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John Alton

April 06, 2023

John Alton (October 5, 1901 – June 2, 1996), born Johann Jacob Altmann, in Sopron, Kingdom of Hungary, was an American cinematographer of Hungarian-German origin.[1] Alton photographed some of the most famous films noir of the classic period and won an Academy Award for the cinematography of An American in Paris (1951), becoming the first Hungarian-born person to do so in the cinematography category.

John Alton
Screen-capture
Born
Johann Jacob Altmann

(1901-10-05)October 5, 1901
Sopron, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire
DiedJune 2, 1996(1996-06-02) (aged 94)
Santa Monica, California
OccupationCinematographer
Spouse(s)Rozalia Kiss
Billie

Career

Alton moved to the US to attend college and first became involved in the film industry when he was spotted by a gateman at Cosmopolitan Studios in New York looking for extras.[2] He began as a lab technician in Los Angeles in the 1920s, later becoming a cameraman within four years.[3] He moved to France with Ernst Lubitsch to film backgrounds for The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1927) and ended up staying for one year heading the camera department of Paramount Pictures's Joinville Studios. He claimed he discovered Maurice Chevalier.[2] In 1932, he moved to Argentina where he shot many Spanish-language films and designed the country's first sound film studio for Lumiton and Argentina Sono Film. He intended to stay for a year but ended up staying for seven.[2] He won a prize for best photography in Argentina in 1937.[1]

He returned to Hollywood in the late 1930s, and shot 30 B-movies in seven years, mostly for Republic Pictures and RKO.[2] He then worked with director Anthony Mann to make T-Men (1947) and became one of the most sought-after cinematographers of the time[4] being known for unconventional camera angles—especially low camera shots. His style is most notable in the films noir: He Walked by Night (1948), The Amazing Mr. X (1948), Raw Deal (1948) and The Big Combo (1955).

Alton also photographed many color movies including Slightly Scarlet (a color film noir). He worked with Vincente Minnelli at MGM for 10 years including on Father of the Bride (1950) and An American in Paris (1951), for which he won the Academy Award for Best Color Cinematography with Alfred Gilks.[1] He also worked multiple times with Richard Brooks including on Battle Circus (1953) and The Brothers Karamazov (1958).[2]

Alton resigned from the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) in January 1944, reportedly due to conflicts with ASC founding member and MGM camera department head John Arnold. He was reinstated at his request less than a year later, with the help of Leon Shamroy,[5] but ended up resigning a second and final time in March 1954 after a personal dispute with the president.[6][2]

Alton's last film was Elmer Gantry (1960). He worked with director Charles Crichton on Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) but both were fired after two weeks and Alton quit the industry.[2]

Television

In 1966, Alton shot the pilot for Mission: Impossible, which became a successful television series.

Book

Main article: Painting with Light

Alton wrote Painting with Light (1949), one of the first books written by a working studio cinematographer. The book put forth several controversial theories for the day, such as depth is created by placing the brightest object in the scene furthest from the camera, and that studio lighting must always simulate natural light in texture and direction. It addresses both conventional and unconventional methods of studio motion-picture lighting. Despite the vast technical advances achieved within the motion picture industry much of the content is still pertinent. Painting with Light (1949) contains essential reading for any budding filmmaker with detailed information and ideas for lighting several difficult interior and exterior setups and situations. The table of contents includes chapters such as "Mystery Lighting", "Special Illumination", and "Visual Symphony".

Personal life

After quitting the movie industry, Alton and his wife Rozalia kept out of the public eye and traveled the world until the early 1980s living in Europe, South America, South Africa and Asia. They met while he was in Argentina and were married for 55 years until her death. In 1986, he married Billie, who died in the early 1990s.[2]

Filmography

Sources:[7][8]

Accolades

Wins

Nominations

  • Laurel Awards: Golden Laurel, Top Cinematography, Color, The Brothers Karamazov, 4th place; 1959.

Other honors

References

  1. ^ a b c Katz, Ephraim; Fred Klein; Ronald Dean Nolan (1998). The International Film Encyclopedia (3rd ed.). New York: Harper Collins. p. 27. ISBN 0-333-74037-8.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h McCarthy, Todd (March 12, 1993). "Deep Focus". Daily Variety. p. 51. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  3. ^ John Alton at AllMovie.
  4. ^ Steeman, Albert 2018-10-05 at the Wayback Machine. Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers, "John Alton page", Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2007. Last accessed: December 13, 2007.
  5. ^ John Bailey (July 17, 2016). "An American in Paris: John Alton vs. Alfred Gilks". American Cinematographer. American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  6. ^ John Bailey (October 6, 2013). "John Alton: Cinematography's Outlier, Part One". American Cinematographer. American Society of Cinematographers. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  7. ^ Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to World Film, since 1885. 2008. Index home page.
  8. ^ Steeman, Albert. Ibid.

Sources

  • Harry Tomicek: Das grosse Schwarz. Border Incident, von Anthony Mann, Kamera: John Alton (1949). In: Christian Cargnelli, Michael Omasta (eds.): Schatten. Exil. Europäische Emigranten im Film noir. PVS, Vienna 1997. ISBN 3-901196-26-9.

External links

  • John Alton at IMDb
  • John Alton at AllMovie
  • John Alton at Painting With Light
  • John Alton images and analysis at Images Journal
  • John Alton at Film Reference
  • John Alton short retrospective on YouTube (7min:41secs)

April 06, 2023
john, alton, october, 1901, june, 1996, born, johann, jacob, altmann, sopron, kingdom, hungary, american, cinematographer, hungarian, german, origin, alton, photographed, some, most, famous, films, noir, classic, period, academy, award, cinematography, america. John Alton October 5 1901 June 2 1996 born Johann Jacob Altmann in Sopron Kingdom of Hungary was an American cinematographer of Hungarian German origin 1 Alton photographed some of the most famous films noir of the classic period and won an Academy Award for the cinematography of An American in Paris 1951 becoming the first Hungarian born person to do so in the cinematography category John AltonScreen captureBornJohann Jacob Altmann 1901 10 05 October 5 1901Sopron Kingdom of Hungary Austro Hungarian EmpireDiedJune 2 1996 1996 06 02 aged 94 Santa Monica CaliforniaOccupationCinematographerSpouse s Rozalia KissBillie Contents 1 Career 2 Television 3 Book 4 Personal life 5 Filmography 6 Accolades 7 References 8 Sources 9 External linksCareer EditAlton moved to the US to attend college and first became involved in the film industry when he was spotted by a gateman at Cosmopolitan Studios in New York looking for extras 2 He began as a lab technician in Los Angeles in the 1920s later becoming a cameraman within four years 3 He moved to France with Ernst Lubitsch to film backgrounds for The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg 1927 and ended up staying for one year heading the camera department of Paramount Pictures s Joinville Studios He claimed he discovered Maurice Chevalier 2 In 1932 he moved to Argentina where he shot many Spanish language films and designed the country s first sound film studio for Lumiton and Argentina Sono Film He intended to stay for a year but ended up staying for seven 2 He won a prize for best photography in Argentina in 1937 1 He returned to Hollywood in the late 1930s and shot 30 B movies in seven years mostly for Republic Pictures and RKO 2 He then worked with director Anthony Mann to make T Men 1947 and became one of the most sought after cinematographers of the time 4 being known for unconventional camera angles especially low camera shots His style is most notable in the films noir He Walked by Night 1948 The Amazing Mr X 1948 Raw Deal 1948 and The Big Combo 1955 Alton also photographed many color movies including Slightly Scarlet a color film noir He worked with Vincente Minnelli at MGM for 10 years including on Father of the Bride 1950 and An American in Paris 1951 for which he won the Academy Award for Best Color Cinematography with Alfred Gilks 1 He also worked multiple times with Richard Brooks including on Battle Circus 1953 and The Brothers Karamazov 1958 2 Alton resigned from the American Society of Cinematographers ASC in January 1944 reportedly due to conflicts with ASC founding member and MGM camera department head John Arnold He was reinstated at his request less than a year later with the help of Leon Shamroy 5 but ended up resigning a second and final time in March 1954 after a personal dispute with the president 6 2 Alton s last film was Elmer Gantry 1960 He worked with director Charles Crichton on Birdman of Alcatraz 1962 but both were fired after two weeks and Alton quit the industry 2 Television EditIn 1966 Alton shot the pilot for Mission Impossible which became a successful television series Book EditMain article Painting with Light Alton wrote Painting with Light 1949 one of the first books written by a working studio cinematographer The book put forth several controversial theories for the day such as depth is created by placing the brightest object in the scene furthest from the camera and that studio lighting must always simulate natural light in texture and direction It addresses both conventional and unconventional methods of studio motion picture lighting Despite the vast technical advances achieved within the motion picture industry much of the content is still pertinent Painting with Light 1949 contains essential reading for any budding filmmaker with detailed information and ideas for lighting several difficult interior and exterior setups and situations The table of contents includes chapters such as Mystery Lighting Special Illumination