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Born October 5, 1901 in Sopron, Austria-Hungary (now Hungary) as Johann Jacob Altmann, the son of an American-born father, legendary cinematographer John Alton was raised on films steeped in German Expressionism during his European childhood, which informed his later use of low light, his motto being “it’s not what you light…it’s what you don’t light.”.

Alton began his career as a lab technician at MGM in 1924, became a cinematographer three years later when he filmed the German location scenes for Ernst Lubitsch’s 1927 film of The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg. Having moved to Paris to work on the Lubitsch film, he stayed there for a few years while working for Paramount, moving to Argentina in the early 1930s where he helped build that country’s film industry. He trained several cinematographers and directors, photographing over twenty films himself, even directing a few.

Returning to Hollywood in 1937 with his wife, journalist Rozalia Kiss, he quickly developed a reputation as one of the industry’s most accomplished cinematographers, but it was the films noir of the late 1940s that cemented his reputation for his highly contrasted black-and-white cinematography that included unusual camera angles designed to symbolically enhance and sometimes mock the on-screen action. He was especially adept at photographing exterior shots as effectively as he did studio work. His work reached its zenith with 1947’s T-Men, 1948’s He Walked by Night, Hollow Triumph aka The Scar and Raw Deal.

Brought back to MGM by Dore Schary in 1949 with director Anthony Mann with whom he worked on T-Men and Raw Deal, the two worked together again on Border Incident and Reign of Terror aka The Black Book, after which he worked on his last black-and-white noir, John Sturges’ Mystery Street before photographing Vincente Minnelli’s Father of the Bride and the ballet sequence in Minnelli’s An American in Paris, for which he received his only Oscar.

Alton subsequently photographed numerous popular MGM and United Artists films through 1960, including The Teahouse of the August Moon, The Catered Affair, Tea and Sympathy, Designing Woman, The Brothers Karamazov, Lonelyhearts and Elmer Gantry. Fired from 1962’s Birdman of Alcatraz, he returned to Hollywood to shoot the pilot for the 1966 TV series, Mission: Impossible, after which he and his wife virtually disappeared. They had been traveling the world, living in France, Germany and Argentina.

Alton resurfaced in 1993 at the age of 91, six years after the death of his wife, when he contacted Todd McCarthy, the producer of Visions of Light regarding the film making the rounds of the film festivals. McCarthy had tried in vain to find him to participate in the film about the screen’s greatest cinematographers. Alton’s 1949 book, Painting with Light was then, as now, still considered essential reading for budding cinematographers.

Alton, who died in Santa Monica on June 2, 1996 at the age of 94, was given a career achievement award from the L.A. Film Critics in 1993.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

THE STUDENT PRINCE IN OLD HEIDELBERG (1927), directed by Ernst Lubitsch

After just three years as a lab technician at MGM, Alton became a cinematographer when he went to Germany to film the Heidelberg location scenes for Lubitsch. The film is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Forster’s 1898 novel, Karl Heinrich and 1901 play, Old Heidelberg, not Sigmund Romberg’s 1924 operetta, which was also based on Meyer-Forster’s play, though it was no doubt Romberg’s 1924 operetta that prompted the making of this late silent classic. Ramon Novarro is the prince, Norma Shearer, the barmaid, Jean Hersholt the prince’s tutor and Gustav von Seyffertitiz the cold king.

HE WALKED BY NIGHT (1948), directed by Alfred L. Werker

Generally considered the hallmark of Alton’s work in film noir, this granddaddy of the police procedural has a look that is unmistakably Alton’s as it peers into dark corners at odd angles in the middle of the night. Some scenes were filmed by Anthony Mann, the director with whom Alton mostly worked at this point in his career. Richard Basehart, in only his third film, was a sensation as the elusive killer, with Scott Brady, Roy Roberts, Whit Bissell, James Cardwell and Jack Webb filling the other key roles. Alton wrote his primer on cinematography, Painting with Light during this period. It was published in 1949.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951), directed by Vincente Minnelli

Alton worked with color for the first time on this Oscar winning classic, but he only filmed the ballet sequence. MGM’s other cinematographers were so incensed that he was given equal credit with Alfred Gilks on Oscar ballots that they filed a complaint with studio head Dore Schary and MGM exec E.J. Mannix as well as AMPAS. He was supported Minnelli and star Gene Kelly and the complaint was dismissed by both MGM and AMPAS. The film won six of the eight Oscars it was nominated for, including the one for cinematography which was given jointly to Gilks and Alton. It was the only nomination and win for both.

TEA AND SYMPATHY (1956), directed by Vincente Minnelli

Of the numerous films that Alton photographed for Minnelli, this was arguably their best collaboration. The film, except for the censor driven framing device that opens and closes the narrative, is a faithful adaptation of Robert Anderson’s international stage sensation, yet it never seems like a filmed stage play. The outdoor scenes are beautifully shot, and the indoor action is never static. Deborah Kerr as the inviting house mother and John Kerr (no relation) as the sensitive student are both terrific recreating their Broadway roles, filmed while Joan Fontaine and Anthony Perkins succeeded them on stage. Ingrid Bergman starred in the Paris production.

ELMER GANTRY (1960), directed by Richard Brooks

Alton did some of his best work on Brooks’ adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’s once shocking novel. Nominated for five Oscars, and winner of three, Alton’s eyepopping cinematography was not among them. The film was also ignored for its editing, direction and the career top performance of Jean Simmons as a true believer. Burt Lancaster won for his phony evangelist, as did Shirley Jones for her portrayal of the preacher’s daughter turned prostitute and Brooks for his writing. This was Brooks’ last completed film. He clashed with John Frankenheimer on 1962’s Birdman of Alcatraz and was fired after just two weeks’ work.

JOHN ALTON AND OSCAR

  • An American in Paris (1951) – Oscar – Best Cinematography – Color

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