John Alton
Camera
John Alton A.S.C. (October 5, 1901 – June 2, 1996), born Johann Altmann, in Sopron/Ödenburg, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria-Hungary, was an American cinematographer. Alton won an Academy Award for the cinematography of An American in Paris (1951), becoming the first Hungarian-born person to do so. He photographed some of the most famous film noirs of the classic period. He started out in Los Angeles as a lab technician in the 1920s, later becoming a cameraman within four years. 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. 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 returned to Hollywood in the late 1930s, with two dozen film credits, and became one of the most sought after cinematographers in American cinema. Alton was known for unconventional camera angles—especially low camera shots. His style is most notable in the film noirs: He Walked by Night, The Big Combo, The Amazing Mr. X, T-Men, and Raw Deal. Alton also photographed many color movies including Slightly Scarlet (a color film noir).
Known for
Camera86
tvMission: Impossible
1966
Director of Photography
movieBirdman of Alcatraz
1962
Director of Photography
movieElmer Gantry
1960
Director of Photography
movie12 to the Moon
1960
Director of Photography
movieLonelyhearts
1959
Director of Photography
movieThe Brothers Karamazov
1958
Director of Photography
movieDesigning Woman
1957
Director of Photography
movieThe Teahouse of the August Moon
1957
Director of Photography
movieTea and Sympathy
1956
Director of Photography
movieThe Catered Affair
1956
Director of Photography
movieSlightly Scarlet
1956
Director of Photography
movieTennessee's Partner
1955
Director of Photography
moviePearl of the South Pacific
1955
Director of Photography
movieEscape to Burma
1955
Director of Photography
movieThe Big Combo
1955
Director of Photography
movieThe Steel Cage
1954
Director of Photography
movieCattle Queen of Montana
1954
Director of Photography
moviePassion
1954
Director of Photography
movieSilver Lode
1954
Director of Photography
movieWitness to Murder
1954
Director of Photography
movieDuffy of San Quentin
1954
Director of Photography
movieTake the High Ground!
1953
Director of Photography
movieI, the Jury
1953
Director of Photography
movieCount the Hours!
1953
Director of Photography
movieApache War Smoke
1952
Director of Photography
movieWashington Story
1952
Director of Photography
movieTalk About a Stranger
1952
Director of Photography
movieAn American in Paris
1951
Additional Photography
movieThe People Against O'Hara
1951
Director of Photography
movieFather's Little Dividend
1951
Director of Photography
movieGrounds for Marriage
1951
Director of Photography
movieDevil's Doorway
1950
Director of Photography
movieMystery Street
1950
Director of Photography
movieFather of the Bride
1950
Director of Photography
movieCaptain China
1950
Director of Photography
movieBorder Incident
1949
Director of Photography
movieReign of Terror
1949
Director of Photography
movieRed Stallion In The Rockies
1949
Director of Photography
movieThe Crooked Way
1949
Director of Photography
movieHe Walked by Night
1949
Director of Photography
movieHollow Triumph
1948
Director of Photography
movieThe Amazing Mr. X
1948
Director of Photography
movieCanon City
1948
Director of Photography
movieRaw Deal
1948
Director of Photography
movieT-Men
1947
Director of Photography
movieBury Me Dead
1947
Director of Photography
movieDriftwood
1947
Director of Photography
movieThe Pretender
1947
Director of Photography
movieThe Ghost Goes Wild
1947
Director of Photography
movieWyoming
1947
Director of Photography
movieThe Trespasser
1947
Director of Photography
movieAffairs of Geraldine
1946
Director of Photography
movieThe Magnificent Rogue
1946
Director of Photography
movieOne Exciting Week
1946
Director of Photography
movieThe Madonna's Secret
1946
Director of Photography
movieA Guy Could Change
1946
Director of Photography
movieSong of Mexico
1945
Director of Photography
movieGirls of the Big House
1945
Director of Photography
movieLove, Honor and Goodbye
1945
Director of Photography
movieLake Placid Serenade
1944
Director of Photography
movieStorm Over Lisbon
1944
Director of Photography
movieAtlantic City
1944
Director of Photography
movieThe Lady and the Monster
1944
Director of Photography
movieThe Sultan's Daughter
1943
Director of Photography
movieJohnny Doughboy
1942
Director of Photography
movieIce Capades Revue
1942
Director of Photography
movieMoonlight Masquerade
1942
Director of Photography
movieThe Affairs of Jimmy Valentine
1942
Director of Photography
movieMr. District Attorney in the Carter Case
1941
Director of Photography
movieDevil Pays Off
1941
Director of Photography
movieForced Landing
1941
Director of Photography
movieMelody for Three
1941
Director of Photography
moviePower Dive
1941
Director of Photography
movieI Was a Criminal
1941
Director of Photography
movieRemedy for Riches
1940
Director of Photography
movieDr. Christian Meets the Women
1940
Director of Photography
movieThree Faces West
1940
Director of Photography
movieThe Courageous Dr. Christian
1940
Director of Photography
movieCaminito de Gloria
1939
Director of Photography
moviePuerta cerrada
1939
Director of Photography
movieHoneysuckle
1938
Director of Photography
movieThe Bohemian Life
1938
Director of Photography
movieEl pobre Pérez
1937
Director of Photography
movie¡Goal!
1936
Director of Photography
Loco lindo
1936
Director of Photography
movieEscala en la ciudad
1935
Director of Photography
Crew13
movieBattle Circus
1953
Cinematography
movieHit Parade of 1947
1947
Cinematography
Doce mujeres
1939
Cinematography
movieEl matrero
1939
Cinematography
El último encuentro
1938
Cinematography
Palermo
1937
Cinematography
movieCadetes de San Martín
1937
Cinematography
movieAmalia
1936
Cinematography
Compañeros
1936
Cinematography
movieCrimen a las tres
1935
Cinematography
movieEl hijo de papá
1933
Cinematography
movieThe Three Amateurs
1933
Cinematography
Acting5
'S Wonderful: Creating An American in Paris
2008
Self (archival footage)
movieGlorious Technicolor
1998
Self (archive footage)
Directing2
moviePuerta cerrada
1939
Director
movieEl hijo de papá
1933
Director
Writing1
movieEl hijo de papá
1933
Writer