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Joseph Francis Biroc, (February 12, 1903 – September 7, 1996) was an American cinematographer. He was born in New York City and began working in films at the Paragon Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey. After working there for approximately six years, he moved to Los Angeles. Once in Southern California, Biroc worked at the RKO Pictures. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and filmed the Liberation of Paris in August 1944. In 1950, Biroc left RKO Pictures and freelanced on projects at various studios. He frequently collaborated with director Robert Aldrich.
In addition to his film work, which included It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), Biroc worked on various television series, including the Adventures of Superman.
Biroc won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for The Towering Inferno (1974), which he shared with Fred J. Koenekamp, with a previous nomination for Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964). He also won two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for the TV movie Brian's Song and one for the series Casablanca. In 1988, he received the American Society of Cinematographers' Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work.
Two years later, he started working at Craftsman Labs in New York from 1920 to 1923 and shortly for Goldwyn Pictures in Culver City, California in 1923. After his time at Goldwyn Pictures, Biroc returned to New York and took a job as film printer for Famous Players–Lasky, where he was shortly after promoted to assistant cameraman. After Famous Players–Lasky shut down in 1927, Biroc moved to Los Angeles to work for United Artists prior to moving to RKO Pictures to work as a camera operator. Biroc started at RKO Pictures by serving as assistant to cinematographers Leo Tover, Robert De Grasse, and Edward Cronjager. During his time at RKO Pictures, Biroc worked on Cimarron (1931), Swing Time (1936), and Shall We Dance (1937). He also worked on A Woman Rebels (1936), Sylvia Scarlett (1935), and Five Came Back (1939) (among others), but received no screen credit as RKO Pictures hardly credited camera operators. His last work before World War II was for Bombardier (1943).
In 1943, Biroc began his career as a motion picture cameraman in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Two years later, he filmed the brutalities at the Dachau concentration camp in Germany while serving as captain of the sixth detachment alongside George Stevens's Special Motion Picture Coverage Unit. The end of the war marked a significant period in Biroc's life as he achieved the rank of captain and eventually, the rank of major. He also obtained his first credit as cinematographer for It's A Wonderful Life (1946). Following this, Biroc “served as cinematographer for the first 3-D American feature length film in color” titled Bwana Devil (1952).
In 1952, Biroc began his association with producer-director Robert Aldrich, starting with shooting an episode of The Doctor and moving onto films such as Attack (1956), World for Ransom (1954), Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte for which Biroc received his first Oscar nomination, The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), and The Longest Yard (1974). Biroc also “shot film for network television early on, such as musical shorts featuring Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, and Louis Armstrong" – a feat considered rare for cameramen during the time period. During the majority of the 1950s, Biroc focused on television – both black and white and color. Biroc concluded his career in the 1970s and 1980s with work on television movies, specials, and miniseries.
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Biroc worked alongside four-time Oscar nominated cinematographer Joseph Walker in filming It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and achieved his first on-screen credit for his contribution.
Bwana Devil (1952)
Biroc was the cinematographer for the first feature-length 3-D color film in history, Bwana Devil (1952). He writes in an article for the American Cinematographer, “while other 3-D systems have employed dual cameras, none have pursued the theory that the 3-D cameras should see and record the scene exactly as the human eyes see it.” (336, August 1952). He goes on to explain how Natural Vision, the corporation he worked with, provided a different experience with 3-D pictures as it induced no eye strain.
Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977)
Biroc wrote an article for American Cinematographer where he explained the process behind filming the series (1977). In the article he mentions how the producers of the movie wanted the sets to look like actual locations, so each set had to have a big ceiling on it. He also mentions how he achieved a widespread shot for a scene – “we used a hospital chair as a dolly…we put a board across the handles of the wheelchair and the camera operator sat on the board.”
Hammett (1982)
Biroc worked with director Wim Wenders and producers Fred Roos, Ronald Colby, and Don Guest to achieve a classic lighting look for Hammett (1982). He stated in an interview with Richard Patterson for American Cinematographer, “Actually the way I photograph is the way they photographed 40, 50, 60, 80 years ago. It's just basic lighting and basic photography.”
