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John F. Seitz Biography (1892-1979)

Born June 23, 1892, in Chicago, IL; died, February 27, 1979, in Woodland, CA;brother of George B. Seitz (a director); married, Marie Boyle, 1934. Career: Cinematographer. Worked for St. Louis Motion Picture Company as laboratory technician, 1909; joined Metro Pictures, 1916; President, American Society of Cinematographers, 1929-30. Credited with many technical innovations: invented the matte shot (pre-photographed backgrounds with action foregrounds); held eighteen patents on photographic inventions; retired, 1960. Awards,Honors: Academy Award nomination, best cinematography, 1930, for TheDivine Lady; Academy Award nomination, best cinematography--black-and-white, 1943, for Five Graves to Cairo; Academy Award nomination, best cinematography--black-and-white, 1945, for Double Indemnity; Academy Award nomination, best cinematography--black-and-white, 1946, for The Lost Weekend; Academy Award nomination, best cinematography--black-and-white, 1950, for Sunset Boulevard; Academy Award nomination (shared with W. Howard Greene), best cinematography--color, 1951, for When Worlds Collide;Academy Award nomination, best cinematography--black-and-white, 1954, for Rogue Cop..

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Cinematographer

Birth Details

June 23, 1892

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Death Details

February 27, 1979

Woodland, California, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Film Work
• Director of Photography
• Ranger of Lonesome Gulf, 1913
• The Quagmire, 1913
• Edged Tools, 1915
• Souls in Pawns, 1917
• Whose Wife?, 1917
• Beauty and the Rogue, Mutual Film Corporation, 1918
• Powers That Prey, Mutual Film Corporation, 1919
• Hearts Are Trumps, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1920
• Shores Acres, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1920
• The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Stokey Video, 1921
• Uncharted Seas, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1921
• The Conquering Power, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1921
• Trifling Women, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1922
• The Prisoner of Zenda, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1922
• Turn to the Right, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1922
• Where the Pavement Ends, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1923
• Scaramouche, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1923
• The Arab, Metro Pictures Corporation, 1924
• The Price of a Party, Associated Exhibitors, 1924
• Classmates, First National Pictures, 1924
• Mare Nostrum, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1926
• The Magician, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1926
• The Fair Co-Ed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1927
• The Patsy (also known as The Politic Flapper), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1928
• Across to Singapore, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1928
• Outcast, First National Pictures, 1928
• Adoration, First National Pictures, 1928
• Saturday's Children, First National Pictures, 1929
• Her Private Life, First National Pictures, 1929
• The Divine Lady, First National Pictures, 1929
• The Trail of '98, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1929
• The Squall, First National Pictures, 1929
• Careers, First National Pictures, 1929
• Hard to Get, First National Pictures, 1929
• A Most Immoral Lady, First National Pictures, 1929
• The Painted Angel (also known as The Broadway Hostess), Warner Bros., 1929
• Back Pay, Warner Bros., 1930
• In the Next Room, First National Pictures, 1930
• Murder Will Out, First National Pictures, 1930
• Sweethearts and Wives, First National Pictures, 1930
• Road to Paradise, Warner Bros./First National Pictures, 1930
• The Bad Man, First National Pictures, 1930
• Kismet, First National Pictures, 1930
• Young Sinners, Fox Film Corporation, 1931
• Over the Hill, Fox Film Corporation, 1931
• Misbehaving Ladies, Warner Bros., 1931
• Merely Mary Ann, Fox Film Corporation, 1931
• Men of the Sky, Warner Bros., 1931
• Hush Money, Fox Film Corporation, 1931
• East Lynne, Fox Film Corporation, 1931
• The Right of Way, Warner Bros./First National Pictures, 1931
• The Age for Love, United Artists, 1931
• The Woman in Room 13, Fox Film Corporation, 1932
• Six Hours to Live, Fox Film Corporation, 1932
• A Passport to Hell, Fox Film Corporation, 1932
• Careless Lady, Fox Film Corporation, 1932
• She Wanted a Millionaire, Fox Film Corporation, 1932
• Paddy the Next Best Thing, Fox Film Corporation, 1933
• Mr. Skitch, Fox Film Corporation, 1933
• Ladies They Talked About (also known as Women in Prison), Warner Bros., 1933
• Dangerously Yours, Fox Film Corporation, 1933
• Adorable, Fox Film Corporation, 1933
• Springtime for Henry, Fox Film Corporation, 1934
• Coming-Out Party, Fox Film Corporation, 1934
