Rudolph Mate

Director, Director Of Photography

About

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Also Known As

Rudy Mate, Rudolf Matheh

Birth Place

Poland

Born

January 21, 1898

Died

October 26, 1964

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

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Distinguished cinematographer of Hungarian parentage who began his career in Germany in the 1920s. Mate shot several films for Carl Theodor Dreyer, notably the dream-like masterpiece "Vampyr" (1932), before moving to Hollywood in 1934. His expressionist sensibility redeemed several lesser films, like Tay Garnett's "Professional Soldier" (1935), as well as making significant contributions...

Filmography

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Le Costaud des P.T.T. (1931)

La Merveilleuse vie de Jeanne d'Arc (1929)

Director Of Photography

Le Dernier Milliardaire (1934)

Die Abenteuer des Konigs Pausole (1933)

Dans les rues (1933)

Une Femme au volant (1933)

Photos & Videos

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When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Most Frightening Discovery

When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The End Of The World

Biography

Distinguished cinematographer of Hungarian parentage who began his career in Germany in the 1920s. Mate shot several films for Carl Theodor Dreyer, notably the dream-like masterpiece "Vampyr" (1932), before moving to Hollywood in 1934. His expressionist sensibility redeemed several lesser films, like Tay Garnett's "Professional Soldier" (1935), as well as making significant contributions to classics such as Charles Vidor's "Gilda" (1946). Mate turned to directing in 1947, with results ranging from the highly competent to the forgettable; his most famous directorial effort is the riveting 1949 noir standard "D.O.A."

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

Le Costaud des P.T.T. (1931)

Cinematography (Feature Film)

La Merveilleuse vie de Jeanne d'Arc (1929)

Director Of Photography

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Le Dernier Milliardaire (1934)

Die Abenteuer des Konigs Pausole (1933)

Dans les rues (1933)

Une Femme au volant (1933)

La Mille-et-deuxieme nuit (1933)

La Belle Mariniere (1932)

Prix de Beaute (1930)

Die Hochstaplerin (1927)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927)

Pietro der Korsar (1925)

Photography (Exteriors)

Director (Special)

Rivak, The Barbarian (1960)

Life Events

1921

To Vienna, then Berlin

1927

To Paris as director of photography, beginning with the second of several films for Carl Dreyer, "La passion de Jeanne d'Arc/The Passion of Joan of Arc"

1931

Co-directing debut (with Jean Bertin), "Le costaud des P.T.T."

1934

Final French film as cinematographer, Fritz Lang's "Liliom"

1934

To Hollywood; signed contract with Fox

1934

First film as cinematogrpaher in US, "Nada mas que una mujer" (Spanish language version of Louis King's "Pursued," directed by Harry Lachman)

1935

First US English language film as cinematographer, "Dressed to Thrill"

1942

Succeeded Gregg Toland as head of photography for Goldwyn

1947

US co-directing debut (with Don Hartman), "It Had to Be You" (also co-photographer)

1949

Solo directing debut, "The Dark Past"

1963

Last solo directing credit, "Aliki--My Love"; also co-directed film, "Il Re Dei Sette Mari", with Primo Zeglio

Photo Collections

The Lady from Shanghai - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

The Lady from Shanghai - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Videos

When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) Most Frightening Discovery Producer George Pal goes biblical with the opening, ubiquitous Paul Frees narration and Rudolph Maté directing, through a backdrop that looks like the Hale telescope at Mount Palomar, CA, described as an imaginary South African observatory, we meet Hayden Rorke (later known as Dr Bellows on TV’s I Dream Of Jeannie) as Bronson, with aides, describing grim findings, in When World’s Collide, 1951.

When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The End Of The World Playboy international courier Randall (Richard Derr) headed to New York from South Africa, handcuffed to secret scientific data he knows little about, is pleased to be collected by fetching Joyce (Barbara Rush), daughter of his recipient, John Ridgely the customs chief, James Seay the hustling reporter, in producer George Pal’s When World’s Collide, 1951.

When Worlds Collide (1951) -- (Movie Clip) The World Prays More momentous narration from Paul Frees, as world opinion has coalesced around predictions that planet Zyra, then a star, will overwhelm earth, Randall and Joyce (Richard Derr, Barbara Rush) in the control center with her scientist father (Larry Keating) and John Hoyt as the disabled unstable financier Stanton, the escape rocket ready, as producer George Pal lets loose the SFX, in When World’s Collide, 1951.

To Be Or Not To Be (1942) -- (Movie Clip) Do We Not Bleed? Pilot Stanislav (Robert Stack) with actress Maria in her Warsaw dressing room, news of the Nazi invasion, her husband Joseph (Jack Benny) confused, director Ernst Lubitsh's documentation resumes, actors Greenberg and Bronski (Felix Bressart, Tom Dugan) reflecting, in To Be Or Not To Be, 1942.

