)
Jack Asher
Born29 March 1916
London, England
DiedApril 1991 (1991-05) (aged 75)
London, England
OccupationCinematographer

He began his cinematic career as a camera operator, and made his first film as cinematographer or "lighting cameraman" on The Magic Bow (1946).

Asher is best remembered for his work on Hammer films, beginning with The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), the first of Hammer's gothic horrors, and the earliest colour version of the Frankenstein story. He was the director of photography on several of the Hammer horror films including Dracula (1958), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Mummy (1959) and The Brides of Dracula (1960).[1]

His style was characterized by a fantastical use of colours, such as non-realistic purples and greens.[2] Director Terence Fisher said of him, "Jack Asher had a very distinctive style of lighting, which was quite different from Arthur Grant's...(Who) had a more realistic approach to the situation. Jack Asher's was almost theatrical lighting with little tricks, like color slides placed over the lights and so on." [3]

Asher's non-Hammer films included The Good Die Young (1954) and Reach for the Sky (1956).

In 1964, he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Cinematography (Colour) for his work on The Scarlet Blade.

References
  1. Born: 29 March 1916, LondonDied: April 1991, London (1916-03-29). "Jack Asher | BFI | BFI". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2012-07-19. Retrieved 2014-04-13.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Jack Asher, cinematographer". Davidlrattigan.com. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
  3. Jan Van Genechten. "Terence Fisher interview An afternoon in Holly Cottage in Little Shoppe of Horrors Richard Klemensen". Users.telenet.be. Retrieved 2014-04-13.


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