Burnett Guffey,

A.S.C. The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of ci ...

(May 26, 1905 – May 30, 1983) was an American

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. He won two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

: ''

From Here to Eternity ''From Here to Eternity'' is a 1953 American drama romance war film directed by Fred Zinnemann, and written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones. The picture deals with the tribulations of three U.S. A ...

'' (1953) and ''

Bonnie and Clyde Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (October 1, 1910May 23, 1934) and Clyde Chestnut (Champion) Barrow (March 24, 1909May 23, 1934) were an American criminal couple who traveled the Central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. The c ...

'' (1967).

Career

While still a teenager, the future Academy Award-winning cinematographer began as a camera assistant in 1923 on

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's 1924 western saga '' The Iron Horse.'' He was then hired by the

Famous Players-Lasky Famous Players-Lasky Corporation was an American motion picture and distribution company formed on June 28, 1916, from the merger of Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Film Company—originally formed by Zukor as Famous Players in Famous Plays—and ...

Studios in 1927, became a camera operator in 1928 and worked there until 1943. Guffey was hired as a Director of Photography by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

in 1944. In 1957–58, he served as president of the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

(A.S.C.) for a year, and had been a long-standing member. According to film critic Spencer Selby, Guffey was a prolific

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American '' ...

cinematographer, shooting 20 of them, including ''

In a Lonely Place ''In a Lonely Place'' is a 1950 American film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame, produced for Bogart's Santana Productions. The script was written by Andrew P. Solt from Edmund H. North's adaptation of ...

'' (1950).American Society of Cinematographers
. "Lonely America: The Noir Cinematography of Burnett Guffey ASC," 2007. Last accessed: January 2, 2007.

Filmography

* ''

Love Over Night ''Love Over Night'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film produced and distributed by Pathé Exchange and starring Rod La Rocque. The film was directed by Edward H. Griffith. A print of ''Love Over Night'' is said to be held at the Museum of Mo ...

'' (1928) * ''Fairways and Foul'' (1929) * ''Tahiti Nights'' (1944) * ''The Unwritten Code'' (1944) * ''Kansas City Kitty'' (1944) * ''The Soul of a Monster'' (1944) * ''U-Boat Prisoner'' (1944) * '' Sailor's Holiday'' (1944) * ''

My Name Is Julia Ross ''My Name Is Julia Ross'' is a 1945 American gothic film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis, and starring Nina Foch, Dame May Whitty, and George Macready. Its plot follows a young woman in England who is hired as a live-in secretary for an ailing ...

'' (1945) * ''

The Girl of the Limberlost ''The Girl of the Limberlost'' is a 1945 American drama film starring Ruth Nelson, Dorinda Clifton, and Loren Tindall, and directed by Mel Ferrer. The film is based on a 1909 novel by Gene Stratton-Porter, which was previously filmed in 1909 as ...

'' (1945) * '' The Gay Senorita'' (1945) * ''The Blonde from Brooklyn'' (1945) * ''Eve Knew Her Apples'' (1945) * ''I Love a Mystery'' (1945) * ''

Eadie Was a Lady ''Eadie Was a Lady'' is a 1945 American musical comedy. Plot Eadie Allen is a student at Glen Moor College and the niece of a wealthy Boston socialite (Aunt Priscilla) in Back Bay. She has secretly taken a new job as a dancer in a seedy burlesq ...

'' (1945) * ''

Gallant Journey ''Gallant Journey'' (aka ''The Great Highway'') is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford and Janet Blair. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph Mo ...

'' (1946) * '' So Dark the Night'' (1946) * ''

Night Editor ''Night Editor'' is a 1946 B-movie film noir directed by Henry Levin and based on a popular radio program of the same name. The script for the film was based on a previous radio program episode "Inside Story.". The movie was to be the first in ...

'' (1946) * ''

A Bird in the Head ''A Bird in the Head'' is a 1946 short subject directed by Edward Bernds starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Howard). It is the 89th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures starrin ...

'' (1946) * ''The Notorious Lone Wolf'' (1946) * ''Meet Me on Broadway'' (1946) * ''A Close Call for Boston Blackie'' (1946) * ''The Fighting Guardsman'' (1946) * '' Framed'' (1947) * ''

Johnny O'Clock ''Johnny O'Clock'' is a 1947 American film noir crime film starring Dick Powell and Evelyn Keyes, and directed by Robert Rossen. Plot Johnny O'Clock (Dick Powell) is a junior partner in a posh casino with Guido Marchettis ( Thomas Gomez). Com ...

