---
name: "Ray Rennahan"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ray-rennahan"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "1 May 1896"
died: "19 May 1980"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 65
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T02:56:39.431945+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ray Rennahan

Cinematographer. Born 1 May 1896 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Died 19 May 1980.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 1 May 1896, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- **Died:** 19 May 1980
- **Active:** 1943–1956
- **Also known as:** Raymond Rennahan
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won · 3 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 58 (1), 1950s 72 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Rennahan, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367614, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005840/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/32996

## Biography

Ray Rennahan (also credited as Raymond Rennahan) was an American cinematographer who began working with cameras in 1917. He became a leading figure in the development of colour cinematography, particularly with Technicolor, photographing early features such as *The Toll of the Sea* (1922) and *Becky Sharp* (1935).

He served as director of photography on *For Whom the Bell Tolls* (1943) and received Academy Award nominations for the film. Rennahan won two Oscars for colour cinematography, shared for *Gone with the Wind* (1939) and *Blood and Sand* (1941). His other notable credits include *Drums Along the Mohawk* (1939), *Duel in the Sun* (1946), *The Three Caballeros* (1944) and *The Paleface* (1948). He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and served as president and secretary of the American Society of Cinematographers. From the late 1950s he worked extensively in television, including western series.

*Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, encyclopedia.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *Friendly Persuasion* (1956), Fi1m 72, Second Unit Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/friendly-persuasion.md)
- *For Whom the Bell Tolls* (1943), Fi1m 58, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/for-whom-the-bell-tolls.md)

## Complete filmography (76)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Prescription: Murder* (1968), Director of Photography
- *Daniel Boone: The Warrior's Path* (1960), Cinematography
- *Terror in a Texas Town* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Leave It to Beaver* (1957), series, Director of Photography
- *The Guns of Fort Petticoat* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Halliday Brand* (1957), Director of Photography
- *7th Cavalry* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Friendly Persuasion* (1956), Second Unit Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/friendly-persuasion.md)
- *Texas Lady* (1955), Director of Photography
- *A Lawless Street* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Rage at Dawn* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Stranger on Horseback* (1955), Director of Photography
- *La Gazza Ladra Overture* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Strauss Fantasy* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Flight to Tangier* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Arrowhead* (1953), Cinematography
- *Pony Express* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Hurricane Smith* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Denver and Rio Grande* (1952), Director of Photography
- *At Sword's Point* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Flaming Feather* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Silver City* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Warpath* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The White Tower* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Streets of Laredo* (1949), Director of Photography
- *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court* (1949), Cinematography
- *The Paleface* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Whispering Smith* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Unconquered* (1947), Director of Photography
- *The Perils of Pauline* (1947), Director of Photography
- *California* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Duel in the Sun* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Incendiary Blonde* (1945), Director of Photography
- *It's a Pleasure* (1945), Cinematography
- *Belle of the Yukon* (1944), Director of Photography
- *The Three Caballeros* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Up in Arms* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Lady in the Dark* (1944), Director of Photography
- *For Whom the Bell Tolls* (1943), Director of Photography — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/for-whom-the-bell-tolls.md)
- *Louisiana Purchase* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Belle Starr* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Blood and Sand* (1941), Director of Photography
- *That Night in Rio* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Chad Hanna* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Down Argentine Way* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Drums Along the Mohawk* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Kentucky* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Out Where the Stars Begin* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Her Jungle Love* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Ebb Tide* (1937), Director of Photography
- *A Day at Santa Anita* (1937), Director of Photography
- *The Romance Of Robert Burns* (1937), Director of Photography
- *La Fiesta de Santa Barbara* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Starlit Days at the Lido* (1935), Cinematography
- *Becky Sharp* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Two Hearts in Wax Time* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Memories and Melodies* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Gypsy Night* (1935), Director of Photography
- *La Cucaracha* (1934), Director of Photography
- *The Cat and the Fiddle* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Mrs. Mortimer Jones Prepares "Dinner for Eight"* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Mystery of the Wax Museum* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Doctor X* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Fanny Foley Herself* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Runaround* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Whoopee!* (1930), Director of Photography
- *King of Jazz* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Vagabond King* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Matchmaking Mamma* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Campus Vamp* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Wedding March* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Campus Carmen* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Love Charm* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Run, Girl, Run* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Flag: A Story Inspired by the Tradition of Betsy Ross* (1927), Cinematography
- *Blood Test* (1923), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won, 3 nominated

- 1945: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Lady in the Dark*
- 1944: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *For Whom the Bell Tolls*
- 1942: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *Blood and Sand*
- 1941: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *The Blue Bird*
- 1940: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *Gone with the Wind*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ray-rennahan