Vivacious Lady (1938)

Born in Maplewood, New Jersey. A nephew of film director Joseph De Grasse and actor Sam De Grasse, he joined Universal as a camera assistant while still a student and was a full-fledged cinematographer by the time he reached 21. During the 1920s he worked mostly on low-budget action silents, but when sound came in he was downgraded to camera operator, reportedly at his own request. He was back again as a director of photography in the mid-30s and subsequently photographed many of RKO's more prestigious productions. Some notable cinematography credits include ALICE ADAMS and SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE (both 1935), QUALITY STREET, THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT and STAGE DOOR (all 1937), CAREFREE (1938), THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE, BACHELOR MOTHER and 5TH AVENUE GIRL (all 1939), KITTY FOYLE (1940), THE MAYOR OF 44TH STREET (1942), LADY OF BURLESQUE and HIGHER AND HIGHER (both 1943), FLAME OF BARBARY COAST and THE HOUSE I LIVE IN (both 1945), CRACK-UP (1946), THE BACHELOR AND THE BOBBY-SOXER (1947), THE WINDOW and HOME OF THE BRAVE (both 1949), THE MEN (1950), and his last film, MARRY ME AGAIN (1953). De Grasse worked in series television in the early 1950's: "The Jack Benny Program" and "I Love Lucy."    Nominated for Cinematography 1938: VIVACIOUS LADY 1 nomination