Take a Letter, Darling (1942)

Born in Litchfield, IL. In Hollywood from the late 1910s, initially as a lab assistant, he became a lighting cameraman in 1920 and was later responsible for the cinematography of many silent and sound films for a number of studios. He worked only intermittently as a cinematographer after the mid-1940s, specializing instead as a trick-photography consultant. (He had been director of miniature and additional photography on 1933's THE INVISIBLE MAN for Universal.) Mescall's cinematography credits include SAL OF SINGAPORE (1928), THE LEATHERNECK (1929), BIG MONEY (1930), BORN TO LOVE (1931), ALMOST MARRIED (1932), BY CANDLELIGHT (1933), THE BLACK CAT (1934), BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN and MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION (both 1935), SHOW BOAT (1936), MAKE A WISH (1937), MY LUCKY STAR (1938), WHEN TOMORROW COMES (1939), KIT CARSON (1940), NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH (1941), TAKE A LETTER, DARLING and SWEATER GIRL (both 1942), THREE RUSSIAN GIRLS (1943), SENSATIONS OF 1945 and THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY (both 1944), BEDSIDE MANNER (1945), DAVY CROCKETT, INDIAN SCOUT (1950), THE DESPERADOS ARE IN TOWN (1956), and THE QUIET GUN and NOT OF THIS EARTH (both 1957).  Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1942: TAKE A LETTER, DARLING 1 nomination