To Be Or Not To Be (1942) -- (Movie Clip) August 1939 Director Ernst Lubitsch's famous opening, Tom Dugan as the German chancellor, stopping traffic in Warsaw, Jack Benny as the Nazi colonel, Charles Halton tangling with actor Felix Bressart, revealing the narrative device, in To Be Or Not To Be, 1942.

To Be Or Not To Be (1942) -- (Movie Clip) I Love My Slippers! Bachelor pilot Stanislav (Robert Stack) on a secret mission back from England, discovered by actor Joseph (Jack Benny) in his apartment in occupied Warsaw, his actress wife Maria (Carole Lombard) returning with news of the suspected traitor, in Ernst Lubitsch's To Be Or Not To Be, 1942.

That Hamilton Woman (1941) -- (Movie Clip) By The Queen's Own Hand At odds with history but smartly dressed by designer Rene Hubert, Lady Hamilton (Vivien Leigh) visits her old friend now Admiral Nelson (Laurence Olivier) aboard the Vanguard, shocked at his condition but bearing good news of her influence with the queen of Naples, in Alexander Korda's That Hamilton Woman, 1941.

That Hamilton Woman (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Such Godlike Simplicity The flashback begins, introducing Sir William Hamilton (Alan Mowbray), the British ambassador to Naples, and a dazzling double entrance, first by portrait, of young Emma (Vivien Leigh), accompanied by her mother (Sara Allgood), in Alexander Korda's That Hamilton Woman, 1941, also starring Laurence Olivier.

That Hamilton Woman (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Emma, Lady Hamilton Nothing inaccurate in this opening scene, Vivien Leigh as the now dissolute Lady Hamilton, who died in poverty in Calais in 1815, clashing with French authorities, rescued by English Mary (Heather Angel), in Alexander Korda's That Hamilton Woman, 1941, co-starring Laurence Olivier.

That Hamilton Woman (1941) -- (Movie Clip) My Only Idea Of Happiness Still giddy over her social achievements (and reflecting on her disreputable former fiancè) Emma (now-Lady) Hamilton (Vivien Leigh) is awakened in her Naples bedroom, with her excited mother (Sara Allgood) and her fussy ambassador husband (Alan Mowbray) as the leading man (Laurence Olivier, Leigh’s husband, as Captain Nelson) is introduced, in Alexander Korda’s That Hamilton Woman, 1941.

That Hamilton Woman (1941) -- (Movie Clip) What Mood Is This? Now-admiral Nelson (Laurence Olivier), bored with his hero’s welcome in Naples is now evading celebrations, indulging his interest in the title character (Vivien Leigh, Mrs. Olivier, as Emma, Lady Hamilton, wife of the British ambassador), in a tavern when his junior officers (Ronald Sinclair as Josiah) appear, Alexander Korda directing from the original screenplay by Walter Reisch and R.C. Sherriff, in That Hamilton Woman, 1941.

Dodsworth (1936) -- (Movie Clip) The Smartest Crowd In Paris Sam (Walter Huston) and Fran (Ruth Chatterton) disagree about the social crowd Fran has adopted in their travels around Europe in William Wyler's Dodsworth, 1936, from the Sinclair Lewis novel.

Westerner, The (1940) -- (Original Trailer) A drifter (Gary Cooper) accused of horse stealing faces off against the notorious Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan).

Gilda - (Re-issue Trailer) A gambler (Glenn Ford) discovers an old flame (Rita Hayworth) in South America, but she's married to his new boss, in Gilda, 1946.

Foreign Correspondent - (Original Trailer) A camera with gun attachment, trick windmills and a mid-ocean plane crash are some of the predicaments facing Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent (1940).

For the First Time - (Original Trailer) In his last movie, Mario Lanza sings opera hits while romancing a woman who is deaf in For The First Time (1959).

Far Horizons, The - (Original Trailer) Fred MacMurray and Charlton Heston play Lewis & Clark, setting off for The Far Horizons (1955) for President Jefferson.

Union Station - (Original Trailer) A secretary gets caught up in the hunt for kidnappers at Union Station (1950) starring William Holden.

Seven Seas To Calais - (Original Trailer) Sir Francis Drake (Rod Taylor) fights to take over Spain's treasure routes for Queen Elizabeth I.

Second Chance - (Original Trailer) Robert Mitchum vs. Jack Palance in Second Chance (1953), a 3-D, color film noir shot in Mexico.

Tonight and Every Night - (Original Trailer) Rita Hayworth falls for an RAF pilot in a musical with eye-popping color, Tonight and Every Night (1945).

Love Affair - (Original Trailer) Near-tragic misunderstandings threaten a shipboard romance between Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne in Love Affair (1939), directed by Leo McCarey. It was later remade by McCarey as An Affair to Remember (1957) starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

My Favorite Wife - (Original Trailer) Seven years after his wife's disappearance, Cary Grant gets re-married. Guess who shows up for the honeymoon? Find out in My Favorite Wife (1940).

No Sad Songs for Me - (Original Trailer) A terminally ill woman (Margaret Sullavan) struggles to leave her husband and child taken care of before she dies in No Sad Songs for Me (1950).

Bibliography

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