John Alton

John Alton

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 Material 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's 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).

Share
Tweet
Email

Movies Made by John Alton (98)

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Director Of Photography

Elmer Gantry (1960)

Director Of Photography

12 to the Moon (1960)

Director Of Photography

Lonelyhearts (1959)

Director Of Photography

The Brothers Karamazov (1958)

Director Of Photography

Designing Woman (1957)

Director Of Photography

Tea and Sympathy (1956)

Director Of Photography

The Catered Affair (1956)

Director Of Photography

Slightly Scarlet (1956)

Director Of Photography

Tennessee's Partner (1955)

Director Of Photography

Pearl of the South Pacific (1955)

Director Of Photography

Escape to Burma (1955)

Director Of Photography

The Big Combo (1955)

Director Of Photography

The Steel Cage (1954)

Director Of Photography

Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)

Director Of Photography

Passion (1954)

Director Of Photography

Silver Lode (1954)

Director Of Photography

Witness to Murder (1954)

Director Of Photography

Duffy of San Quentin (1954)

Director Of Photography

Take the High Ground! (1953)

Director Of Photography

I, the Jury (1953)

Director Of Photography

Count the Hours! (1953)

Director Of Photography

Battle Circus (1953)

Cinematography

Apache War Smoke (1952)

Director Of Photography

Washington Story (1952)

Director Of Photography

Talk About a Stranger (1952)

Director Of Photography

An American in Paris (1951)

Additional Photography

The People Against O'Hara (1951)

Director Of Photography

Father's Little Dividend (1951)

Director Of Photography

Grounds for Marriage (1951)

Director Of Photography

Devil's Doorway (1950)

Director Of Photography

Mystery Street (1950)

Director Of Photography

Father of the Bride (1950)

Director Of Photography

Captain China (1950)

Director Of Photography

Border Incident (1949)

Director Of Photography

Reign of Terror (1949)

Director Of Photography

Red Stallion In The Rockies (1949)

Director Of Photography

The Crooked Way (1949)

Director Of Photography

He Walked by Night (1949)

Director Of Photography

Hollow Triumph (1948)

Director Of Photography

The Amazing Mr. X (1948)

Director Of Photography

Canon City (1948)

Director Of Photography

Raw Deal (1948)

Director Of Photography

T-Men (1947)

Director Of Photography

Bury Me Dead (1947)

Director Of Photography

Driftwood (1947)

Director Of Photography

The Pretender (1947)

Director Of Photography

The Ghost Goes Wild (1947)

Director Of Photography

Wyoming (1947)

Director Of Photography

The Trespasser (1947)

Director Of Photography

Affairs of Geraldine (1946)

Director Of Photography

The Magnificent Rogue (1946)

Director Of Photography

One Exciting Week (1946)

Director Of Photography

The Madonna's Secret (1946)

Director Of Photography

A Guy Could Change (1946)

Director Of Photography

Song of Mexico (1945)

Director Of Photography

Girls of the Big House (1945)

Director Of Photography

Love, Honor and Goodbye (1945)

Director Of Photography

Lake Placid Serenade (1944)

Director Of Photography

Storm Over Lisbon (1944)

Director Of Photography

Atlantic City (1944)

Director Of Photography

The Lady and the Monster (1944)

Director Of Photography

The Sultan's Daughter (1943)

Director Of Photography

Johnny Doughboy (1942)

Director Of Photography

Ice Capades Revue (1942)

Director Of Photography

Moonlight Masquerade (1942)

Director Of Photography

Devil Pays Off (1941)

Director Of Photography

Forced Landing (1941)

Director Of Photography

Melody for Three (1941)

Director Of Photography

Power Dive (1941)

Director Of Photography

I Was a Criminal (1941)

Director Of Photography

Remedy for Riches (1940)

Director Of Photography

Three Faces West (1940)

Director Of Photography

Caminito de Gloria (1939)

Director Of Photography

Doce mujeres (1939)

Cinematography

El matrero (1939)

Cinematography

Honeysuckle (1938)

Director Of Photography

The Bohemian Life (1938)

Director Of Photography

El pobre Pérez (1937)

Director Of Photography

Palermo (1937)

Cinematography

¡Goal! (1936)

Director Of Photography

Amalia (1936)

Cinematography

Loco lindo (1936)

Director Of Photography

Compañeros (1936)

Cinematography

Escala en la ciudad (1935)

Director Of Photography

Movies starring John Alton (5)

More Images of John Alton

John Alton
John Alton
John Alton

Same first name: John

Same surname: Alton