Biography
Elwood Bailey Bredell (24 December 1902 – 26 February 1969) was an American cinematographer and former child actor in silent films. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, he began his career as a studio lab technician before working as a still photographer at RKO and Paramount from around 1931 to 1934. He later apprenticed under cinematographers including Charles Lang and Arthur C. Miller.
Bredell joined Universal in 1936 and became a director of photography the following year. He worked across genres, including horror films such as Black Friday (1940), The Mummy's Hand (1940) and The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), and comedies and musicals including Hellzapoppin' (1941) and Hold That Ghost (1941). He is particularly noted for his film noir work, with credits including Phantom Lady (1944), Lady on a Train (1945), The Killers (1946) and The Unsuspected (1947).
Later credits include Romance on the High Seas (1948), The Adventures of Don Juan (1948), The Inspector General (1949) and Female Jungle (1955). He was sometimes credited as Woody Bredell or Elwood Dell.
