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John Alton

John Alton

Known For Camera
Birthday Oct 05, 1901
Died Jun 02, 1996 (94)
Birthplace Sopron, Austria-Hungary
Popularity 0.1 (history)
Updated Aug 10, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

​John Alton A.S.C. (October 5, 1901 – June 2, 1996), born Johann 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. He ... photographed some of the most famous film noirs of the classic period. He started out in Los Angeles as a lab technician 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 in American cinema. Alton was known for unconventional camera angles—especially low camera shots. His style is most notable in the film noirs: He Walked by Night, The Big Combo, The Amazing Mr. X, T-Men, and Raw Deal. Alton also photographed many color movies including Slightly Scarlet (a color film noir).

Known For

Filmography

No data available

Birdman of Alcatraz

Birdman of Alcatraz

1962

Director of Photography

Elmer Gantry

Elmer Gantry

1960

Director of Photography

12 to the Moon

12 to the Moon

1960

Director of Photography

Lonelyhearts

Lonelyhearts

1959

Director of Photography

The Brothers Karamazov

The Brothers Karamazov

1958

Director of Photography

The Teahouse of the August Moon

The Teahouse of the August Moon

1957

Director of Photography

Designing Woman

Designing Woman

1957

Director of Photography

The Catered Affair

The Catered Affair

1956

Director of Photography

Tea and Sympathy

Tea and Sympathy

1956

Director of Photography

Slightly Scarlet

Slightly Scarlet

1956

Director of Photography

The Big Combo

The Big Combo

1955

Director of Photography

Escape to Burma

Escape to Burma

1955

Director of Photography

Tennessee's Partner

Tennessee's Partner

1955

Director of Photography

Pearl of the South Pacific

Pearl of the South Pacific

1955

Director of Photography

Silver Lode

Silver Lode

1954

Director of Photography

Cattle Queen of Montana

Cattle Queen of Montana

1954

Director of Photography

Passion

Passion

1954

Director of Photography

The Steel Cage

The Steel Cage

1954

Director of Photography

Witness to Murder

Witness to Murder

1954

Director of Photography

Duffy of San Quentin

Duffy of San Quentin

1954

Director of Photography

Battle Circus

Battle Circus

1953

Cinematography

Take the High Ground!

Take the High Ground!

1953

Director of Photography

Count the Hours!

Count the Hours!

1953

Director of Photography

I, the Jury

I, the Jury

1953

Director of Photography

Washington Story

Washington Story

1952

Director of Photography

Talk About a Stranger

Talk About a Stranger

1952

Director of Photography

Apache War Smoke

Apache War Smoke

1952

Director of Photography

The People Against O'Hara

The People Against O'Hara

1951

Director of Photography

Grounds for Marriage

Grounds for Marriage

1951

Director of Photography

An American in Paris

An American in Paris

1951

Additional Photography

Father's Little Dividend

Father's Little Dividend

1951

Director of Photography

Devil's Doorway

Devil's Doorway

1950

Director of Photography

Captain China

Captain China

1950

Director of Photography

Father of the Bride

Father of the Bride

1950

Director of Photography

Mystery Street

Mystery Street

1950

Director of Photography

Border Incident

Border Incident

1949

Director of Photography

Reign of Terror

Reign of Terror

1949

Director of Photography

The Crooked Way

The Crooked Way

1949

Director of Photography

Red Stallion In The Rockies

Red Stallion In The Rockies

1949

Director of Photography

He Walked by Night

He Walked by Night

1949

Director of Photography

Raw Deal

Raw Deal

1948

Director of Photography

The Amazing Mr. X

The Amazing Mr. X

1948

Director of Photography

Hollow Triumph

Hollow Triumph

1948

Director of Photography

Canon City

Canon City

1948

Director of Photography

Driftwood

Driftwood

1947

Director of Photography

The Trespasser

The Trespasser

1947

Director of Photography

The Pretender

The Pretender

1947

Director of Photography

Wyoming

Wyoming

1947

Director of Photography

Bury Me Dead

Bury Me Dead

1947

Director of Photography

The Ghost Goes Wild

The Ghost Goes Wild

1947

Director of Photography

Hit Parade of 1947

Hit Parade of 1947

1947

Cinematography

T-Men

T-Men

1947

Director of Photography

A Guy Could Change

A Guy Could Change

1946

Director of Photography

The Madonna's Secret

The Madonna's Secret

1946

Director of Photography

One Exciting Week

One Exciting Week

1946

Director of Photography

The Magnificent Rogue

The Magnificent Rogue

1946

Director of Photography

Affairs of Geraldine

Affairs of Geraldine

1946

Director of Photography

Girls of the Big House

Girls of the Big House

1945

Director of Photography

Song of Mexico

Song of Mexico

1945

Director of Photography

Love, Honor and Goodbye

Love, Honor and Goodbye

1945

Director of Photography

Atlantic City

Atlantic City

1944

Director of Photography

The Lady and the Monster

The Lady and the Monster

1944

Director of Photography

Storm Over Lisbon

Storm Over Lisbon

1944

Director of Photography

Lake Placid Serenade

Lake Placid Serenade

1944

Director of Photography

The Sultan's Daughter

The Sultan's Daughter

1943

Director of Photography

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

The Affairs of Jimmy Valentine

1942

Director of Photography

Johnny Doughboy

Johnny Doughboy

1942

Director of Photography

Ice Capades Revue

Ice Capades Revue

1942

Director of Photography

Moonlight Masquerade

Moonlight Masquerade

1942

Director of Photography

Power Dive

Power Dive

1941

Director of Photography

Forced Landing

Forced Landing

1941

Director of Photography

Devil Pays Off

Devil Pays Off

1941

Director of Photography

Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case

Mr. District Attorney in the Carter Case

1941

Director of Photography

Melody for Three

Melody for Three

1941

Director of Photography

The Courageous Dr. Christian

The Courageous Dr. Christian

1940

Director of Photography

Remedy for Riches

Remedy for Riches

1940

Director of Photography

Dr. Christian Meets the Women

Dr. Christian Meets the Women

1940

Director of Photography

Three Faces West

Three Faces West

1940

Director of Photography

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

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No data available

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 2 4 1
2024 7 5 8 2
2024 8 3 13 1
2024 9 2 4 1
2024 10 1 2 1
2024 11 2 4 1
2024 12 1 2 1
2025 1 2 6 1
2025 2 2 3 1
2025 3 1 2 1
2025 5 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 0 1 0

Trending Rank


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