Biography
Active in the British film industry as early as 1929, Arthur Crabtree began as a camera operator, graduating to full lighting cameraman at Gainsborough Studios in 1935. One of Crabtree's most memorable stints as cinematographer was 1941's The Remarkable Mr. Kipps. In 1944, he became a director with
Madonna of the Seven Moons, the first in a series of lush, atmospheric costume melodramas. He uncharacteristically delved into low-key whimsy with the "Kite" episode in the omnibus feature
Quartet (1948). Even more off the beaten path for Arthur Crabtree were the two films for which he is best remembered today: the spine-chilling
Fiend Without a Face (1959) and the gore-galore
Horrors of the Black Museum (1960). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide