1949 - BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
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- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
A somewhat underrated figure in cinematographic history, Australian-born Robert Krasker handled some of the most memorable films made in Britain after the Second World War. In his youth he attended art classes in Paris and studied photography at the Photohaendler Schule in Dresden. He briefly worked for Paramount in Paris before joining Alexander Korda's London Films at Denham Studios in 1932. As a camera operator, Krasker cut his teeth on Technicolor spectacles like The Four Feathers (1939) and The Thief of Bagdad (1940). From 1942, he worked as director of photography, showing his flair in all photographic media, from the softly lit, subtle black & white of Brief Encounter (1945) to the gaudy 'cartoon colour' pageantry of Henry V (1944).
He adopted a suitably harsher, almost semi-documentary look working with director Carol Reed on Odd Man Out (1947) and The Third Man (1949). Both films are characterised by expressionistic camera angles, chiaroscuro lighting and conspicuous close-ups. Krasker deservedly won an Oscar for his work on 'The Third Man' and went on to shoot the visually glorious Senso (1954) for Luchino Visconti in Italy, in turn followed by one of the best-looking epics of the 50s: El Cid (1961) -- with its famous long shot of the dead hero, riding away tied upright to his horse. Krasker's style of photography went out of fashion with the increasing popularity of the New Wave in the 1960s. Disenchantment, combining with failing health led to his retirement in 1965. One of the great cameramen of cinema's "Golden Age", he deserves to be remembered.- Cinematographer
- Special Effects
Sôichi Aisaka is known for Sound in the Mist (1956), Zoku orizuru shichihenge (1956) and Hanatarô jumon (1958).- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Göran Strindberg was born on 15 January 1917 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a cinematographer and actor, known for Herr über Leben und Tod (1955), The Rats (1955) and Miss Julie (1951). He died on 13 March 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Gerald Gibbs was born on 7 November 1907 in Surrey, England, UK. He was a cinematographer and director, known for The Avengers (1961), Station Six Sahara (1963) and C.O.D.: A Mellow Drama (1929). He died on 23 January 1990 in London, England, UK.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Christopher was very keen on films when he was at school and made 16mm films so when his father met the managing director of Gaumont British News he was told to send the lad along resulting in him becoming a camera assistant,' sound was just starting to come in. A year later he was ferrying film from the cameramen back to the studio for processing but going by tube instead of by taxi, as he was told to do but charging for a taxi on his expenses, making more money that way than his £1 a week wages, After that he wanted to get into features. When technicolor arrived in Britain he was asked to direct the first one at Denham which was Wings of the Morning, He went to see the head of Technicolor and talked his way into a job mainly in the labs and became the first permanent employee when new labs were built at Denham, working on Thief of Baghdad, With the outbreak of war he went into the RAF but in their film unit and found his friend Jack Cardiff there making A Matter of Life and Death and got Christopher in working as lighting cameraman with Geoffrey Unsworth on The River then as camera operator on The Red Shoes, When Jack left Christopher became a fixture with The Archers film producers firstly on The Small Back Room with Freddie Francis as his operator, Sound on Colonel Blimp took 4 men to lift the Technicolor camera which could only go up and down because of its weight and size. If it had gone sideways it would have tipped over, It took over 2 weeks walking round Shropshire looking for suitable locations for Gone to Earth as there were no jeeps in those days so everything had to be carried over fields, Jennifer Jones had married Selznick 2 weeks previously so he was more or less blackmailed into using her as he financed most of the film, Powell refused to direct and Pressburger to write but Christopher went over as representative but was unable to take any of his crew so the gaffer was Gregg Toland ,, In one instance Jennifer was in a candle lit bedroom scene when Selznick came in and said there was too much light, Christopher said he'd brought him over and if he wasn't happy he'd go back home. Selznick saw the rushes next day & publicly apologised. Technicolor, on the strength of the film decided to build labs over here and employed staff who in the main had all been educated to university level He served time in the RAF but in their film unit- Director
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Guy Green is well known to film audiences. Formerly a cinematographer, he was the first British D.P. to receive an Academy Award for his black-and-white photography on David Lean's Great Expectations (1946). He founded the British Society of Cinematographers together with Freddie Young and Jack Cardiff.
Green worked with Lean on several films, and it was this close association that inspired him to give up cinematography at the height of his career to become a director. While directing two early pictures, Triple Deception (1956) and Desert Patrol (1958), Green became associated with actors Richard Attenborough and Michael Craig, and The Angry Silence (1960) was first conceived when the three were involved in filming "Sea Of Sand" in the 140-degree heat of the Libyan desert. The film became a landmark in the careers of all concerned, and brought Green international attention. It was Britain's first entry at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the International Critic's Award.
"The Angry Silence" was followed by The Mark (1961), which was critically applauded both in the US and Europe. Rod Steiger and Stuart Whitman give outstanding performances and Whitman was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Actor. The picture received the Samuel Goldwyn International Award and many other accolades.
Next came Light in the Piazza (1962), Green's first American production for MGM, followed by Diamond Head (1962) and the much acclaimed A Patch of Blue (1965). The screenplay for "Patch Of Blue," which was written by Green, was nominated for a Writer's Guild award and later received five Academy nominations, including Best Actress for newcomer Elizabeth Hartman. Shelley Winters received an Academy Award for her supporting performance as the mother.
Green then directed Luther (1974), the screen version of John Osborne's play, for the prestigious American Film Theater, with Stacy Keach in the leading role. Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough (1975) followed and subsequently he has directed a number of important made-for-television movies.
Born in the west of England, Green had a love of movies at a very young age. His first job was as a projectionist aboard the ocean liner The Majestic, which brought him to America for the first time. He also worked in London as a portrait photographer and as an assistant cameraman for an advertising agency. Eventually he managed to land a job as a camera assistant at Shepperton Studios in London and worked his way up from there.
He met his wife Josephine while they were both working on David Lean's Oliver Twist (1948)/ They have two children, Marilyn and Michael, who both work in the film industry.