and Visual Symphony Personal life EditAfter quitting the movie industry Alton and his wife Rozalia kept out of the public eye and traveled the world until the early 1980s living in Europe South America South Africa and Asia They met while he was in Argentina and were married for 55 years until her death In 1986 he married Billie who died in the early 1990s 2 Filmography EditThe Student Prince in Old Heidelberg 1927 The Man Who Murdered 1930 L Homme qui assassina fr 1930 Los tres berretines 1933 El hijo de papa 1933 Crimen a las tres 1935 Big Calibre 1935 Escala en la ciudad 1935 Puerto Nuevo 1936 Companeros 1936 Loco lindo 1936 Tararira 1936 Goal 1936 Amalia 1936 El Pobre Perez 1937 Palermo 1937 La vida bohemia 1938 Honeysuckle 1938 Puerta cerrada 1938 Cadetes de San Martin 1939 El ultimo encuentro 1939 Caminito de Gloria 1939 Puerta cerrada 1939 Doce mujeres 1939 El matrero 1939 Remedy for Riches 1940 Dr Christian Meets the Women 1940 Three Faces West 1940 The Courageous Dr Christian 1940 The Devil Pays Off 1941 Forced Landing 1941 Melody for Three 1941 Power Dive 1941 Mr District Attorney in the Carter Case 1941 The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine 1942 Ice Capades Revue 1942 Johnny Doughboy 1942 Moonlight Masquerade 1942 Pardon My Stripes 1942 The Sultan s Daughter 1943 The Lady and the Monster 1944 Lake Placid Serenade 1944 Storm Over Lisbon 1944 Enemy of Women 1944 Atlantic City 1944 The Captain from Kopenick 1945 Girls of the Big House 1945 Song of Mexico 1944 Love Honor and Goodbye 1945 I Was a Criminal 1945 Affairs of Geraldine 1946 A Guy Could Change 1946 The Madonna s Secret 1946 Murder in the Music Hall 1946 One Exciting Week 1946 The Magnificent Rogue 1947 The Ghost Goes Wild 1947 Hit Parade of 1947 1947 T Men 1947 The Trespasser 1947 Winter Wonderland 1947 Wyoming 1947 Bury Me Dead 1947 The Pretender 1947 Driftwood 1947 He Walked by Night 1948 Hollow Triumph 1948 The Amazing Mr X 1948 Canon City 1948 Raw Deal 1948 Border Incident 1949 The Crooked Way 1949 Captain China 1949 Reign of Terror 1949 Red Stallion in the Rockies 1949 Mystery Street 1950 Father of the Bride 1950 Grounds for Marriage 1950 Devil s Doorway 1950 An American in Paris 1951 ballet photography The People Against O Hara 1951 Father s Little Dividend 1951 It s a Big Country 1951 Talk About a Stranger 1952 Washington Story 1952 Apache War Smoke 1952 Count the Hours 1952 Battle Circus 1953 Take the High Ground 1953 I the Jury 1953 Cattle Queen of Montana 1954 Silver Lode 1954 Witness to Murder 1954 Duffy of San Quentin 1954 Passion 1954 Tennessee s Partner 1955 The Big Combo 1955 Pearl of the South Pacific 1955 Escape to Burma 1955 The Teahouse of the August Moon 1956 Slightly Scarlet 1956 The Catered Affair 1956 Tea and Sympathy 1956 Designing Woman 1957 The Brothers Karamazov 1958 Lonelyhearts 1958 12 to the Moon 1960 Elmer Gantry 1960 Sources 7 8 Accolades EditWins Academy Awards Oscar Best Cinematography Color An American in Paris shared with Alfred Gilks 1951 Nominations Laurel Awards Golden Laurel Top Cinematography Color The Brothers Karamazov 4th place 1959 Other honors Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards Career Achievement Award 1992 References Edit a b c Katz Ephraim Fred Klein Ronald Dean Nolan 1998 The International Film Encyclopedia 3rd ed New York Harper Collins p 27 ISBN 0 333 74037 8 a b c d e f g h McCarthy Todd March 12 1993 Deep Focus Daily Variety p 51 Retrieved January 26 2021 John Alton at AllMovie Steeman Albert Archived 2018 10 05 at the Wayback Machine Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers John Alton page Rotterdam The Netherlands 2007 Last accessed December 13 2007 John Bailey July 17 2016 An American in Paris John Alton vs Alfred Gilks American Cinematographer American Society of Cinematographers Retrieved August 13 2019 John Bailey October 6 2013 John Alton Cinematography s Outlier Part One American Cinematographer American Society of Cinematographers Retrieved August 13 2019 Goble Alan The Complete Index to World Film since 1885 2008 Index home page Steeman Albert Ibid Sources EditHarry Tomicek Das grosse Schwarz Border Incident von Anthony Mann Kamera John Alton 1949 In Christian Cargnelli Michael Omasta eds Schatten Exil Europaische Emigranten im Film noir PVS Vienna 1997 ISBN 3 901196 26 9 External links EditJohn Alton at IMDb John Alton at AllMovie John Alton at Painting With Light John Alton images and analysis at Images Journal John Alton at Film Reference John Alton short retrospective on YouTube 7min 41secs Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title John Alton amp oldid 1144678455, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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