Robert L. Surtees
| Robert Surtees | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 8, 1906 Covington, Kentucky, USA |
| Died | January 5, 1985 (aged 78) Monterey, California, USA |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1931–1978 |
| Known for |
The Bad and the Beautiful Ben-Hur The Graduate King Solomon's Mines The Last Picture Show Oklahoma! Same Time, Next Year The Sting Summer of '42 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo The Turning Point Quo Vadis |
| Spouse(s) | Maydell Surtees |
| Children | Linda Lowers Nancy Corby Thomas Surtees Bruce Surtees |
Robert L. Surtees, A.S.C. (September 8, 1906 – January 5, 1985) was an American cinematographer who won three Academy Awards for the films King Solomon's Mines, The Bad and the Beautiful and the 1959 version of Ben Hur. Surtees has worked at various studios, including Universal, UFA, Warner Brothers, and MGM alongside directors such as Robert Mulligan, Peter Bogdanovich, and Vincente Minnelli gaining him a reputation as one of the most versatile cinematographers to date.
Robert L. Surtees was born in Covington, Kentucky, on September 8, 1906. He grew up in Ohio where he got a job as a photographer and retoucher at a portrait studio in Cincinnati. Surtees then moved to New York City for a year to study photography, but always had a goal of becoming a cinematographer.
With an intention to attend college, Surtees moved to California in 1925. Roy C. Hunter at Universal offered him a job after some of his work was published in Towing Topics Automotive Club magazine. He assisted Harry Neumann, ASC, on a Hoot Gibson Western Hey, Hey Cowboy in 1925, Jerry Ash, ASC, on the Andy Gump comedies also in 1925, and Jackson Rose, ASC, on the Reginald Denny Leather Pushers series in 1926. The Man Who Laughs (1928), photographed by Gil Warrenton, ASC was Surtees' first high budget picture as an assistant.
...
Wikipedia