Charles D. Hall

Charles Hall was a key figure in the classical Hollywood studio system, making his most important mark shaping the look of Universal Studios films between 1925 and 1936. He worked in the English theater before bringing his Gothic sensibility to Hollywood for films such as "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925), "The Cat and the Canary" (1927), "Dracula" (1931), "The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) and other dark, macabre delights; he also showed flair for films as diverse as "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) and "Showboat" (1936). Besides his immensely successful and important collaboration with directorial stylists James Whale and Paul Leni, Hall was also noted for his exquisite work on three Chaplin masterpieces: "The Gold Rush" (1925), "City Lights" (1931) and "Modern Times" (1936).