# Jack Asher

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English cinematographer (1916–1991)

For another person, see [Jack Asher (shinty)](/source/Jack_Asher_(shinty)).

Jack Asher Born 29 March 1916 London, England Died April 1991(1991-04-00) (aged 75) London, England Occupation Cinematographer

**Jack Asher** [B.S.C.](/source/British_Society_of_Cinematographers) (29 March 1916 – April 1991) was an [English](/source/England) [cinematographer](/source/Cinematographer). His brother [Robert Asher](/source/Robert_Asher_(director)) was a film and TV director, with whom he worked on several occasions.

Having begun his cinematic career as a [camera operator](/source/Camera_operator), he made his debut as a cinematographer, or 'lighting cameraman', on *[The Magic Bow](/source/The_Magic_Bow)* (1946). He remains best remembered for his work with [Hammer Film Productions](/source/Hammer_Film_Productions), beginning with *[The Curse of Frankenstein](/source/The_Curse_of_Frankenstein)* (1957), the first of Hammer's [Gothic horrors](/source/Gothic_horror) and the earliest colour version of the Frankenstein story. He was the director of photography on several of the colour Hammer films, including *[Dracula](/source/Dracula_(1958_film))* (1958), *[The Revenge of Frankenstein](/source/The_Revenge_of_Frankenstein)* (1958), *[The Hound of the Baskervilles](/source/The_Hound_of_the_Baskervilles_(1959_film))* (1959), *[The Mummy](/source/The_Mummy_(1959_film))* (1959), *[The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll](/source/The_Two_Faces_of_Dr._Jekyll)* (1960) and *[The Brides of Dracula](/source/The_Brides_of_Dracula_(film))* (1960), as well as some of the company’s moody monochrome thrillers like *[The Camp on Blood Island](/source/The_Camp_on_Blood_Island)* and *[The Snorkel](/source/The_Snorkel)* (both 1958).[1]

His style was characterised by a fantastical use of colours, such as non-realistic purples and greens.[2] Director [Terence Fisher](/source/Terence_Fisher) said of him: "Jack Asher had a very distinctive style of lighting, which was quite different from [Arthur Grant](/source/Arthur_Grant_(cinematographer))'s... (who) had a more realistic approach to the situation. Jack Asher's was almost theatrical lighting with little tricks, like color slides placed over the lights and so on."[3]

Asher's non-Hammer films included *[Women of Twilight](/source/Women_of_Twilight)* (1952), *[The Good Die Young](/source/The_Good_Die_Young)* (1954) and *[Reach for the Sky](/source/Reach_for_the_Sky)* (1956). In 1964, he was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Cinematography (Colour) for his work on Hammer's *[The Scarlet Blade](/source/The_Scarlet_Blade)*.

## External links

- [Jack Asher](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0038869/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Born: 29 March 1916, LondonDied: April 1991, London (29 March 1916). ["Jack Asher | BFI | BFI"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120719070151/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9fd65e5c). Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from [the original](http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9fd65e5c) on 19 July 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2014.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_multiple_names:_authors_list)) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Jack Asher, cinematographer"](http://davidlrattigan.com/hhasher.htm). Davidlrattigan.com. Retrieved 13 April 2014.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Jan Van Genechten. ["Terence Fisher interview An afternoon in Holly Cottage in Little Shoppe of Horrors Richard Klemensen"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141109011411/http://users.telenet.be/almaerrante/base/terencefisher.htm). Users.telenet.be. Archived from [the original](http://users.telenet.be/almaerrante/base/terencefisher.htm) on 9 November 2014. Retrieved 13 April 2014.

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