British director Bernard Knowles embarked on a remarkable career trajectory, commencing as a newspaper photographer in the 1920s. He then ventured to the United States, where he worked as a photographer for the Detroit News. Following his return to England in 1922, Knowles was recruited by Gainsborough Pictures as an assistant cameraman, swiftly ascending to the position of Director of Photography. He earned a reputation as an innovator in photographic techniques and master of moody, atmospheric black-and-white photography, showcased in iconic films such as The 39 Steps (1935),King Solomon's Mines (1937),and Gaslight (1940).
After World War II, Knowles set out to realize his ambition of becoming a director, making his debut with the well-received ghost story A Place of One's Own (1945). However, his subsequent film, The Magic Bow (1946),a biopic of 19th-century violinist/composer Nicolo Paganini, met with scathing criticism and commercial failure, being dismissed as heavy-handed and slow-moving. As a result, his film career began to wane, and in the mid-1950s, he transitioned to television, occasionally returning to feature films.
