Bert Glennon

American cinematographer Bert Glennon was still an undergraduate at Stanford University when he broke into the movie business. He was elevated to the position of director of photography for the 1916 version of the oft-filmed Ramona. After working with several top directors of the silent era, Glennon decided to give directing a whirl himself in 1928, resulting in such long-forgotten efforts as Paradise Island (1930) and South of Santa Fe (1932); it must also be noted that it was Glennon who directed Syncopation (1929), the first film ever released by RKO Radio Pictures. From 1936 through 1939, Glennon was most closely associated with 20th Century-Fox, a job which (according to fellow cinematographer Lucien Ballard) he received on the strength of his ability to slavishly follow director Joseph Von Sternberg's photographic instructions on 1935's The Devil is a Woman. Bert Glennon is best remembered for his John Ford films (Young Mr. Lincoln, Stagecoach, Wagonmaster et. al.) and his lensing of the pioneering 3-D film House of Wax (1953).

~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide