John A. Alonzo
Encyclopedia
John Alonzo, A.S.C.
(June 12, 1934 in Dallas, Texas
– March 13, 2001) was an American
cinematographer
who pioneered hand held work, lighting techniques and HD development during his career. He has an impressive list of films, but will probably be remembered mainly for Chinatown (1974) and Scarface
(1983).
Alonzo was not only the Director of Photography for some of the greatest American films of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but also the first American cinematographer of Mexican American and Latino heritage to become a member of the Cinematographer’s Union in Los Angeles, as well as the first to be inducted into the famed A.S.C.
.http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/29/arts/john-a-alonzo-cinematographer-66.html
(Season 2 - Episode 12 in Dust
as Luis Gallegos, Combat
, 77 Sunset Strip
and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."
A seminal moment came during the shooting of The Magnificent Seven
, in which Alonzo had a small role, when he met the cinematographer Charles Lang. This inspiring encounter, as well as the chance to briefly collaborate with James Wong Howe
a few years later, finally gave Alonzo the impetus to devote his life to cinematography. By the mid-‘60s, he was photographing many documentaries for National Geographic and the David L. Wolper Company, and greatly influencing the innovative “Look” of the New Hollywood that became so powerful in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
His uncomplicated and minimalistic style, combined with his first-hand knowledge of acting, made him one of the most in-demand directors of photography in Hollywood. The list of film classics on his résumé is extraordinary. In addition, he was not only one of the best “hand-held cameramen in Hollywood, but also a pioneer of high-def digital cinematography. In 1993/94 he shot (for NBC) the first HD movie in the history of American television, World War II – When Lions Roared.
John A. Alonzo died in 2001 after a long illness, at home in Brentwood, California. During his lifetime he had already become a “Living Legend” for aspiring cinematographers. Perhaps his best known student is two-time “Oscar” winner John Toll
, who began his career as Alonzo’s assistant on films like
Black Sunday
, Norma Rae
, Tom Horn
and Scarface
.
In 2007, director Axel Schill helmed a feature documentary about Alonzo, The Man Who Shot Chinatown—Cameraman John A. Alonzo.
CHINATOWN. 1975 Oscar Nomination for Best Camera and 1975 BAFTA Nomination for Best Camera
WORLD WAR 2 – WHEN LIONS ROARED, 1994 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Mini-Series or a Special
LANSKY, 1999 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Cinematograhy for a Miniseries or a Movie
FAIL-SAFE, 2000 Emmy Award Outstanding Lighting Direction, shared with Kim Killingsworth
1964 THE LEGEND OF JIMMY BLUE EYES (short), Oscar Nomination for Best Short Film
1965 REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME (doc.) (TV),
1965 MAYHEM ON A SUNDAY (Second Unit Camera) (doc.) (TV),
1965/66 MARCH OF TIME, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (doc.) (TV):
AUSTRALIA: THE TIMELESS LAND (Director & Cinematographer)
GRIZZLY
WINGED WORLD (Additional Photography)
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
1966-1968 WORLD OF ANIMALS (doc.) (TV)
BIG CATS, LITTLE CATS
WORLD OF HORSES (Additional Photography)
1967 THE BIG LAND (Additional Photography) (doc.) (TV)
1967 A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS (Additional Photography) (doc.) (TV)
1967-1968 DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN? (doc.) (TV)
1967-1968 UNDERSEA WORLD OF JACQUES COUSTEAU (doc.) (TV)
1968 SOPHIA: A SELF-PORTRAIT (TV)
1968 SAN SEBASTIAN 1746 IN 1968 (doc.) (TV)
1969 THE MOVIEMAKERS
1970 BLOODY MAMA
1971 VANISHING POINT
1971 GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT
1971 HAROLD & MAUDE
1971 CANNON (TV)
1971 REVENGE (TV)
1972 VISIONS (TV)
1972 SOUNDER
1972 LADY SINGS THE BLUES
1972 WATTSTAX
1972 PETE’N’ TILLIE
1973 THE VOYAGE OF THE YES (TV)
1973 HIT!
1973 GUESS WHO IS SLEEPING IN MY BED (TV)
1973 THE NAKED APE
1973 CHINATOWN, Oscar Nomination for Best Camera, BAFTA Nomination for Best Camera
1974 CONRACK
1975 ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH
1975 THE FORTUNE
1975 FAREWELL, MY LOVELY
1976 LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY’S BABY (TV)
1976 I WILL, I WILL…FOR NOW
1976 THE BAD NEWS BEARS
1977 BLACK SUNDAY
1977 BEYOND REASON
1977 WHICH WAY IS UP?
1977 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, Additional Cinematography
1978 CASEY’S SHADOW
1978 THE CHEAP DETECTIVE
1978 FM (Director)
1979 PORTRAIT OF A STRIPPER (Director, DP)
1979 NORMA RAE
1979 CHAMPIONS – A LOVE STORY (Director; DP)
1980 TOM HORN
1980 BELLE STAR (Director, DP) (TV)
1981 BACK ROADS
1981 ZORRO, THE GAY BLADE
1982 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (Director, DP) (TV)
1982 THE KID FROM NOWHERE (TV)
1983 BLUE THUNDER
1983 SCARFACE
1983 CROSS CREEK
1984 TERROR IN THE AISLES
1984 NO SMALL AFFAIR
1984 RUNAWAY
1985 OUT OF CONTROL
1986 NOTHING IN COMMON
1986 JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING
1987 OVERBOARD
1987 REAL MEN
1988 ROOTS: THE GIFT
1988 “KNIGHTWATCH” (TV)
1989 STEEL MAGNOLIAS
1989 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
1990 NAVY SEALS
1990 INTERNAL AFFAIRS
1990 THE GUARDIAN
1992 HOUSESITTER
1992 COOL WORLD
1993 THE METEOR MAN
1994 WORLD WAR TWO – WHEN LIONS ROARED (TV), Emmy Nomination Outstanding Achievement for Cinematography for a Mini-Series
1994 CLIFFORD
1994 STAR TREK – GENERATIONS
1995 THE GRASS HARP
1998 LETTERS FROM A KILLER
1999 LANSKY (TV) Emmy Nomination Outstanding Cinematography for a Mini-Series
2000 THE DANCING COW (short)
2000 FAIL SAFE (TV), Emmy Award Outstanding Lighting Direction shared with Kim Killingsworth
2000 THE PRIME GIG
2000 DEUCES WILD
2003 SCARFACE: ACTING DVD BONUS (with John Alonzo)
2003 SCARFACE: CREATING DVD BONUS (with John Alonzo)
2002 THE 74TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS TV Memorial Tribute
2000 GUNS FOR HIRE – THE MAKING OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, Documentary TV (with John Alonzo)
1998 THE MAKING OF SCARFACE Documentary VIDEO (with John Alonzo)
1992 VISIONS OF LIGHT, Documentary USA/Japan 90 min (with John Alonzo)
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
(June 12, 1934 in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
– March 13, 2001) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cinematographer
Cinematographer
A cinematographer is one photographing with a motion picture camera . The title is generally equivalent to director of photography , used to designate a chief over the camera and lighting crews working on a film, responsible for achieving artistic and technical decisions related to the image...
who pioneered hand held work, lighting techniques and HD development during his career. He has an impressive list of films, but will probably be remembered mainly for Chinatown (1974) and Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
(1983).
Alonzo was not only the Director of Photography for some of the greatest American films of the ‘70s and ‘80s, but also the first American cinematographer of Mexican American and Latino heritage to become a member of the Cinematographer’s Union in Los Angeles, as well as the first to be inducted into the famed A.S.C.
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
.http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/29/arts/john-a-alonzo-cinematographer-66.html
Film career
John Alonzo’s career began as part of the clean-up crew at television station WFAA in Dallas. However, within a short time he had made himself indispensable, not only building sets, hanging lights and moving cameras, but also directing cooking and children’s shows. Eventually he and actor Hank Williamson created a popular comedy duo: Alonzo became the voice and puppeteer of the irreverent “Señor Turtle,” who with Williamson as his sidekick, introduced movies and cartoons. In 1956, the show was picked up by station KHJ in Hollywood, where it lasted only 26 weeks. So Alonzo worked for a time as a still photographer, and as an actor, with appearances in several well-known shows such as Twilight ZoneTwilight zone
-Television series and spinoffs:*The Twilight Zone, the anthology television series and its franchise:**The Twilight Zone , the 1959–1964 original television series***Twilight Zone: The Movie, a 1983 film based on the original series...
(Season 2 - Episode 12 in Dust
Dust (The Twilight Zone)
"Dust" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone.-Synopsis:An unscrupulous peddler, after selling the executioner some rope needed for a hanging, sells a bag of "magic dust" to the condemned man's father. The condemned man had just been found guilty for murdering a...
as Luis Gallegos, Combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
, 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour."
A seminal moment came during the shooting of The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is an American Western film directed by John Sturges, and released in 1960. It is a fictional tale of a group of seven American gunmen who are hired to protect a small agricultural village in Mexico from a group of marauding Mexican bandits...
, in which Alonzo had a small role, when he met the cinematographer Charles Lang. This inspiring encounter, as well as the chance to briefly collaborate with James Wong Howe
James Wong Howe
James Wong Howe, A.S.C. was a Chinese American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films...
a few years later, finally gave Alonzo the impetus to devote his life to cinematography. By the mid-‘60s, he was photographing many documentaries for National Geographic and the David L. Wolper Company, and greatly influencing the innovative “Look” of the New Hollywood that became so powerful in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.
His uncomplicated and minimalistic style, combined with his first-hand knowledge of acting, made him one of the most in-demand directors of photography in Hollywood. The list of film classics on his résumé is extraordinary. In addition, he was not only one of the best “hand-held cameramen in Hollywood, but also a pioneer of high-def digital cinematography. In 1993/94 he shot (for NBC) the first HD movie in the history of American television, World War II – When Lions Roared.
John A. Alonzo died in 2001 after a long illness, at home in Brentwood, California. During his lifetime he had already become a “Living Legend” for aspiring cinematographers. Perhaps his best known student is two-time “Oscar” winner John Toll
John Toll
John Toll A.S.C. is a Cleveland-born American cinematographer.In 1978 he worked on his first film, Norma Rae, as camera operator. He won back-to-back Academy Awards for Best Cinematography in 1994 and 1995, for the movies Legends of the Fall and Braveheart.He was also nominated for an Academy...
, who began his career as Alonzo’s assistant on films like
Black Sunday
Black Sunday (1977 film)
Black Sunday is a 1977 American thriller film directed by John Frankenheimer and based on the novel by Thomas Harris. The film starred Robert Shaw, Bruce Dern, and Marthe Keller and was nominated for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture in 1978...
, Norma Rae
Norma Rae
Norma Rae is a 1979 American drama film that tells the story of a factory worker from a small town in North Carolina, who becomes involved in the labor union activities at the textile factory where she works...
, Tom Horn
Tom Horn
Thomas "Tom" Horn, Jr. was an American Old West lawman, scout, soldier, hired gunman, detective, outlaw and assassin. On the day before his 43rd birthday, he was hanged in Cheyenne, Wyoming, for the murder of Willie Nickell.-Early life:Born to Thomas S. Horn, Sr...
and Scarface
Scarface (1983 film)
Scarface is a 1983 American epic crime drama movie directed by Brian De Palma, written by Oliver Stone, produced by Martin Bregman and starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana...
.
In 2007, director Axel Schill helmed a feature documentary about Alonzo, The Man Who Shot Chinatown—Cameraman John A. Alonzo.
Awards
THE LEGEND OF JIMMY BLUE EYES, 1965 Oscar Nomination for Best Short FilmCHINATOWN. 1975 Oscar Nomination for Best Camera and 1975 BAFTA Nomination for Best Camera
WORLD WAR 2 – WHEN LIONS ROARED, 1994 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography for a Mini-Series or a Special
LANSKY, 1999 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Cinematograhy for a Miniseries or a Movie
FAIL-SAFE, 2000 Emmy Award Outstanding Lighting Direction, shared with Kim Killingsworth
Filmography
1961 A RAINBOW IN THE SAND (short)1964 THE LEGEND OF JIMMY BLUE EYES (short), Oscar Nomination for Best Short Film
1965 REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME (doc.) (TV),
1965 MAYHEM ON A SUNDAY (Second Unit Camera) (doc.) (TV),
1965/66 MARCH OF TIME, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC (doc.) (TV):
AUSTRALIA: THE TIMELESS LAND (Director & Cinematographer)
GRIZZLY
WINGED WORLD (Additional Photography)
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
1966-1968 WORLD OF ANIMALS (doc.) (TV)
BIG CATS, LITTLE CATS
WORLD OF HORSES (Additional Photography)
1967 THE BIG LAND (Additional Photography) (doc.) (TV)
1967 A NATION OF IMMIGRANTS (Additional Photography) (doc.) (TV)
1967-1968 DO BLONDES HAVE MORE FUN? (doc.) (TV)
1967-1968 UNDERSEA WORLD OF JACQUES COUSTEAU (doc.) (TV)
1968 SOPHIA: A SELF-PORTRAIT (TV)
1968 SAN SEBASTIAN 1746 IN 1968 (doc.) (TV)
1969 THE MOVIEMAKERS
1970 BLOODY MAMA
1971 VANISHING POINT
1971 GET TO KNOW YOUR RABBIT
1971 HAROLD & MAUDE
1971 CANNON (TV)
1971 REVENGE (TV)
1972 VISIONS (TV)
1972 SOUNDER
1972 LADY SINGS THE BLUES
1972 WATTSTAX
1972 PETE’N’ TILLIE
1973 THE VOYAGE OF THE YES (TV)
1973 HIT!
1973 GUESS WHO IS SLEEPING IN MY BED (TV)
1973 THE NAKED APE
1973 CHINATOWN, Oscar Nomination for Best Camera, BAFTA Nomination for Best Camera
1974 CONRACK
1975 ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH
1975 THE FORTUNE
1975 FAREWELL, MY LOVELY
1976 LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY’S BABY (TV)
1976 I WILL, I WILL…FOR NOW
1976 THE BAD NEWS BEARS
1977 BLACK SUNDAY
1977 BEYOND REASON
1977 WHICH WAY IS UP?
1977 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, Additional Cinematography
1978 CASEY’S SHADOW
1978 THE CHEAP DETECTIVE
1978 FM (Director)
1979 PORTRAIT OF A STRIPPER (Director, DP)
1979 NORMA RAE
1979 CHAMPIONS – A LOVE STORY (Director; DP)
1980 TOM HORN
1980 BELLE STAR (Director, DP) (TV)
1981 BACK ROADS
1981 ZORRO, THE GAY BLADE
1982 BLINDED BY THE LIGHT (Director, DP) (TV)
1982 THE KID FROM NOWHERE (TV)
1983 BLUE THUNDER
1983 SCARFACE
1983 CROSS CREEK
1984 TERROR IN THE AISLES
1984 NO SMALL AFFAIR
1984 RUNAWAY
1985 OUT OF CONTROL
1986 NOTHING IN COMMON
1986 JO JO DANCER, YOUR LIFE IS CALLING
1987 OVERBOARD
1987 REAL MEN
1988 ROOTS: THE GIFT
1988 “KNIGHTWATCH” (TV)
1989 STEEL MAGNOLIAS
1989 PHYSICAL EVIDENCE
1990 NAVY SEALS
1990 INTERNAL AFFAIRS
1990 THE GUARDIAN
The Guardian (1990 film)
The Guardian is a 1990 American horror film directed by William Friedkin and starring Jenny Seagrove, Dwier Brown and Carey Lowell. A cable television version of the film was credited to "Alan Von Smithee", indicating that Friedkin wished to disassociate himself from its release.This ended up as...
1992 HOUSESITTER
1992 COOL WORLD
1993 THE METEOR MAN
1994 WORLD WAR TWO – WHEN LIONS ROARED (TV), Emmy Nomination Outstanding Achievement for Cinematography for a Mini-Series
1994 CLIFFORD
1994 STAR TREK – GENERATIONS
1995 THE GRASS HARP
1998 LETTERS FROM A KILLER
1999 LANSKY (TV) Emmy Nomination Outstanding Cinematography for a Mini-Series
2000 THE DANCING COW (short)
2000 FAIL SAFE (TV), Emmy Award Outstanding Lighting Direction shared with Kim Killingsworth
2000 THE PRIME GIG
2000 DEUCES WILD
Film documentaries
2007 THE MAN WHO SHOT CHINATOWN – THE LIFE & WORK OF JOHN A.ALONZO, Documentary, Germany/GB/USA 77 min2003 SCARFACE: ACTING DVD BONUS (with John Alonzo)
2003 SCARFACE: CREATING DVD BONUS (with John Alonzo)
2002 THE 74TH ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS TV Memorial Tribute
2000 GUNS FOR HIRE – THE MAKING OF THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, Documentary TV (with John Alonzo)
1998 THE MAKING OF SCARFACE Documentary VIDEO (with John Alonzo)
1992 VISIONS OF LIGHT, Documentary USA/Japan 90 min (with John Alonzo)
External links
- "Das Kino durch die Kamera finden“ (taz 14.11.2007) http://www.taz.de/nc/1/archiv/digitaz/artikel/?ressort=ku&dig=2007%2F11%2F15%2Fa0189&src=G1&c
- http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1194960687823.shtml
- http://www.filmevona-z.de/filmaktuell.cfm?seite=2
- http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934159.html?categoryid=31&cs=1
- http://www.schnitt.de/202,3069,01
- http://www.art-tv.ch/4617-0-Kino-the-man-who-shot-chinatown.html
- http://www.themanwhoshotchinatown.com