Jack Cardiff(1914-2009)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Almost universally considered one of the greatest cinematographers of
all time, Jack Cardiff was also a notable director. He described his
childhood as very happy and his parents as quite loving. They performed
in music hall as comedians, so he grew up with the fun that came with
their theatrical life in pantomime and vaudeville. His father once
worked with Charles Chaplin. His parents
did occasional film appearances, and young Jack appeared in some of
their films, such as
My Son, My Son (1918), at the age
of four. He had the lead in
Billy's Rose (1922) with his parents
playing his character's parents in the film. Jack was a production
runner, or what he would call a "general gopher", for
The Informer (1929) in which his
father appeared. For one scene he was asked by the first assistant
cameraman to "follow focus", which he said was his first real brush
with photography of any kind, but he claimed that it was the lure of
travel that led to him joining a camera department making films in a
studio. He had, however, become impressed with the use of light and
color in paintings by the age of seven or eight, and described how he
watched art directors in theaters painting backdrops setting lights.
His friend Ted Moore was also a camera
assistant in this period when both worked in a camera department run by
Freddie Young, who would also
become a legendary cinematographer. He worked for
Alfred Hitchcock during the
filming of The Skin Game (1931).
By 1936 Cardiff had risen to being a camera operator at Denham Studios
when the Technicolor Company hired him on the basis of what he told
them in interview about the use of light by master painters. This led
to his operating camera for the first Technicolor film shot in Britain,
Wings of the Morning (1937).
He finally was offered the full position of director of photography by
Michael Powell for
A Matter of Life and Death (1946),
ironically working in B&W for the first time in some sequences. His
next assignment was on
Black Narcissus (1947), where he
acknowledged the influence of painters Vermeer and Caravaggio and their
use of shadow. He won the Academy Award for best color cinematography
for this film. Jack certainly got to travel when it was decided to
shoot The African Queen (1951)
on location in the Congo.
Errol Flynn offered Jack the chance
to direct
The Story of William Tell (1953)
that would star Flynn. It would have been the second film made in
CinemaScope had it been completed, but the production ran out of money
part way through filming in Switzerland.
It has been said that Marilyn Monroe
requested that Jack photograph
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).
Although he had already directed some small productions, he had a
critical breakthrough with
Sons and Lovers (1960). He
continued directing other films through the 1960s, including the
commercial hit
Dark of the Sun (1968), but for
the most part returned to working for other directors as a very
sought-after cinematographer in the 1970s and beyond. He continued to
work into the new century, almost until his death. He was made an OBE
in 2000 and received a lifetime achievement award at the 73rd Academy
Awards.
all time, Jack Cardiff was also a notable director. He described his
childhood as very happy and his parents as quite loving. They performed
in music hall as comedians, so he grew up with the fun that came with
their theatrical life in pantomime and vaudeville. His father once
worked with Charles Chaplin. His parents
did occasional film appearances, and young Jack appeared in some of
their films, such as
My Son, My Son (1918), at the age
of four. He had the lead in
Billy's Rose (1922) with his parents
playing his character's parents in the film. Jack was a production
runner, or what he would call a "general gopher", for
The Informer (1929) in which his
father appeared. For one scene he was asked by the first assistant
cameraman to "follow focus", which he said was his first real brush
with photography of any kind, but he claimed that it was the lure of
travel that led to him joining a camera department making films in a
studio. He had, however, become impressed with the use of light and
color in paintings by the age of seven or eight, and described how he
watched art directors in theaters painting backdrops setting lights.
His friend Ted Moore was also a camera
assistant in this period when both worked in a camera department run by
Freddie Young, who would also
become a legendary cinematographer. He worked for
Alfred Hitchcock during the
filming of The Skin Game (1931).
By 1936 Cardiff had risen to being a camera operator at Denham Studios
when the Technicolor Company hired him on the basis of what he told
them in interview about the use of light by master painters. This led
to his operating camera for the first Technicolor film shot in Britain,
Wings of the Morning (1937).
He finally was offered the full position of director of photography by
Michael Powell for
A Matter of Life and Death (1946),
ironically working in B&W for the first time in some sequences. His
next assignment was on
Black Narcissus (1947), where he
acknowledged the influence of painters Vermeer and Caravaggio and their
use of shadow. He won the Academy Award for best color cinematography
for this film. Jack certainly got to travel when it was decided to
shoot The African Queen (1951)
on location in the Congo.
Errol Flynn offered Jack the chance
to direct
The Story of William Tell (1953)
that would star Flynn. It would have been the second film made in
CinemaScope had it been completed, but the production ran out of money
part way through filming in Switzerland.
It has been said that Marilyn Monroe
requested that Jack photograph
The Prince and the Showgirl (1957).
Although he had already directed some small productions, he had a
critical breakthrough with
Sons and Lovers (1960). He
continued directing other films through the 1960s, including the
commercial hit
Dark of the Sun (1968), but for
the most part returned to working for other directors as a very
sought-after cinematographer in the 1970s and beyond. He continued to
work into the new century, almost until his death. He was made an OBE
in 2000 and received a lifetime achievement award at the 73rd Academy
Awards.