Jordan Scott Cronenweth, ASC (February 20, 1935 – November 29, 1996) was an American cinematographer based in Los Angeles, California. Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential cinematographers of all time, he is best remembered for his BAFTA Award-winning work on the groundbreaking science fiction film Blade Runner,[1] which is credited as codifying the cyberpunk aesthetic.[2][3] A contemporary of Conrad Hall, his style consisted of heavily textured, film noir-inspired photography, seen in numerous classic films, including Zandy's Bride, Gable and Lombard, Altered States, and Peggy Sue Got Married.
Jordan Cronenweth | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jordan Scott Cronenweth February 20, 1935 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | November 29, 1996 (aged 61) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1969–1992 |
| Known for | Blade Runner Altered States Peggy Sue Got Married Stop Making Sense |
| Children | Jeff Cronenweth |
| Awards | |
In 1987, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and he received an ASC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases for his work on Peggy Sue Got Married.[4][5]
Life and career
editBorn in Los Angeles, California on February 20, 1935, Cronenweth attended North Hollywood High School and later Los Angeles City College, majoring in Engineering. While in college he interned as a film lab assistant at Columbia Pictures and acted as a cameraman on the 1955 musical film Oklahoma!.[6]
His widely acclaimed[7][8] work on the science fiction-noir Blade Runner won the Best Cinematography Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and got a BSC Award nomination and BAFTA Film Award. He won a 1987 ASC Award and earned an Academy Award nomination for Peggy Sue Got Married.
Cronenweth was initially hired as the director of photography for The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension, but halfway through production producers replaced him with Fred J. Koenekamp.[9]
A 2003 poll of his peers conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild placed Cronenweth among the ten most influential cinematographers of all time.[10][11]
Personal life
editHe and his first wife Carol had three children, Christie Cronenweth, Tim Cronenweth, and two-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth.[12] He was later married to Shane Cronenweth for 17 years.
Illness and death
editCronenweth was originally misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1978, and correctly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1981. He continued working in film and commercials as a cinematographer, and in several commercials as director/cameraman, for another 13 years despite considerable physical challenges.
He was replaced six weeks into the production of Alien 3 after falling ill, and died in 1996 at the age of 61 as a result of Parkinson's disease.[13]
Filmography
editShort film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | A Christmas Memory | Frank Perry | Segment of Trilogy; With Vincent Saizis and Conrad Hall |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Brewster McCloud[a] | Robert Altman |
| 1971 | The Touch of Satan | Don Henderson |
| 1972 | Cry for Me, Billy | William A. Graham |
| Play It as It Lays | Frank Perry | |
| 1974 | The Nickel Ride | Robert Mulligan |
| Zandy's Bride | Jan Troell | |
| The Front Page | Billy Wilder | |
| 1976 | Gable and Lombard | Sidney J. Furie |
| 1977 | Handle with Care | Jonathan Demme |
| Rolling Thunder | John Flynn | |
| 1980 | Altered States | Ken Russell |
| 1981 | Cutter's Way | Ivan Passer |
| 1982 | Best Friends | Norman Jewison |
| Blade Runner | Ridley Scott | |
| 1986 | Just Between Friends | Allan Burns |
| Peggy Sue Got Married | Francis Ford Coppola | |
| 1987 | Gardens of Stone | |
| 1990 | State of Grace | Phil Joanou |
| 1992 | Final Analysis |
- ^ With Lamar Boren
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Birds of Prey | William A. Graham |
| 1977 | One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story | |
| 1978 | And I Alone Survived | |
| 1979 | Transplant |
Concert film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Stop Making Sense | Jonathan Demme | |
| 1988 | U2: Rattle and Hum | Phil Joanou | Colour segment |
| 1991 | Get Back | Richard Lester | With Robert Paynter |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | BAFTA Awards | Best Cinematography | Blade Runner | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | Best Cinematography | Won | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle | Best Cinematographer | Won | ||
| British Society of Cinematographers | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 1986 | Academy Awards | Best Cinematography | Peggy Sue Got Married | Nominated |
| American Society of Cinematographers | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Won |
References
edit- ^ Lightman, Herb A. and Richard Patterson (March 1999). Cinematography for Blade Runner. Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine American Cinematographer
- ^ "Cinematography for Blade Runner - page 1". theasc.com. Archived from the original on 2016-11-29. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ^ "Blade Runner: The Cinematography of Jordan Cronenweth". DIY Photography. 2014-04-17. Archived from the original on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-20.
- ^ "Blade Runner: The Cinematography of Jordan Cronenweth". DIY Photography. 2014-04-17. Archived from the original on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ^ "ICG Announces Top 10 Influential Cinematographers". Creative Planet Network. 2014-06-09. Archived from the original on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ^ "JORDAN CRONENWETH". www.cinematographers.nl. Archived from the original on 2017-04-20. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ^ ""Oh, My...." Cinematography: Blade Runner". "Oh, My...." Cinematography. Archived from the original on 2018-09-02. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ^ "The Cinematography of "Blade Runner" (1982) – Evan E. Richards". Evan E. Richards. 2009-07-23. Archived from the original on 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2017-09-07.
- ^ Ryan, Mike (2011-01-26). "Jeff Cronenweth on His Oscar Nomination for The Social Network and Joining His Late Father as a Nominee". Movieline.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Staff report (October 17, 2003). Cinematographers pick their Top 11. Los Angeles Times
- ^ "Top 10 Most Influential Cinematographers Voted on by Camera Guild," October 16, 2003. Archived January 9, 2014, at the Wayback Machine Retrieved January 28, 2011.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-07-06. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Staff report (December 25, 1996). Memorial Service Set for Cronenweth. Los Angeles Times
External links
edit- Jordan Cronenweth at IMDb
- BRmovie.com – Jordan Cronenweth Profile