Death
Biroc “was survived by one sister, Agnes Kronmeyer who of Cranford, NJ, and four grandchildren.”
Filmography
Film
1929 The Rescue Herbert Brenon with George Barnes & James Wong Howe 1943 Bombardier Richard Wallace 1946 It's a Wonderful Life Frank Capra with Joseph Walker 1947 Magic Town William A. Wellman 1948 On Our Merry Way Leslie Fenton
King Vidor My Dear Secretary Charles Martin 1949 Roughshod Mark Robson Johnny Allegro Ted Tetzlaff Mrs. Mike Louis King 1950 The Killer That Stalked New York Earl McEvoy 1951 Cry Danger Robert Parrish All That I Have William F. Claxton The Bushwhackers Rod Amateau 1952 Loan Shark Seymour Friedman Without Warning! Arnold Laven Red Planet Mars Harry Horner Bwana Devil Arch Oboler 1953 The Tall Texan Elmo Williams The Glass Wall Maxwell Shane The Twonky Arch Oboler Vice Squad Arnold Laven Donovan's Brain Felix E. Feist Appointment in Honduras Jacques Tourneur 1954 Riders to the Stars Richard Carlson Uncredited World for Ransom Robert Aldrich Down Three Dark Streets Arnold Laven The Steel Cage Walter Doniger 1955 Bengazi John Brahm 1956 Ghost Town Allen H. Miner Nightmare Maxwell Shane Quincannon, Frontier Scout Lesley Selander Attack Robert Aldrich Tension at Table Rock Charles Marquis Warren The Black Whip 1957 The Ride Back Allen H. Miner The Garment Jungle Vincent Sherman China Gate Samuel Fuller Run of the Arrow The Unknown Terror Charles Marquis Warren The Amazing Colossal Man Bert I. Gordon Forty Guns Samuel Fuller 1958 Underwater Warrior Andrew Marton Home Before Dark Mervyn LeRoy Born Reckless Howard W. Koch 1959 Verboten! Samuel Fuller The Bat Crane Wilbur The FBI Story Mervyn LeRoy 1960 Ice Palace Vincent Sherman 13 Ghosts William Castle 1961 Gold of the Seven Saints Gordon Douglas Operation Eichmann R. G. Springsteen The Devil at 4 O'Clock Mervyn LeRoy Sail a Crooked Ship Irving Brecher 1962 Hitler Stuart Heisler Convicts 4 Millard Kaufman Confessions of an Opium Eater Albert Zugsmith 1963 Bye Bye Birdie George Sidney Toys In The Attic George Roy Hill Promises! Promises! King Donovan Under the Yum Yum Tree David Swift Gunfight at Comanche Creek Frank McDonald 1964 Viva Las Vegas George Sidney Ride the Wild Surf Don Taylor Bullet for a Badman R. G. Springsteen To Trap a Spy Don Medford Kitten with a Whip Douglas Heyes The Young Lovers Samuel Goldwyn Jr. Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Robert Aldrich 1965 I Saw What You Did William Castle The Flight of the Phoenix Robert Aldrich 1966 The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming Norman Jewison The Swinger George Sidney Warning Shot Buzz Kulik 1967 Enter Laughing Carl Reiner Who's Minding the Mint? Howard Morris Tony Rome Gordon Douglas Fitzwilly Delbert Mann 1968 The Detective Gordon Douglas The Legend of Lylah Clare Robert Aldrich Lady in Cement Gordon Douglas The Killing of Sister George Robert Aldrich 1969 What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? Lee H. Katzin 1970 Too Late the Hero Robert Aldrich 1971 Mrs. Pollifax-Spy Leslie H. Martinson Escape from the Planet of the Apes Don Taylor The Grissom Gang Robert Aldrich The Organization Don Medford 1972 Ulzana's Raid Robert Aldrich 1973 Emperor of the North Pole Cahill U.S. Marshal Andrew V. McLaglen 1974 Blazing Saddles Mel Brooks The Towering Inferno John Guillermin with Fred J. Koenekamp The Longest Yard Robert Aldrich Shanks William Castle 1975 Hustle Robert Aldrich 1976 The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox Melvin Frank 1977 The Choirboys Robert Aldrich 1979 Beyond the Poseidon Adventure Irwin Allen 1980 Airplane! 1981 ...All the Marbles Robert Aldrich 1982 Hammett Wim Wenders with Philip H. Lathrop Ken Finkleman
Television
1950 Dick Tracy 5 episodes 1952 China Smith Episode: "Straight Settlement" Four Star Playhouse Episode: "The Officer and the Lady" 1953 I'm the Law 14 episodes 1954 The Mickey Rooney Show 5 episodes Dear Phoebe Episode: "The Christmas Show" The Lone Wolf 3 episodes Police Call Episode: "Montreal" 1954-55 Treasury Men in Action 12 episodes 1955 The Man Behind the Badge Episode: "The Case of the Hunted Hobo" My Friend Flicka Episode: "The Stranger" Screen Directors Playhouse Episode: "The Final Tribute" 1955-56 TV Reader's Digest 3 episodes 1956 General Electric Summer Originals Episode: "It's Sunny Again" 1956-58 Adventures of Superman 26 episodes 1957 General Electric Theater Episode: "Mr. Kensington's Finest Hour" Alfred Hitchcock Presents Episode: "Silent Witness" 1957-58 Playhouse 90 3 episodes 1958 The Thin Man Episode: "Unlucky Lucky Numbers" Hey, Jeannie! Episode: "The Landlord" Alcoa Theatre 2 episodes 1959 Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Episode: "Checkmate" Richard Diamond, Private Detective 4 episodes The David Niven Show Episode: "The Twist of the Key" The Detectives Episode: "The Streger Affair" 1959-60 Hotel de Paree 2 episodes 1960 The DuPont Show with June Allyson Episode: "Escape" Goodyear Theatre Episode: "Author at Work" 1960-61 Checkmate 3 episodes 1962-63 Empire 4 episodes 1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Episode: "The Vulcan Affair" 1972 Ghost Story Episode: "The New House" 1983 Casablanca 5 episodes 1985 Hell Town Episode: "Father of Hell Town"
Television films and miniseries
Refs:
1956 Cavalry Patrol Failed pilot 1958 The Adventures of Superpup 1971 Brian's Song 1972 Gidget Gets Married Playmates The Crooked Hearts 1974 Wonder Woman Failed pilot Honky Tonk Thursday's Game 1976 The Moneychangers 1977 1977 1978 A Family Upside Down Little Women The Clone Master 1980 Kenny Rogers as The Gambler Scruples 1982 Desperate Lives 1984 The Jerk, Too 1985 A Death in California 1986 Outrage! A Winner Never Quits 1987 Time Out for Dad
Awards and nominations
+
!Institution
!Year
!Category
!Work
!Result
! Academy Awards 1965 Best Cinematography (Black & White) Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte
/ref>1975 Best Cinematography The Towering Inferno
/ref>American Society of Cinematographers 1988 Lifetime Achievement Award Primetime Emmy Awards 1972 Outstanding Cinematography for a Movie Made for Television Brian's Song 1977 Outstanding Cinematography for a Series The Moneychangers 1978 Outstanding Cinematography for a Movie Made for Television A Family Upside Down Outstanding Cinematography for a Series 1979 Little Women 1980 Outstanding Cinematography for Limited Series or Movie Kenny Rogers as The Gambler 1983 Outstanding Cinematography for a Series Casablanca 1985 Outstanding Cinematography for Limited Series or Movie A Death in California Society of Camera Operators 1986 Governors' Award
Bibliography and further reading
External links
Categories: 1903 Births, 1996 Deaths, American Cinematographers, American War Correspondents, Artists From New York City, Best Cinematographer Academy Award Winners, Military Personnel From New York City, Military Personnel From New York, People From Union City, New Jersey, United States Army Officers, United States Army Personnel Of World War Ii, United States Army Signal Corps Personnel
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