• Carnival in Paris, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1934
• All Men Are Enemies, Fox Film Corporation, 1934
• Marie Galante, Fox Film Corporation, 1934
• Our Little Girl, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1935
• One More Spring, Fox Film Corporation, 1935
• Navy Wife (also known as Beauty's Daughter), TwentiethCentury-Fox, 1935
• The Littlest Rebel, Twentieth Century-Fox 1935
• Helldorado, Fox Film Corporation, 1935
• The Farmer Takes a Wife, Fox Film Corporation, 1935
• Curly Top, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1935
• Poor Little Rich Girl, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936
• Fifteen Maiden Lane (also known as 15 Maiden Lane), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936
• The Country Doctor, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936
• Captain January, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1936
• Navy Blue and Gold, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937
• Between Two Women (also known as Surrounded by Women), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937
• Madame X, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1937
• Young Dr. Kildare, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938
• Stablemates, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938
• Love is a Headache, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938
• Lord Jeff (also known as The Boy from Barnardo's), Loew's, Inc., 1938
• The Crowd Roars, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1938
• Thunder Afloat, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• Sergeant Madden, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• Prophet Without Honor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• The Hardy's Ride High, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• Bad Little Angel, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• 6000 Enemies (also known as Six Thousand Enemies), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (also known as Huckleberry Finn), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939
• A Little Bit of Heaven, Universal, 1940
• Dr. Kildare's A Strange Case, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940
• Dr. Kildare's Crisis, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1940
• Sullivan's Travels, Paramount, 1941
• The Moon and Sixpence, Favorite Films Corporation, 1942
• Lucky Jordan, Paramount, 1942
• Fly by Night (also known as Secrets of G32), Paramount, 1942
• This Gun for Hire, Paramount, 1942
• Five Graves to Cairo, Paramount, 1942
• The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, Paramount, 1944
• The Hour Before Dawn, Paramount, 1944
• Casanova Brown, Independent Releasing Corporation, 1944
• Hail to Conquering Hero, Paramount, 1944
• Double Indemnity, Paramount, 1944
• The Unseen, Paramount, 1945
• The Lost Weekend, Paramount, 1945
• The Well-Groomed Bride, Paramount, 1946
• Home, Sweet Homicide, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1946
• Wild Harvest, Paramount, 1947
• The Imperfect Lady (also known as Mrs. Loring's Secrets), Paramount, 1947
• Calcutta, Paramount, 1947
• Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Paramount, 1948
• Beyond Glory, Paramount, 1948
• On Our Merry Way (also known as A Miracle Can Happen), United Artists, 1948
• Saigon, Paramount, 1948
• The Great Gatsby, Paramount, 1949
• Chicago Deadline, Paramount, 1949
• The Goldbergs (also known as Molly), Paramount, 1950
• Captain Carey, U.S.A. (also known as After Midnight), Paramount, 1950
• Sunset Boulevard, Paramount, 1950
• When Worlds Collide, Paramount, 1951
• Dear Brat, Paramount, 1951
• Appointment With Danger, Paramount, 1951
• The Savage, Paramount, 1952
• The San Francisco Story, Warner Bros., 1952
• The Iron Mistress, Warner Bros., 1952
• Botany Bay, Paramount, 1953
• Desert Legion, Universal, 1953
• Invaders from Mars, Fox, 1953
• Many Rivers to Cross, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954
• Rogue Cop, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1954
• Saskatchewan (also known as O'Rourke of the Royal Mounted), Universal, 1954
• The McConnell Story (also known as The Tiger in the Sky), Warner Bros., 1955
• A Cry in the Night, Warner Bro., 1956
• Hell on Frisco Bay, Warner Bros., 1956
• Santiago (also known as The Gun Runner), Warner Bros., 1956
• The Big Land (also known as Stampeded), Warner Bros., 1957
• The Deep Six, Warner Bros., 1957
• The Badlanders, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1958
• Island of Lost Women, Warner Bros., 1959
• The Man in the Net, United Artists, 1959
• Guns of the Timberland, Warner Bros., 1960

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

• International Dictionary of Film and Filmmakers-4, Writers and Production Artists, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 1993.

Periodicals:

• Film Comment, summer, 1972.
• Films in Review, October 1967, .
• Focus on Film, no. 13, 1973.*