John Alton
| John Alton, A.S.C. | |
|---|---|
Screen-capture
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| Born |
Johann Jacob Altmann October 5, 1901 Sopron, Austria-Hungary |
| Died | June 2, 1996 (aged 94) Santa Monica, California |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Spouse(s) | Rozalia Kiss |
John Alton A.S.C. (October 5, 1901 – June 2, 1996), born Johann Jacob 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.
Alton photographed some of the most famous films noir of the classic period. He began as a lab technician in Los Angeles 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 of the time.
Alton was known for unconventional camera angles—especially low camera shots. His style is most notable in the films noir: He Walked by Night, The Big Combo, The Amazing Mr. X, T-Men, and Raw Deal.
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