John Alton: Painting with Light

“Anything photographed by John Alton is an event. He was an artist.” — Martin Scorsese Few cinematographers have had as decisive an impact on the cinematic medium as John Alton, ASC. Best known for his highly stylized film noir classics “T-Men“, “Raw Deal“, and “The Big Combo“, Alton earned a reputation during the 1940s and 1950s as one of Hollywood’s consummate craftsmen through his visual signature of crisp shadows and sculpted beams of light. No less renowned for his virtuoso color cinematography and deft appropriation of widescreen and Technicolor, he earned an Academy Award in 1951 for his work on the musical “An American in Paris“. For educational purposes only. Non-commercial purposes.