'' (1947) * ''The Gallant Blade'' (1948) * ''Screen Snapshots: Smiles and Styles'' (1948) * ''Screen Snapshots: Photoplay Gold Medal Awards'' (1948) * ''

The Sign of the Ram ''The Sign of the Ram'' is a 1948 American film noir directed by John Sturges and screenplay by Charles Bennett, based on a novel written by Margaret Ferguson. The drama features Susan Peters and Alexander Knox. It also featured Ron Randell. Th ...

'' (1948) * ''

To the Ends of the Earth ''To the Ends of the Earth'' is the title given to a trilogy of nautical, relational novels—''Rites of Passage'' (1980), ''Close Quarters'' (1987), and ''Fire Down Below'' (1989)—by British author William Golding. Set on a former British ...

'' (1948) * ''And Baby Makes Three'' (1949) * ''

All the King's Men ''All the King's Men'' is a 1946 novel by Robert Penn Warren. The novel tells the story of charismatic populist governor Willie Stark and his political machinations in the Depression-era Deep South. It was inspired by the real-life story of U ...

'' (1949) * '' The Reckless Moment'' (1949) * ''

The Undercover Man ''The Undercover Man'' is a 1949 American crime film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis and starring Glenn Ford. Plot Frank Warren is a treasury agent assigned to put an end to the activities of a powerful mob crime boss. The agent struggles to pu ...

'' (1949) * ''

Knock on Any Door ''Knock on Any Door'' is a 1949 American courtroom trial film noir directed by Nicholas Ray and starring Humphrey Bogart. The picture gave actor John Derek his breakthrough role, and was based on the 1947 novel of the same name by Willard Motley ...

'' (1949) * ''Emergency Wedding'' (1950) * ''

Convicted In law, a conviction is the verdict reached by a court of law finding a defendant guilty of a crime. The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal (that is, "not guilty"). In Scotland, there can also be a verdict of " not proven", which is co ...

'' (1950) * ''

'' (1950) * ''Father Is a Bachelor'' (1950) * '' The Family Secret'' (1951) * '' Two of a Kind'' (1951) * ''

Sirocco Sirocco ( ), scirocco, or, rarely, siroc (see below) is a Mediterranean wind that comes from the Sahara and can reach hurricane speeds in North Africa and Southern Europe, especially during the summer season. Names ''Sirocco'' derives from ...

'' (1951) * ''

Assignment – Paris! ''Assignment – Paris!'' is a 1952 American Cold War film noir directed by Robert Parrish and starring Dana Andrews, Märta Torén, George Sanders and Audrey Totter. Premise Paris-based ''New York Herald Tribune'' reporter Jimmy Race (Andrews) ...

'' (1952) * '' The Sniper'' (1952) * '' Scandal Sheet'' (1952) * ''

'' (1953) * ''The Last Posse'' (1953) * ''The Bamboo Prison'' (1954) * '' Private Hell 36'' (1954) * ''

Human Desire ''Human Desire'' is a 1954 American film noir drama film directed by Fritz Lang and starring Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame and Broderick Crawford. It is loosely based on Émile Zola's 1890 novel ''La Bête humaine''. The story had been filmed twice ...

'' (1954) * ''Three Stripes in the Sun'' (1955) * '' Count Three and Pray'' (1955) * ''

Tight Spot ''Tight Spot'' is a 1955 American film noir crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Ginger Rogers, Edward G. Robinson and Brian Keith. The story was inspired by Senator Estes Kefauver's tactics in coercing Virginia Hill to testify in th ...

'' (1955) * '' The Violent Men'' (1955) * ''

Storm Center ''Storm Center'' is a 1956 American film noir drama directed by Daniel Taradash. The screenplay by Taradash and Elick Moll focuses on what were at the time two very controversial subjects— Communism and book banning—and took a strong stance a ...

'' (1956) * '' The Harder They Fall'' (1956) * ''Battle Stations'' (1956) * '' Decision at Sundown'' (1957) * '' The Brothers Rico'' (1957) * ''

The Strange One ''The Strange One'' is a 1957 American film noir about students faced with an ethical dilemma in a military college in the Southern United States. It was directed by Jack Garfein, produced by Sam Spiegel, and was adapted from a novel and stage p ...

'' (1957) * '' Nightfall'' (1957) * ''

Me and the Colonel ''Me and the Colonel'' is a 1958 American comedy film based on the play ''Jacobowsky und der Oberst'' by Franz Werfel. It was directed by Peter Glenville and stars Danny Kaye, Curd Jürgens and Nicole Maurey. Kaye won a Golden Globe Award for ...

'' (1958) * '' Screaming Mimi'' (1958) * ''

The True Story of Lynn Stuart ''The True Story of Lynn Stuart'' (originally titled ''The Other Life of Lynn Stuart'') is a 1958 American biographical crime drama film starring Betsy Palmer, Jack Lord, Barry Atwater and released by Columbia Pictures. Marking the final dire ...

