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 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).

Camera

1966

Mission: Impossible
Tv

Director of Photography

1962

Birdman of Alcatraz
Movie

Director of Photography

1960

Elmer Gantry
Movie

Director of Photography

1959

Lonelyhearts
Movie

Director of Photography

1958

The Brothers Karamazov
Movie

Director of Photography

1957

Designing Woman
Movie

Director of Photography

1957

1956

Tea and Sympathy
Movie

Director of Photography

1956

The Catered Affair
Movie

Director of Photography

1956

Slightly Scarlet
Movie

Director of Photography

1955

Tennessee's Partner
Movie

Director of Photography

1955

Pearl of the South Pacific
Movie

Director of Photography

1955

Escape to Burma
Movie

Director of Photography

1955

The Big Combo
Movie

Director of Photography

1954

Cattle Queen of Montana
Movie

Director of Photography

1954

Passion
Movie

Director of Photography

1954

Silver Lode
Movie

Director of Photography

1954

Witness to Murder
Movie

Director of Photography

1954

Duffy of San Quentin
Movie

Director of Photography

1953

Take the High Ground!
Movie

Director of Photography

1953

I, the Jury
Movie

Director of Photography

1953

Count the Hours!
Movie

Director of Photography

1952

Washington Story
Movie

Director of Photography

1952

Talk About a Stranger
Movie

Director of Photography

1951

An American in Paris
Movie

Additional Photography

1951

The People Against O'Hara
Movie

Director of Photography

1951

Father's Little Dividend
Movie

Director of Photography

1950

Devil's Doorway
Movie

Director of Photography

1950

Mystery Street
Movie

Director of Photography

1950

Father of the Bride
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Border Incident
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Reign of Terror
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Red Stallion In The Rockies
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Red Stallion In The Rockies
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Red Stallion In The Rockies
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

Red Stallion In The Rockies
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

The Crooked Way
Movie

Director of Photography

1949

He Walked by Night
Movie

Director of Photography

1948

Hollow Triumph
Movie

Director of Photography

1948

The Amazing Mr. X
Movie

Director of Photography

1948

Canon City
Movie

Director of Photography

1948

Raw Deal
Movie

Director of Photography

1947

T-Men
Movie

Director of Photography

1947

Bury Me Dead
Movie

Director of Photography

1947

Driftwood
Movie

Director of Photography

1947

The Pretender
Movie

Director of Photography

1944

Storm Over Lisbon
Movie

Director of Photography

1944

Atlantic City
Movie

Director of Photography

1944

The Lady and the Monster
Movie

Director of Photography

1942

Johnny Doughboy
Movie

Director of Photography

1942

Ice Capades Revue
Movie

Director of Photography

1941

Devil Pays Off
Movie

Director of Photography

1941

Forced Landing
Movie

Director of Photography

1941

Melody for Three
Movie

Director of Photography

1940

Three Faces West
Movie

Director of Photography

1938

Honeysuckle
Movie

Director of Photography

1937

El pobre Pérez
Movie

Director of Photography

1936

Loco lindo
Movie

Director of Photography

Acting

Crew

1953

Battle Circus
Movie

Cinematography

1939

Doce mujeres
Movie

Cinematography

1938

1937

Palermo
Movie

Cinematography

1935

Infos

Full Name
John Alton
Gender
Male
Date of Birth
10/5/1901
Date of Death
6/2/1996