Known For
Camera
Born
Oct 05, 1901
Died
Jun 02, 1996
Place of Birth
Sopron, Austria-Hungary
Credits
104 titles
John Alton
Biography
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
Filmography
'S Wonderful: Creating An American in Paris
Self (archival footage)
Mystery Street: Murder at Harvard
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Self
Glorious Technicolor
Self (archive footage)
Dark and Deadly: Fifty Years of Film Noir
Self
Mission: Impossible
Director of Photography
Birdman of Alcatraz
Director of Photography
Elmer Gantry
Director of Photography
12 to the Moon
Director of Photography
Lonelyhearts
Director of Photography
The Brothers Karamazov
Director of Photography
Designing Woman
Director of Photography
The Teahouse of the August Moon
Director of Photography
Tea and Sympathy
Director of Photography
The Catered Affair
Director of Photography
Slightly Scarlet
Director of Photography
Tennessee's Partner
Director of Photography
Pearl of the South Pacific
Director of Photography
Escape to Burma
Director of Photography
The Big Combo
Director of Photography
The Steel Cage
Director of Photography
Cattle Queen of Montana
Director of Photography
Passion
Director of Photography
Silver Lode
Director of Photography
Witness to Murder
Director of Photography
Duffy of San Quentin
Director of Photography
Take the High Ground!
Director of Photography
I, the Jury
Director of Photography
Count the Hours!
Director of Photography
Battle Circus
Cinematography
Apache War Smoke
Director of Photography
Washington Story
Director of Photography
Talk About a Stranger
Director of Photography
An American in Paris
Additional Photography
The People Against O'Hara
Director of Photography
Father's Little Dividend
Director of Photography
Grounds for Marriage
Director of Photography
Devil's Doorway
Director of Photography
Mystery Street
Director of Photography
Father of the Bride
Director of Photography
Captain China
Director of Photography
Border Incident
Director of Photography
Reign of Terror
Director of Photography
Red Stallion In The Rockies
Director of Photography
The Crooked Way
Director of Photography
He Walked by Night
Director of Photography
Hollow Triumph
Director of Photography
The Amazing Mr. X
Director of Photography
Canon City
Director of Photography
Raw Deal
Director of Photography