Laszlo Kovacs Biography (1933?-)

Given name is sometimes spelled "Lazlo"; born May 14, 1933 (some sources cite1932), near Budapest, Hungary; immigrated to the United States, 1957, naturalized citizen, 1963; son of Imre and Juliana Kovacs; married Audrey A. Vaught, March 18, 1984. Addresses: Agent: Shari Shankewitz, Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Cinematographer
Birth Details
May 14, 1933?
Hungary

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Film Cinematographer
  • The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-up Zombies!!? (also known as Diabolical Dr. Voodoo, The Incredibly Mixed Up Zombie, The Incredibly Strange Creature: Or Why I StoppedLiving and Became a Mixed-up Zombie, and The Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary), 1963
  • Holiday in Silk (documentary), 1963
  • Kiss Me Quick! (also known as Dr. Breedlove and Dr. Breedlove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love), 1964
  • Mark of the Gun, 1965
  • The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill, 1966
  • (As Art Radford) A Smell of Honey, a Swallow of Brine, 1966
  • (As Leslie Kovacks) Mondo Mod (documentary), 1967
  • (As Leslie Kovacs) Hell's Angels on Wheels, U.S. Films, 1967
  • A Man Called Dagger, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
  • (As Leslie Kovacs) Blood of Dracula's Castle (also known as Castle of Dracula and Dracula's Castle), Paragon, 1967
  • Single Room Furnished, Crown, 1968
  • Psych-Out (also known as Love Children), American International Pictures, 1968
  • The Savage Seven, American International Pictures, 1968
  • Targets (also known as Before I Die), Paramount, 1968
  • (As Leslie Kovacs) Mantis in Lace (also known as Lila and Lila: Mantis in Lace), 1968
  • Easy Rider, Columbia, 1969
  • That Cold Day in the Park, Commonwealth, 1969
  • The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1969
  • Getting Straight, Columbia, 1970
  • Alex in Wonderland, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1970
  • Five Easy Pieces, Columbia, 1970
  • Rebel Rousers (also known as Limbo and The Wild Rider), Four Star, 1970
  • Hell's Bloody Devils (also known as The Fakers, Operation M., Smashing the Crime Syndicate, and Swastika Savages),1970
  • The American Dreamer (documentary), 1970
  • The Last Movie (also known as Chinchero), Universal, 1971
  • (Uncredited) Dusty and Sweets McGee (documentary), Warner Bros., 1971
  • A Day with the Boys (short film), 1971
  • Directed by John Ford (short documentary film), 1971
  • A Reflection of Fear (also known as Autumn Child and Labyrinth), 1971
  • What's Up, Doc?, Warner Bros., 1972
  • Pocket Money, National General, 1972
  • The King of Marvin Gardens, Columbia, 1972
  • Steelyard Blues (also known as The Final Crash), Warner Bros., 1973
  • Slither, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1973
  • Paper Moon, Paramount, 1973
  • Huckleberry Finn (also known as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn:A Musical Adaptation), United Artists, 1974
  • For Pete's Sake (also known as July Pork Bellies), Columbia, 1974
  • Freebie and the Bean, Warner Bros., 1974
  • Shampoo, Columbia, 1975
  • Baby Blue Marine, Columbia, 1975
  • At Long Last Love, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1975
  • Nickelodeon, Columbia, 1976
  • Harry and Walter Go to New York, Columbia, 1976
  • New York, New York, United Artists, 1977
  • (With others) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (also known as CE3K, The Close Encounter of the Third Kind, and Watch the Skies), Columbia, 1977
  • F.I.S.T., United Artists, 1978
  • (With others) The Last Waltz, United Artists, 1978
  • Paradise Alley, Universal, 1978
  • The Rose, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • Heart Beat, Warner Bros., 1979
  • Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • The Runner Stumbles, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1979
  • Inside Moves, Associated, 1980
  • Blow Out, Filmways, 1981
  • The Legend of the Lone Ranger, EMI, 1981
  • Frances, Universal, 1982
  • The Toy, Columbia, 1982
  • Crackers, Universal, 1984
  • Ghostbusters, Universal, 1984
  • Mask (also known as Peter Bogdanovich's Mask), Universal, 1985
  • Legal Eagles, Universal, 1986
  • Little Nikita (also known as The Sleepers), Columbia, 1988
  • Say Anything..., Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
  • Shattered (also known as Plastic Nightmare), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Pathe, 1991
  • Radio Flyer, Columbia, 1992
  • Sliver, Paramount, 1993
  • Ruby Cairo (also known as Deception and The Missing Link: Ruby Cairo), Miramax, 1993
  • Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Warner Bros., 1993
  • Living History: Stanley Cortez, ASC (documentary), 1993
  • The Scout, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1994
  • The Next Karate Kid, Columbia, 1994
  • Copycat (also known as Copykill), Warner Bros., 1995
  • Multiplicity, Columbia, 1996
  • My Best Friend's Wedding, TriStar, 1997
  • Jack Frost (also known as Frost), Warner Bros., 1998
  • Return to Me, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 2000
  • Ljuset haaller mig saellskap (documentary; also known as LightKeeps Me Company), First Run Features, 2000
  • Miss Congeniality (also known as Miss Undercover), Warner Bros., 2001
  • Two Weeks Notice, Warner Bros., 2002
  • 13 Going on 30, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2004
  • Film Director
  • (With Vilmos Zsigmond) Lullaby (short film), 1963
  • Napfenyes Oszakar (documentary), 1997
  • Director (with Zsigmond) of Blue of the Sky (short film); also directed the documentaries Kik azok a zoldek and Oncsod.
  • Film Appearances
  • (Uncredited) The idiot, The Nasty Rabbit (also known as Spies A-Go-Go), Fairway, 1965
  • The American Dreamer, 1971
  • Fekete rozsa, 1979
  • Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (also known as Visions of Light), Kino International, 1993
  • Ljuset haaller mig saellskap (documentary; also known as LightKeeps Me Company), First Run Features, 2000
  • Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (documentary), Cactus Three, 2003
  • Also appeared in the film Nyitott Ablak.
  • Television Cinematographer
  • Series
  • National Geographic Specials, between 1964 and 1975
  • Time-Life Specials: The March of Time, 1965-1966
  • Other
  • Hungarn in Flammen (special; also known as Revolt in Hungary), CBS, 1957
  • Making of the President 1968 (special), 1969
  • Family (pilot for The Best Years), 1976
  • Television Appearances
  • Himself, I Love New York, 2002
  • RECORDINGS
  • Videos
  • Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage (also known as Shaking the Cage), Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1999
  • WRITINGS
  • Periodicals
  • Contributor of articles to periodicals, including American Cinematographer, American Film, Dialogue on Film, Ecran Fantastique, Filmkultura, and Filmmakers Newsletter.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Books
    • Schaefer, Dennis and Larry Salvato, Masters of Light: Conversations with Contemporary Cinematographers, 1984
    • Zone, Ray, editor, New Wave King: The Cinematography of Laszlo Kovacs,ASC, American Society of Cinematographer Press, 2002