For those newer to film noir, the name John Alton might not mean much. But for many noir enthusiasts, Alton’s contribution to the visual style of film noir is hard to overstate. He was the director of photography on well over a dozen noir pictures, creating a harsh visual tone that integrated beautifully with the darker stories being told in the films.
In true film noir fashion, John Alton broke the rules and pushed the envelope. Not just in terms of the actual film photography, but also in the way he viewed himself and what he was willing to share. He felt that he was an artist and an intellectual, when most industry cinematographers acted like tough technicians. Alton also made the daring step to release a how-to book on film photography in 1949 called Painting With Light. A move that his contemporaries saw as egotistical, and a betrayal of the industry code to maintain its secrets of filmmaking. And for those newer to the world of cinematography and wondering what a director of photography does for a movie, here are John Alton’s own words from that book…
Brief Biography
Early Career
John Alton was born in Hungary in 1901. But by 1919, he was living in New York, getting a glimpse into the sprouting motion picture industry. He got his first film position in the lab at Paramount Studios in New York. Then parlayed that experience into a job at the MGM lab after moving out to Hollywood.
In Hollywood, Alton was able to observe some legendary early directors at work. It was even a trip to Europe with Ernst Lubitsch that may have led to Alton’s few years of residence in Paris in the late 1920s. He then ventured to South America to help build the motion picture industry in Argentina, where he also shot many films as the lead cameraperson. It was not until 1939 that he and his wife Rozalia moved back to Hollywood.
With some old enemies at MGM, Alton was instead hired at RKO upon his return. He quickly proved himself as an efficient operator on lower budget films, while still managing to give them the look of a more expensive picture. He soon ended up at B studios Republic and Monogram before World War II service. Then finally got his big break into film noir in 1947.Â
Film Noir Years
Alton was loaned out to Eagle-Lion Films by Republic in 1947, at the specific request of a new promising director, Anthony Mann. They made T-Men together in 1947, which showcases some of the hardest lighting contrasts in all of noir history. More collaborations with Anthony Mann followed, as Alton continued to innovate in terms of film photography.
From 1947 to 1950, Alton shot 12 noir films. But one late standout picture in 1955, The Big Combo, is perhaps the movie most identified with John Alton now (pictured above). Worth noting too is Alton’s work in other genres/styles of film. In fact, his only Academy Award came from his work on the musical An American in Paris. Yet, it is largely his noir stylization that forms his major image.
After butting heads with John Frankenheimer in 1960 during the shooting of Birdman of Alcatraz, Alton unexpectedly called it quits in the film business. A move he later called his only mistake. He then enjoyed his later years painting, while being a bit reclusive from the motion picture industry. Fortunately, Alton did make more appearances later in life, which helped to spread the word about his tremendous work. Â
John Alton's Noir Films
In keeping with our goal of being a guide, we’d like to highlight the noir films of John Alton, so you can see them for yourself. Although, fair warning, some are difficult to track down.
Again, it is not our intention to get particular about which movies should carry the film noir designation, and which should not. So this list includes all of the movies we have seen associated with film noir in other references.
The Pretender (Republic, 1947)
T-Men (Eagle-Lion, 1947)
Raw Deal (Eagle-Lion, 1948)
Canon City (Eagle-Lion, 1948)
The Amazing Mr. X (Eagle-Lion, 1948)
Hollow Triumph (Eagle-Lion, 1948)
He Walked By Night (Eagle-Lion, 1948)
The Crooked Way (United Artists, 1949)
Reign of Terror (Eagle-Lion, 1949)
Border Incident (MGM, 1949)
Mystery Street (MGM, 1950)
Devil’s Doorway (MGM, 1950)
The People Against O’Hara (MGM, 1951)
Talk About a Stranger (MGM, 1952)
I, The Jury (United Artists, 1953)
Witness to Murder (United Artists, 1954)
The Big Combo (Allied Artists, 1955)
Slightly Scarlet (RKO, 1956)
Given this longer list, we have highlighted three films in particular. We feel these showcase John Alton’s artistry extremely well. So if you are looking for a place to start, we would recommend beginning with T-Men, He Walked By Night, and The Big Combo.
Legacy
With a long career (although not as long as some other major cinematographers), John Alton worked in many places and filmed a variety of films. But it is usually his film noir work that defines his legacy at this point. Even primarily in low budget noirs, his innovation was able to stretch the limits of cinematography. He was famous for floor positioned lighting, harsh contrasts, deep-focus lenses, expressionistic shadows, and much more.
His book Painting With Light is certainly dated at this point in terms of techniques and equipment, but it remains a fascinating read in our opinion as well. Alton’s unconventional ways and ideas around the purpose of cinematography transcend any other dating the book sees. A recent copy of his book also includes a foreword by John Bailey and an introduction by Todd McCarthy. In fact, we would like to call out those two works in particular as they were crucial references in writing this article (See References).
Interestingly though, like many visionaries and experimenters, John Alton was not particularly beloved by his peers while working. He had a tumultuous relationship with MGM and also the American Society of Cinematographers. But cult-like adoration from noir enthusiasts later on has thankfully given his legacy some resurgence. And now, his name is often discussed with other noir photography titans like Nicholas Musuraca. Or alongside later masters like Gordon Willis.Â
Love your insights, Dan. Very informative. I’m an artist and really appreciate the visual style of Noir. I’ve been a Noir fan since a class at Astoria-Kaufmann Studios in the 80’s. I think Alton’s work is superb and I’d also highlight Raw Deal. Similar framing and lighting to The Big Combo. I especially like the scene in Raw Deal on the boat as O’Keefe and Trevor are about to depart. He’s shot in shadow against a light foggy background and she’s shot in profile against a light gray wall with an extreme shadow cast by the clock on the wall. Keep up the good work.
P.S. I have been working on a series of Noir paintings honoring the Directors of Photography. Take a look if you’d like. marchinkley.com
Hi Marc – Thanks so much for kind words! Alton is really in the upper echelon in my eyes too, love watching any noir he photographed. I took a look at your noir paintings on your website’s fine art section, think they are awesome! I think the one from The Hunted is my favorite of the five. Given your background, I’m curious what your thoughts are on/if you have studied the beginnings of expressionist cinema, relative to expressionist art. I love watching and learning about 1920s German Expressionist films, as an influence on noir, but I am relatively new in terms of the pre-World War I expressionist art/culture that allowed early masterpieces like Caligari and Nosferatu to come to life.
Hi Dan. I’m happy you enjoyed my Noir work. I especially like “The Hunted-Harry Neumann” myself. The composition where light shoots diagonally across the scene, the positioning of the figures, the way they emerge from the dark background, it reminds me of the great Old Masters like Caravaggio. I studied early German Expressonist cinema at NYU. When I was there (many a year ago) you’d start your film studies through black and white before moving on to color, examining films like “Nosferatu,” “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” “Metropolis,” and “M.” Though my recollection of detail in those films is sketchy. As for painting and drawing, artists like George Grosz, Otto Dix and others, were working in styles that distorted visual reality, sometimes to the point of grotesqueness. Not unlike the distortions employed in those early German films. Looking forward to your next podcast!
Very interesting, Marc. Thank you! The Expressionist painting and drawing history is definitely something I want to learn more about in the future. Thanks again for the comments!