'' (1958) * '' Edge of Eternity'' (1959) * '' They Came to Cordura'' (1959) * ''

Gidget Gidget () is a fictional character created by author Frederick Kohner (based on his teenaged daughter, Kathy) in his 1957 novel, ''Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas''. The novel follows the adventures of a teenaged girl and her surfing fri ...

'' (1959) * ''Let No Man Write My Epitaph'' (1960) * ''

Hell to Eternity ''Hell to Eternity'' is a 1960 American World War II film starring Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone and Patricia Owens, directed by Phil Karlson. This film biopic is about the true experiences of Marine hero Pfc. Guy Gabaldon (played b ...

'' (1960) * '' The Mountain Road'' (1960) * '' Mr. Sardonicus'' (1961) * '' Homicidal'' (1961) * '' Cry for Happy'' (1961) * ''

Kid Galahad ''Kid Galahad'' is a 1962 American musical film starring Elvis Presley as a boxer. It was released by United Artists in August 1962 and opened at #9 at the American box office. ''Variety'' ranked it #37 on its list of the top-grossing films of 19 ...

'' (1962) * ''

Birdman of Alcatraz Robert Franklin Stroud (January 28, 1890 – November 21, 1963), known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a convicted murderer, American federal prisoner and author who has been cited as one of the most notorious criminals in the United S ...

'' (1962) * ''

Good Neighbor Sam ''Good Neighbor Sam'' is a 1964 American Eastman Color screwball comedy film co-written and directed by David Swift, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Jack Finney. The film stars Jack Lemmon, Romy Schneider, Dorothy Provine, Michael ...

'' (1964) * ''

Flight from Ashiya ''Flight from Ashiya'' (aka ''Ashiya Kara no hiko'') is a 1964 film about the U.S. Air Force's Air Rescue Service, flying from Ashiya Air Base, Japan. In this fictionalized American-Japanese co-production film set in the early 1960s, a flight ...

'' (1964) * '' King Rat'' (1965) * ''

The Silencers ''The Silencers'' is the title of a 1962 spy novel by Donald Hamilton, the fourth in a series of books featuring assassin Matt Helm. Plot summary When a female agent in Mexico is killed before Helm can complete his mission to extract her, he f ...

'' (1966) * '' The Ambushers'' (1967) * ''

'' (1967) * ''

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' may refer to: * ''How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' (book), a 1952 book written by Shepherd Mead and the inspiration for the musical of the same name. * ''How to Succeed in Bu ...

'' (1967) * '' The Split'' (1968) * ''

The Madwoman of Chaillot ''The Madwoman of Chaillot'' (french: La Folle de Chaillot) is a play, a poetic satire, by French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, written in 1943 and first performed in 1945, after his death. The play is in two acts. The story concerns an eccentric woma ...

'' (1969) * ''

Some Kind of a Nut ''Some Kind of a Nut'' is a 1969 American comedy film written and directed by Garson Kanin and starring Dick Van Dyke, Angie Dickinson and Rosemary Forsyth. This was the final film of Dennis King. Plot Fred Amidon is a New York City bank tell ...

'' (1969) * ''

The Learning Tree ''The Learning Tree'' is a 1969 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Gordon Parks. It depicts the life of Newt Winger, a teenager growing up in Cherokee Flats, Kansas, in the 1920s, and chronicles his journey into manhood ...

'' (1969) * ''Where It's at'' (1969) * ''

Halls of Anger ''Halls of Anger'' is a 1970 American drama film directed by Paul Bogart, and starring Calvin Lockhart, Janet MacLachlan, Jeff Bridges and James A. Watson Jr. Plot A predominantly black high school is integrated by white students and trouble fo ...

'' (1970) * ''

The Great White Hope ''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1 ...

'' (1970) * '' Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came'' (1970) * ''The Steagle'' (1971)

Awards

Wins *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, for ''

'', 1954 *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, for ''

'', 1968 Nominations *

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

: Golden Globe, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, for ''

'', 1950 *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, for '' The Harder They Fall'', 1957 *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, for ''

'', 1963 *

: Oscar, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, for '' King Rat'', 1966

References

External links

* * *
Burnett Guffey
at Film Reference
''Film Noirs''
photographed by Burnett Guffey
Burnett Guffey
four film trailers at

Spike TV Paramount Network is an American basic cable television channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Media Networks. The network's headquarters are located at the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Los Angeles. The channel was ...

( iFilm) {{DEFAULTSORT:Guffey, Burnett American cinematographers 1905 births 1983 deaths Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners People from Cocke County, Tennessee People from Goleta, California