Person
John Alton
Sopron, Austria-Hungary
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 Ac…
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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).
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2008
'S Wonderful: Creating An American in Paris
Movie Self (archival footage)
- 2007
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2006
Film Noir: Bringing Darkness to Light
Movie Self
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1998
Glorious Technicolor
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1995
Dark and Deadly: Fifty Years of Film Noir
Movie Self
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1966
Mission: Impossible
TV show Director of Photography
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1962
Birdman of Alcatraz
Movie Director of Photography
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1960
Elmer Gantry
Movie Director of Photography
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1960
12 to the Moon
Movie Director of Photography
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1959
Lonelyhearts
Movie Director of Photography
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1958
The Brothers Karamazov
Movie Director of Photography
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1957
Designing Woman
Movie Director of Photography
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1957
The Teahouse of the August Moon
Movie Director of Photography
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1956
Tea and Sympathy
Movie Director of Photography
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1956
The Catered Affair
Movie Director of Photography
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1956
Slightly Scarlet
Movie Director of Photography
More credits
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1955
Tennessee's Partner
Movie Director of Photography
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1955
Pearl of the South Pacific
Movie Director of Photography
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1955
Escape to Burma
Movie Director of Photography
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1955
The Big Combo
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
The Steel Cage
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
Cattle Queen of Montana
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
Passion
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
Silver Lode
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
Witness to Murder
Movie Director of Photography
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1954
Duffy of San Quentin
Movie Director of Photography
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1953
Take the High Ground!
Movie Director of Photography
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1953
I, the Jury
Movie Director of Photography
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1953
Count the Hours!
Movie Director of Photography
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1953
Battle Circus
Movie Cinematography
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1952
Apache War Smoke
Movie Director of Photography
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1952
Washington Story
Movie Director of Photography
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1952
Talk About a Stranger
Movie Director of Photography
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1951
An American in Paris
Movie Additional Photography
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1951
The People Against O'Hara
Movie Director of Photography
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1951
Father's Little Dividend
Movie Director of Photography
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1951
Grounds for Marriage
Movie Director of Photography
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1950
Devil's Doorway
Movie Director of Photography
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1950
Mystery Street
Movie Director of Photography
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1950
Father of the Bride
Movie Director of Photography
