Gabriel Figueroa
Camera
Gabriel Figueroa Mateos (April 24, 1907 – April 27, 1997) was a Mexican cinematographer who worked both in Mexican cinema and Hollywood. His mother died after giving birth to him. His father, unable to cope with the loss of his wife, left Gabriel and his brother Roberto to be cared for by their aunts. He studied painting at the Academia de San Carlos, and at the age of 16 he became interested in photography thanks to José Guadalupe Velasco. He later befriended other photographers, such as Gilberto Martínez Solares and Raúl Martínez Solares, and these three would then move on to cinematography. Figueroa made his entry in the movie industry in 1932 as a photographer of stills for the film Revolución of Miguel Contreras Torres. He was later one of the 20 cinematographers hired for the Howard Hawks film Viva Villa!. After a few jobs he obtained a scholarship to study in the United States where the established director of photography Gregg Toland taught Figueroa. Back in Mexico, his first film was Fernando de Fuentes's Allá en el Rancho Grande (1936) which would become one of the most popular films in Mexico and Latin America, and gave him his first award at the Venice Film Festival. He filmed 235 movies over 50 years, including Los Olvidados by Luis Buñuel, The Night of the Iguana by John Huston, The Fugitive by John Ford, and Río Escondido by Emilio Fernández. One of his main collaborators was Fernández, with whom he shot twenty films, some of which won prizes at the Venice Film Festival, the Cannes Film Festival, and the Berlin Film Festival. After collaborating with Fernández and Buñuel on their films with such actors as Dolores del Río, Pedro Armendáriz, María Félix, Jorge Negrete, Columba Domínguez, and Silvia Pinal, Figueroa has come to be regarded one of the most influential cinematographers active in México.
Known for
Camera178
movieThe Hex 2: Messengers of Hell
1986
Director of Photography
movieUnder the Volcano
1984
Director of Photography
movieThe Heart of the Night
1984
Director of Photography
movieMundo mágico
1983
Director of Photography
movieEl héroe desconocido
1983
Director of Photography
movieMexico 2000
1983
Director of Photography
movieD.F./Distrito Federal
1981
Director of Photography
movieThe Border
1980
Director of Photography
movieAt a Lame Pace
1980
Director of Photography
movieTe quiero
1979
Director of Photography
movieThe House of the Pelican
1978
Director of Photography
movieCananea
1978
Director of Photography
movieThe Children of Sanchez
1978
Director of Photography
movieDivine Words
1978
Director of Photography
movieBalún Canán
1977
Director of Photography
movieMaten al León
1977
Director of Photography
movieLife Changes
1976
Director of Photography
movieCoronation
1976
Director of Photography
movieThe Cry of the Turtle
1975
Director of Photography
movieThe Dogs of God
1974
Director of Photography
movieOmen
1974
Director of Photography
movieOnce Upon a Scoundrel
1974
Director of Photography
movieThe Master of Ballantrae
1974
Director of Photography
movieEl amor tiene cara de mujer
1973
Director of Photography
movieThe Monastery of the Vultures
1973
Director of Photography
movieInterval
1973
Director of Photography
movieThe She Wolf's Orgy
1972
Director of Photography
movieThe Children of Satan
1972
Director of Photography
movieMaría
1972
Director of Photography
movieEl cielo y tú
1971
Director of Photography
movieEl profe
1971
Director of Photography
movieLa Generala
1971
Director of Photography
movieKelly's Heroes
1970
Director of Photography
movieThe Phantom Gunslinger
1970
Director of Photography
movieNarda or The Summer
1970
Director of Photography
movieTwo Mules for Sister Sara
1970
Director of Photography
movieThe Door and the Butcher's Wife
1969
Director of Photography
movieThe Big Cube
1969
Director of Photography
moviePax?
1968
Director of Photography
movieThe Chinese Room
1968
Director of Photography
movieCorazón salvaje
1968
Director of Photography
movieMariana
1968
Director of Photography
movieThe Scapular
1968
Director of Photography
movieThe Angels of Puebla
1968
Director of Photography
movieEl asesino se embarca
1967
Director of Photography
movieSavage Sunday
1967
Director of Photography
movieYour Excellency
1967
Director of Photography
moviePedro Paramo
1967
Director of Photography
movieForbidden Cargo
1966
Director of Photography
movie¡Viva Benito Canales!
