Indiana-born, son of stage actress Mary Palmer Nields and silent screen
actor Val Paul (1886-1962), 'Woody' Bredell
began his career in films as a lab technician. He worked as a still
photographer at RKO and Paramount (1931-34), later joining Universal,
as director of photography, 1937-46; then under contract to Warner
Brothers, 1947-49. Having served his apprenticeship under the tutelage
of veteran cinematographers
Arthur C. Miller and
Charles Lang, he became an expert
at using shadows and diffuse lighting to create expressionist-inspired,
darkly sinister imagery for thrillers and films noir. Of particular
note are Robert Siodmak's
Zeuge gesucht (1944) and
Rächer der Unterwelt (1946); and
Michael Curtizs
Der Unverdächtige (1947). These
films are rightly hailed as among the best examples of the genre.
Bredell also effectively captured the seedy side of life for
Female Jungle (1955).
In stark contrast, Bredell was equally adept at painting richly
textured romantic frames for big budget technicolor musical
(Zaubernächte in Rio (1948)),
or comedy
(Die sündige Stadt (1949)).
One of his best films was the charismatic and cheerful
Errol Flynn swashbuckler
Die Liebesabenteuer des Don Juan (1948).
Bosley Crowther of the New York Times
described Bredell's lighting and color-photography as "technically
superb" (December 25,1948).
'Woody' Bredell has been variously (and incorrectly) cited as
English-born and deceased, but according to his granddaughter, he lived
most of his life in or around Los Angeles. He was an avid fisherman,
owner of a cabin cruiser moored near his home in Newport Beach. He
died, aged 66, and is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Hollywood
Hills.
