John Alton
Camera
🎂 1901-10-05
​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).
Cast credits(5)
Camera (86)
Director of Photography
1966
Director of Photography
1962
Director of Photography
1951
Director of Photography
1950
Additional Photography
1951
Director of Photography
1960
Director of Photography
1956
Director of Photography
1955
Director of Photography
1949
Director of Photography
1956
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1948
Director of Photography
1949
Director of Photography
1957
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1958
Director of Photography
1951
Director of Photography
1948
Director of Photography
1950
Director of Photography
1950
Director of Photography
1952
Director of Photography
1949
Director of Photography
1956
Director of Photography
1960
Director of Photography
1948
Director of Photography
1949
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1953
Director of Photography
1959
Director of Photography
1942
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1953
Director of Photography
1957
Director of Photography
1946
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1946
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1944
Director of Photography
1945
Director of Photography
1942
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1955
Director of Photography
1955
Director of Photography
1940
Director of Photography
1950
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1954
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1955
Director of Photography
1944
Director of Photography
1948
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1940
Director of Photography
1946
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1944
Director of Photography
1944
Director of Photography
1949
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1952
Director of Photography
1953
Director of Photography
1945
Director of Photography
1952
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1939
Director of Photography
1940
Director of Photography
1946
Director of Photography
1947
Director of Photography
1938
Director of Photography
1945
Director of Photography
1943
Director of Photography
1951
Director of Photography
1942
Director of Photography
1936
Director of Photography
1940
Director of Photography
1941
Director of Photography
1942
Director of Photography
1946
Director of Photography
1939
Director of Photography
1937
Director of Photography
1936
Director of Photography
1935
Director of Photography
1938