1966
Director of Photography
movieLos Cuatro Juanes
1966
Director of Photography
movieLove Love Love
1965
Director of Photography
movieLola of My Life
1965
Director of Photography
movieThe Two Elenas
1965
Director of Photography
movieA Pure Soul
1965
Director of Photography
The Beloved Ones
1965
Director of Photography
movieSimon of the Desert
1965
Director of Photography
movieLos tres calaveras
1965
Director of Photography
movieEscuela para solteras
1965
Director of Photography
movieThe Golden Cockerel
1964
Director of Photography
movieThe Night of the Iguana
1964
Director of Photography
movieThe Posthumous Honors to the Distinguished Authors
1964
Director of Photography
movieEn la mitad del mundo
1964
Director of Photography
movieEntrega Inmediata
1963
Director of Photography
movieAutumn Days
1963
Director of Photography
movieThe Paper Man
1963
Director of Photography
movieLa Bandida
1963
Director of Photography
movieMiracles Weaver
1962
Director of Photography
movieThe Exterminating Angel
1962
Director of Photography
movieThe Important Man
1961
Director of Photography
movieThe White Rose
1961
Director of Photography
movieJuana Gallo
1961
Director of Photography
movieThe Young One
1960
Director of Photography
movieImpaciencia del corazón
1960
Director of Photography
movieMacario
1960
Director of Photography
movieLa estrella vacía
1960
Director of Photography
movieFever Mounts at El Pao
1959
Director of Photography
movieLa Cucaracha
1959
Director of Photography
movieSonatas
1959
Director of Photography, Camera Operator
movieIsla para dos
1959
Director of Photography
movieBeyond All Limits
1959
Director of Photography
movieNazarín
1959
Director of Photography
Carabina 30-30
1958
Director of Photography
movieThe Smile of the Virgin
1958
Director of Photography
movieLove of a Cabaret Singer
1958
Director of Photography
movieLa rebelión de la sierra: El Fin de Heraclio Bernal
1958
Director of Photography
movieEl rayo de Sinaloa: La venganza de Heraclio Bernal
1958
Director of Photography
movieUna cita de amor
1958
Director of Photography
movieHere is Heraclius Bernal
1958
Director of Photography
movieSueños de oro
1958
Director of Photography
movieEl bolero de Raquel
1957
Director of Photography
movieThe Hidden One
1956
Director of Photography
movieBasket of Mexican Tales
1956
Director of Photography
moviePeople, Song and Hope
1956
Director of Photography
movieHistoria de un amor
1956
Director of Photography
movieLa doncella de piedra
1956
Director of Photography
movieLa Tierra del Fuego se apaga
1955
Director of Photography
movieEstafa de amor
1955
Director of Photography
movieLa mujer X
1955
Director of Photography
movieEl monstruo en la sombra
1955
Director of Photography
movieLa rosa blanca
1954
Director of Photography
movieTake Me in Your Arms
1954
Director of Photography
movieCamelia
1954
Director of Photography
movieRebellion of the Hanged
1954
Director of Photography
movieThe Boy and the Fog
1953
Director of Photography
movieAnxiety
1953
Director of Photography
movieEl señor fotógrafo
1953
Director of Photography
movieÉl
1953
Director of Photography
movieWhen the Fog Lifts
1952
Director of Photography
movieSoledad's Shawl
1952
Director of Photography
movieEl enamorado
1952
Director of Photography
movieThe Straying Rooster
1952
Director of Photography
movieAhí viene Martín Corona
1952
Director of Photography
movieThe Sea and You
1952
Director of Photography
movieSiempre tuya
1952
Director of Photography
movieLa bienamada
1951
Director of Photography
movieLas Islas Marias
1951
Director of Photography
moviePecado
1951
Director of Photography
movieVictims of Sin
1951
Director of Photography
movieThe Young and the Damned
1950
Director of Photography
movieOne Day of Life
1950
Director of Photography
movieThe Torch
1950
Director of Photography
movieDuelo en las montañas
1950
Director of Photography
moviePrisión de sueños
1949
Director of Photography
The Unloved Woman
1949
Director of Photography
movieEl embajador
1949
Director of Photography
moviePueblerina
1949
Director of Photography
movieOpium
1949
Director of Photography
movieMidnight
1949
Director of Photography
movieSalon Mexico
1949
Director of Photography
movieMaclovia
1948
Director of Photography
movieHidden River
1948
Director of Photography
movieThe Fugitive
1947
Director of Photography
movieThe Pearl
1947
Director of Photography
movieEnamorada
1946
Director of Photography
movieThe Last Adventure
1946
Director of Photography
movieCantaclaro
1946
Director of Photography
movieOne Day with the Devil
1945
Director of Photography
movieBugambilia
1945
Director of Photography
movieThe Abandoned
1945
Director of Photography
movieEl corsario negro
1944
Director of Photography
movieLa Fuga
1944
Director of Photography
movieThe Black Ace
1944
Director of Photography
movieThe Headless Woman
1944
Director of Photography
movieMaria Candelaria
1944
Director of Photography
movieAnother Dawn
1943
Director of Photography
movieWild Flower
1943
Director of Photography
movieEl circo
1943
Director of Photography
movieThe Virgin who Forged a Fatherland
1942
Director of Photography
movieStory of a Great Love
1942
Director of Photography
movieThe Three Musketeers
1942
Director of Photography
movieCuando viajan las estrellas
1942
Director of Photography
movieMi viuda alegre
1942
Director of Photography
movieLa gallina clueca
1941
Director of Photography
movieLa casa del rencor
1941
Director of Photography
movieThe Unknown Policeman
1941
Director of Photography
movieThose Were The Days, Senor Don Simon!
1941
Director of Photography
El rápido de las 9.15
1941
Director of Photography
movieNi sangre ni arena
1941
Director of Photography
movieCreo en Dios
1941
Director of Photography
movieThe Mad Monk
1940
Director of Photography
movieCon su amable permiso
1940
Director of Photography
movieEl jefe máximo
1940
Director of Photography
movieAllá en el Trópico
1940
Director of Photography
movie¡Que viene mi marido!
1940
Director of Photography
movieThe Underdogs
1940
Director of Photography
movieLa canción del milagro
1940
Director of Photography
movieThe Night of the Mayans
1939
Director of Photography
movieLa bestia negra
1939
Director of Photography
movieLa casa del ogro
1939
Director of Photography
movieMientras México duerme
1938
Director of Photography
movieRefugiados en Madrid
1938
Director of Photography
movieLa Adelita
1937
Director of Photography
movieLas mujeres mandan
1937
Director of Photography
movieLet's Go with Pancho Villa!
1936
Camera Operator
movieAllá en el Rancho Grande
1936
Director of Photography
movieCielito lindo
1936
Director of Photography
Enemigos
1934
Still Photographer
Acting5
Crew1
movieLos hijos de Sanchez
1978
Cinematography