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Nicholas Musuraca

Nicholas Musuraca

Cinematographer · Died September 3, 1975, aged 82 · Riace, Calabria, Italy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Nicholas Musuraca, A.S.C. (October 25, 1892 – September 3, 1975) was a motion-picture cinematographer best remembered for his work at RKO Pictures in the 1940s including many of Val Lewton's series of B-picture horror films. Nicola Musuraca left his home in Riace, province of Reggio di Calabria, Italy, and emigrated to the United States in 1907. He and his father, Cosimo Musuraca, boarded the Italian steamer Re d'Italia in July 1907, sailing from Naples on July 18 and arriving at the Port of New York on August 3, 1907. There, they were transferred to Ellis Island with their fellow steerage passenger where they underwent federal immigrant inspection. Upon being admitted the father and son set out for Brooklyn to join Cosimo's brother, Francesco. He began his film career as the chauffeur for silent film producer J. Stuart Blackton. He worked behind the scenes on numerous silent and B-movie action films before becoming one of RKO Radio Pictures prime directors of photography in the 1930s. Stranger on the Third Floor (1940) is sometimes considered the first film-noir. While working regularly at RKO, joined Val Lewton's unit making low-budget horror-films being responsible for the cinematography of five of the films produced by Lewton's unit. Musuraca collaborated with director Jacques Tourneur on Cat People (1942) and, after the end of Lewton's time at RKO, Out of the Past (1947). He was nominated for a 1947 Academy Award for his work on I Remember Mama. After working briefly at Warner Bros. in the late 1950s, Musuraca joined Desilu, where he spent his last active years in TV work including the television series F Troop.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 25, 1892
Died
September 3, 1975 (aged 82)
From
Riace, Calabria, Italy
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
54 on MovieCove · 159 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

What are Nicholas Musuraca's films like?

Across their 53 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama19 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 49th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
39%
Bonds
24%
Self
11%
Survival
10%
Power
8%
Society
5%
Ideas
3%
Justice20 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds8 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 53 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 24 · Serious 13 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 29 · Stylized 20 · Heightened 4

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 17 · Charged 25 · Intense 11

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 25 · Shifting 26 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 30 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 10

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 20 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 5

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 27 · Engaged 24 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 42 · Open-ended 9 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
35
Warm
15
Melancholic
14
Joyful
11
Dread
10
Other
47

How their films linger

Feel-good21 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 9 with a twist

  • Happy31
  • Bittersweet16
  • Tragic5
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Nicholas Musuraca's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 11 of their 54 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Nicholas Musuraca's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

159 credits, 54 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Lawbreakers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Cinematographer

  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 7 episodes · Cinematographer

  • Too Much, Too Soon(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Man on the Prowl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • The Story of Mankind(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Alcoa Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Hey, Jeannie! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · Cinematographer

  • Susan Slept Here(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Devil's Canyon(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Split Second (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hitch-Hiker(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Blue Gardenia(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Clash by Night(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Trail Guide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • A Girl in Every Port(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Whip Hand (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Hot Lead (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Roadblock(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Company She Keeps(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Hunt the Man Down(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Where Danger Lives(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Born to Be Bad(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Woman on Pier 13(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Rider from Tucson(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Dynamite Pass (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Mysterious Desperado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Stagecoach Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Blood on the Moon(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • I Remember Mama(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Out of the Past(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Locket(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Bedlam(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Deadline at Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • The Spiral Staircase(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • It's Your Move (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Back to Bataan(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • China Sky(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Falcon in Hollywood(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Girl Rush (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • Bride by Mistake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • Marine Raiders(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Curse of the Cat People(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Gangway for Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • The Seventh Victim(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Fallen Sparrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Bombardier(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Forever and a Day(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Cat People(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Pirates of the Prairie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • The Navy Comes Through (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Bandit Ranger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Cooks and Crooks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • The Tuttles of Tahiti(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Obliging Young Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Call Out the Marines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • The Gay Falcon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Lady Scarface (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Hurry, Charlie, Hurry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Repent at Leisure (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Play Girl(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Little Men(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Stranger on the Third Floor(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Tom Brown's School Days(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • A Bill of Divorcement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • Swiss Family Robinson(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Allegheny Uprising(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Golden Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Five Came Back(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Sorority House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • They Made Her a Spy(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Twelve Crowded Hours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Pacific Liner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Tarnished Angel(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Mad Miss Manton(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Smashing the Rackets(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Sky Giant (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Blind Alibi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Law of the Underworld (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Condemned Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Night Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Hatred(1938)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Everybody's Doing It(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Crashing Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Quick Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Danger Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Living on Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Saturday's Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Flight from Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • The Big Shot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Border Cafe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Too Many Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • China Passage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • We're on the Jury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • The Plot Thickens (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Melody in May (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Murder on a Bridle Path(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Farmer in the Dell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Silly Billies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Two in the Dark(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • To Beat the Band (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Old Man Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Village Tale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Murder on a Honeymoon(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Romance in Manhattan(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • By Your Leave (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • The Richest Girl in the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • We're Rich Again(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Murder on the Blackboard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Where Sinners Meet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Sing and Like It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Bedlam of Beards (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Autobuyography (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Long Lost Father (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Chance at Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Midshipman Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Headline Shooter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Flying Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • The Gay Nighties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Cross Fire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Son of the Border(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Scarlet River (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • The Cheyenne Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Haunted Gold(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • The Millionaire Cat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Men of Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Smart Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Too Many Cooks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Three Who Loved (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Everything’s Rosie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Cracked Nuts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Sin Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Hook, Line and Sinker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Half Shot at Sunrise(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • Conspiracy(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Inside the Lines (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Cuckoos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Side Street (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Pride of Pawnee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Idaho Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Gun Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Red Sword (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Trail of the Horse Thieves (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Camera Operator

  • Tropic Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • The Avenging Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Terror Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Red Riders of Canada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • When the Law Rides (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • South Sea Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Camera Operator

  • The Cherokee Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Camera Operator

  • Tom's Gang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Splitting the Breeze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Lightning Lariats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • His New York Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Shameful Behavior? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • The Gilded Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • The Virgin Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 159 titles from 1923 to 1961.

Biggest box office

The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

$300 worldwide

Highest rated

Out of the Past (1947)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Cat People (1942)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography155 of 159: 155 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score58thOther crew4 of 159: 4 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s20 · crew1930s71 · crew1940s42 · crew1950s24 · crew1960s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Nicholas Musuraca's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 54; across their 53 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 58th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Approval · how many liked their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Reach · how many have seen their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 53

Midcredits score across 54 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

33 of their 54 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser33
  • Broadly Agreed14
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Story of Mankind (1957)

50th percentile spread · 38% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Out of the Past (1947)

Midcredits 97th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 65/100 in their films, across 43 reviewed titles; fans 72, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Nicholas Musuraca's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 8 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 3 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 41 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Nicholas Musuraca work with?

People who share at least 2 of Nicholas Musuraca's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Roy Webb shares the most, 23.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles