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John F. Seitz

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John F. Seitz
Born
John Francis Seitz

June 23, 1892(1892-06-23)
Chicago,Illinois,U.S.
DiedFebruary 27, 1979(1979-02-27)(aged 86)
Woodland Hills, California,U.S.
Resting placeHoly Cross Cemetery
Occupation(s)CinematographerandInventor
Years active1916–1960
SpouseMarie Boyle (m. 1934)
Children2

John Francis Seitz,A.S.C.(June 23, 1892 – February 27, 1979) was anAmericancinematographerand inventor.[1]

He was nominated for sevenAcademy Awards.

Career

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His Hollywood career began in 1909 as a lab assistant with theEssanay Film Manufacturing Companyin Chicago. He worked as a lab technician for the American Film Manufacturing Company (known as Flying A), also in Chicago.[2]

Seitz got his first chance to establish himself as lead cameraman in 1916, and he achieved great success with the directorRex Ingram,most famously on theRudolph ValentinofilmThe Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse(1921).

Highly regarded by directorBilly Wilder,Seitz worked with him on thefilm noirsDouble Indemnity(1944),The Lost Weekend(1945), andSunset Boulevard(1950), receivingAcademy Awardnominations for each.

During his career, he received seven nominations forAcademy Award for Best Cinematography.In 1929, he served as president of theAmerican Society of Cinematographers(A.S.C.) for one year, and he had been a member since 1923. The A.S.C. named the 2002 Heritage Award after Seitz.[2]

Seitz retired in 1960 and devoted himself to photographic inventions for which he held 18patents.[2]An example of a Seitz invention is thematte shot:a large painting is photographed separately and later added to a scene to expand it, add effects, and/or create a sense of depth in backgrounds. He also was noted for his innovations with low-key lighting, which enhanced the film noir style.[3] A widower, he married screenwriter Marie Boyle in 1934 who raised his daughter Margaret Alice Marhoefer and later gave birth to a son, John Lawrence Seitz.

Seitz is buried in theHoly Cross Cemetery.

Filmography

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Source:[4]

Accolades

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  • Look Magazine Award: Cinematography The Lost Weekend; 1946
  • ASC Monthly Film Award: Sunset Blvd.; August 1950
  • George Eastman House Medal of Honor: (Outstanding Contribution to the Art of Motion Pictures 1915–1925); 1955

Nominations

References

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  1. ^John F. SeitzatIMDb.
  2. ^abcSteeman, AlbertArchived2018-09-14 at theWayback Machine.Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers,"John F. Seitz page," Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2007. Last accessed: December 13, 2007.
  3. ^John F. SeitzatAllMovie.
  4. ^Goble, Alan.The Complete Index to World Film, since 1885.2008.Index home page.
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