Directed credits
85
Prolific
Very extensive directing filmography.
Director
John Alton
Camera
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
0.4
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 84Directed series: 1All crew credits: 96
TMDB ID: 96252
IMDb ID: nm0023003
Known for: Camera
Born: October 5, 1901
Died: June 2, 1996
Age: 94
Place of birth: Sopron, Austria-Hungary
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1933 - 2006
Years active: 74
Average TMDB rating: 6.56
Wikidata: Q1699139
Frequent jobs
Director of Photography (83)Director (2)Cinematography (9)Additional Photography (2)
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).
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by John Alton.
Director of Photography
Birdman of Alcatraz
1962 • Movie
Director of Photography
Elmer Gantry
1960 • Movie
Director of Photography
12 to the Moon
1960 • Movie
Director of Photography
Lonelyhearts
1959 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Brothers Karamazov
1958 • Movie
Director of Photography
Designing Woman
1957 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Teahouse of the August Moon
1957 • Movie
Director of Photography
Tea and Sympathy
1956 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Catered Affair
1956 • Movie
Director of Photography
Slightly Scarlet
1956 • Movie
Director of Photography
Tennessee's Partner
1955 • Movie
Director of Photography
Pearl of the South Pacific
1955 • Movie
Director of Photography
Escape to Burma
1955 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Big Combo
1955 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Steel Cage
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Cattle Queen of Montana
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Passion
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Silver Lode
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Witness to Murder
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Duffy of San Quentin
1954 • Movie
Director of Photography
Take the High Ground!
1953 • Movie
Director of Photography
I, the Jury
1953 • Movie
Director of Photography
Count the Hours!
1953 • Movie
Director of Photography
Apache War Smoke
1952 • Movie
Series
Directed Series
Series directed by John Alton.
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with John Alton.
Additional Photography
Singin' in the Rain
1952 • Movie
Director of Photography
Birdman of Alcatraz
1962 • Movie
Director of Photography
Elmer Gantry
1960 • Movie
Additional Photography
An American in Paris
1951 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Big Combo
1955 • Movie
Director of Photography
Father of the Bride
1950 • Movie
Director of Photography
T-Men
1947 • Movie
Director of Photography
He Walked by Night
1949 • Movie
Director of Photography
Designing Woman
1957 • Movie
Director of Photography
Raw Deal
1948 • Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with John Alton.
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with John Alton.
Additional Photography
Singin' in the Rain
1952 • Movie
as Self (archive footage)
Glorious Technicolor
1998 • Movie
Director of Photography
Driftwood
1947 • Movie
Director of Photography
Passion
1954 • Movie
Cinematography
Amalia
1936 • Movie
Additional Photography
An American in Paris
1951 • Movie
Director of Photography
Tea and Sympathy
1956 • Movie
Director of Photography
Escala en la ciudad
1935 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Catered Affair
1956 • Movie
Director of Photography
Father of the Bride
1950 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Brothers Karamazov
1958 • Movie
Director of Photography
The Steel Cage
1954 • Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with John Alton.
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for John Alton.
Cinematography
Battle Circus
1953 • Movie
Additional Photography
Singin' in the Rain
1952 • Movie
Additional Photography
An American in Paris
1951 • Movie
Cinematography
Hit Parade of 1947
1947 • Movie
Cinematography
Doce mujeres
1939 • Movie
Cinematography
El matrero
1939 • Movie
Cinematography
Palermo
1937 • Movie
Cinematography
Cadetes de San Martín
1937 • Movie
Cinematography
Amalia
1936 • Movie
Cinematography
Crimen a las tres
1935 • Movie
Cinematography
The Three Amateurs
1933 • Movie
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for John Alton.
