Job Director
Shares birthday with Louise Dresser, Larry Fine, Joshua Logan  see more..

Fan Favorites:
See Full Filmography

John Alton Overview:

Director, John Alton, was born Johann Altmann on Oct 5, 1901 in Sopron, Austria-Hungary (now Hungary). Alton died at the age of 94 on Jun 2, 1996 in Santa Monica, CA .

HONORS and AWARDS:

.

John Alton was nominated for one Academy Award, winning for Best Cinematography for An American in Paris in 1951.

Academy Awards

YearAwardFilm nameRoleResult
1951Best CinematographyAn American in Paris (1951)N/AWon
.

BlogHub Articles:

Dynamic Duos Blogathon – Anthony Mann and

By Carol Martinheira on May 20, 2018 From The Old Hollywood Garden

Dynamic Duos Blogathon – Anthony Mann and On May 20, 2018 By CarolIn Uncategorized Anthony Mann and are one of the most overlooked partnerships in Hollywood history. And one of the greatest. In fact, I love them as a team so much, that when ... Read full article

See all articles

John Alton Quotes:

No Quote for this person.



Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
ENTER TO WIN Classic Film Tickets, Books and DVDs all year long!
CHECK OUT our Exclusive Interviews with Classic Movie Actors, Authors and more!
BROWSE these Classic Movie Best Sellers on Amazon!
Also a Libra

Jean Arthur

Gladys Georgianna Greene
Oct 17, 1900
Plattsburgh, NY

Greer Garson

Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson
Sep 29, 1904
London, UK

Linda Darnell

Monetta Eloyse Darnell
Oct 16, 1923
Dallas, TX

Joan Fontaine

Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland
Oct 22, 1917
Tokyo, Japan

Walter Matthau

Walter John Matthow
Oct 1, 1920
New York City, NY
See All Libras >>
Best Cinematography Oscar 1951
WINNER
William C. Mellor
A Place in the Sun
WINNER
Alfred Gilks; Ballet Photography by
An American in Paris
Nominee
Frank Planer
Death of a Salesman
Nominee
Norbert Brodine
The Frogmen
Nominee
Robert Burks
Strangers on a Train
Nominee
Harry Stradling
A Streetcar Named Desire
Nominee
Leon Shamroy
David and Bathsheba
Nominee
Robert Surtees, William V. Skall
Quo Vadis
Nominee
Charles Rosher
Show Boat
Nominee
John F. Seitz, W. Howard Greene
When Worlds Collide
See more Academy Awards>>
John Alton Facts
Although he had been a cinematographer since at least 1927, he didn't shoot his first color film until 1951, An American in Paris (1951) -- which got him an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
In 1960, following his work on Elmer Gantry (1960), he quit the movie business. He returned briefly in 1966 to direct photography for the pilot episode of the TV series "Mission: Impossible" (1966). Afterwards, he virtually disappeared. For years, even his closest friends did not know his whereabouts. In 1984, his work was honored at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado, with a tribute entitled, "Where is John Alton?" In 1993, at the age of 92, Alton heard about Visions of Light (1992), a documentary about cinematographers that included some of his movie work. He contacted the film's producer, Todd McCarthy, and asked to attend the premiere. McCarthy, who had hoped to include an interview with Alton in the film, was astonished to hear from him. Afterwards, Alton insisted that there was nothing mysterious in his disappearance, that he and his wife had simply decided to give up the movie business and travel a bit. They had lived in France, Germany, and Argentina, and had a great time. He died in 1996 at the age of 95.
He became one of the most controversial cinematographers during the 1940s and 1950s in Hollywood, causing all of the MGM cinematographers to file a complaint with studio head Dore Schary and MGM exec E.J. Mannix and the AMPAS regarding his contribution to An American in Paris (1951). The charges were refuted by the film's director Vincente Minnelli and star 'Gene Kelly (I)' . Alton further incited the wrath of American cinematographers by charging that the use of light beds above the sets was not only unnatural but forced cinematographers to work more slowly. He was a brilliant iconoclast who was forced to work on low-budget features because of his flamboyant behavior, which was considered outside of the norm for a very flamboyant Hollywood.
See All Related Facts >>