Born in San Francisco, California. A cinematography enthusiast as a high school teenager, he built his own camera and after some experimentation dropped out of school to earn a living selling photographed news clips to newsreel companies. He later managed Sol Lesser's newsreel company and worked in various capacities in the film industry before becoming a director of photography in 1921. An accomplished craftsman and a highly skilled technician, he contributed many innovations to the art of cinematography. In 1929 he introduced complex crane shots into Paul Fejos' BROADWAY, and he was among the first cameramen to employ dolly and boom shots liberally. Mohr secured his place in Oscar® history when he won as a write-in for A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (1935). He won without being a nominee, a feat not possible under today's Academy rules. (Write-ins were allowed in 1934 and 1935, but not since then.) Some of his notable cinematography credits include THE JAZZ SINGER (1927), GLORIOUS BETSY (1928), NOAH'S ARK (1929), THE KING OF JAZZ (1930), THE FRONT PAGE (1931, uncredited), LADY WITH A PAST (1932), STATE FAIR (1933), CHANGE OF HEART and DAVID HARUM (both 1934), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and CAPTAIN BLOOD (both 1935), THE GREEN PASTURES (1936), DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939), CHEERS FOR MISS BISHOP (1941), TWIN BEDS and LADY IN A JAM (both 1942), WATCH ON THE RHINE and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (both 1943), THE CLIMAX (1944), SALOME, WHERE SHE DANCED (1945), A NIGHT IN PARADISE (1946), SONG OF SCHEHERAZADE (1947), ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST (1948), JOHNNY HOLIDAY (1949), WOMAN ON THE RUN (1950), THE SECOND WOMAN, THE BIG NIGHT and OF MEN AND MUSIC (Peerce-Conner sequence) (both 1951), RANCHO NOTORIOUS, THE MEMBER OF THE WEDDING and THE FOUR POSTER (all 1952), THE WILD ONE (1953), THE BOSS (1956), BABY FACE NELSON (1957), THE LINEUP and THE GUN RUNNERS (both 1958), THE LAST VOYAGE (1960), UNDERWORLD U.S.A. (1961), THE CREATION OF THE HUMANOIDS (1962), THE MAN FROM THE DINER'S CLUB (1963) and his last film, THE BAMBOO SAUCER (1968). Mohr directed the film WHEN LOVE IS YOUNG (1937). He worked on the TV series "I Married Joan" (1952) and "Father of the Bride" (1961). He has a star on the famous "Hollywood Walk of Fame." Married to actress Claire Demar for 1926 until 1929. He was married to actress Evelyn Venable until he died in 1974. They were introduced by Will Rogers on the set of DAVID HARUM (1934). Rogers was also best man at their wedding -- not long before he died in a plane crash in Alaska.  Cinematography 1935: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL NOMINATION; write-in candidate  Cinematography 1943: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (w. W. Howard Greene)  Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1953: THE FOUR POSTER 2 nominations, 1 write-in nomination, 2 Awards