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.*

    User Contributions:

    Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic:

    CAPTCHA


    forum