John A. Alonzo
John A. Alonzo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | John Ayala Alonzo[1] June 12, 1934 |
| Died | March 13, 2001 (aged 66) Brentwood, California, U.S. |
| Occupations | Cinematographer, actor, director |
| Years active | 1967–2001 |
| Spouse(s) | Suzanne Heltzel (1954–1966) Jan Murray (?–2001; his death) |
| Children | Gorgiana Alonzo Angela Argenzia Cristiana Murray |
John Ayala Alonzo, ASC (June 12, 1934 – March 13, 2001) was an American cinematographer, television director, and actor.[2][3][4]
He was known for his naturalistic, Cinéma vérité-inspired photography featured in several works during the New Hollywood movement,[1] being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography on Roman Polanski's film Chinatown (1974).
In addition to films, Alonzo also innovated the use of high-definition video in television production.
Alonzo was also the first American cinematographer of Mexican descent to become a member of the Cinematographer's Union in Los Angeles, as well as the first to be inducted into the ASC.[5]
Early life
Alonzo was born in Dallas, Texas, as the son of Mexican immigrants Román Palomo Alonzo and María Alonzo, and was raised both in Dallas and in Guadalajara, Mexico.[1]
He graduated from North Dallas High School in 1953.
Career
Alonzo's career began as part of the clean-up crew at television station WFAA in Dallas, but within a short time, he had made himself indispensable, not only building sets, hanging lights and moving cameras, but also directing cooking and children's shows.
Eventually, he and actor Hank Williamson created a popular comedy duo: Alonzo became the voice and puppeteer of the irreverent "Señor Turtle", introduced movies and cartoons, with Williamson as his sidekick. In 1956, the show was picked up by station KHJ in Hollywood, where it lasted only 26 weeks. During this time, Alonzo worked as a still photographer and as an actor, with appearances in several well-known shows like The Twilight Zone, Combat!, 77 Sunset Strip, and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.
A seminal moment came during the shooting of The Magnificent Seven, in which Alonzo had a small role, but had the chance to meet cinematographer Charles Lang. This encounter, as well as the chance to briefly collaborate with James Wong Howe a few years later, gave Alonzo the input to make a career around cinematography.[6] This included having director Martin Ritt as a mentor before collaborating with him in his movies
By the mid-1960s, he was working on many documentaries for National Geographic and David L. Wolper's company. His work greatly influenced the innovative "look" of the New Hollywood era.
His uncomplicated and minimalistic style, combined with his first-hand knowledge of acting, made him one of the most in-demand cinematographers in Hollywood.[7]
In addition to films, Alonzo was also a pioneer of high-def digital cinematography, with NBC's World War II: When Lions Roared being the first HD movie in the history of American television.
Death and legacy
Alonzo died in 2001 after a long illness, at home in Brentwood, California.[6]
In 2007, director Axel Schill helmed a feature documentary about Alonzo, The Man Who Shot Chinatown – The Life & Work of John A. Alonzo.[8]
Two-time Oscar winner John Toll, began his career as Alonzo's assistant, working on films like Black Sunday, Norma Rae, Tom Horn and Scarface.
Filmography
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes | Robert Clouse |
| 2000 | The Dancing Cow | Taz Goldstein |
Feature film
Director
- FM (1978)
Cinematographer
* Posthumous release
Acting roles
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | The Gun Runners | Soldier in Car | Uncredited |
| 1960 | The Crowded Sky | Young Repairman | |
| The Magnificent Seven | Miguel | ||
| 1961 | The Long Rope | Manuel Alvarez | |
| Susan Slade | Engineer | Uncredited | |
| 1962 | Hand of Death | Carlos, lab assistant | |
| Terror at Black Falls | Carlos Avila | ||
| 1964 | Invitation to a Gunfighter | Manuel |
Television
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | The World of Peggy Lee | Nick Cominos |
| 1971 | Cannon | George McCowan |
| Revenge! | Jud Taylor | |
| 1972 | Visions... | Lee H. Katzin |
| 1973 | Voyage of the Yes | |
| Guess Who's Sleeping in My Bed? | Theodore J. Flicker | |
| 1976 | Look What's Happened to Rosemary's Baby | Sam O'Steen |
| 1979 | Champions: A Love Story | Himself |
| Portrait of a Stripper | ||
| 1980 | Belle Starr | |
| Blinded by the Light | ||
| 1982 | The Kid From Nowhere | Beau Bridges |
| 1988 | Roots: The Gift | Kevin Hooks |
| 1999 | Lansky | John McNaughton |
| 2000 | Fail Safe | Stephen Frears |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Knightwatch | Farhad Mann | Episode "Knights of the City" |
| 1994 | World War II: When Lions Roared | Joseph Sargent | Miniseries |
Acting credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Dragnet | Episode "The Big Border" | |
| 1959 | Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse | Episode "Ballad for a Bad Man" | |
| Border Patrol | Pete | Episode "A Bundle of Dope" | |
| The Thin Man | Bellboy | Episode "Cold Cargo" | |
| 1960 | Perry Mason | Pedro Guitterez | Episode "The Case of the Prudent Prosecutor" |
| 1961 | The Twilight Zone | Luis Gallegos | Episode "Dust" |
| Route 66 | Juan Domingo | Episode "Most Vanquished, Most Victorious" | |
| Bronco | Tony Gomez | Episode "Guns of the Lawless" | |
| Cheyenne | Rico | Episode "Winchester Quarantine" | |
| Ripcord | Amendarez | Episode "Top Secret" | |
| 1962 | Combat! | Bialos | Episodes "Cat and Mouse" and "The Prisoner" |
| 1962–63 | The Gallant Men | Cpl. Marsh / Sgt. Morales | Episodes "And Cain Cried Out" and "The Crucible" |
| 1963 | 77 Sunset Strip | Carlos Escheveria | Episode "The Man Who Wasn't There" |
| 1963–64 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Officer Miller / Cpl. Jack Osante | Episodes "The Long, Lost Life of Edward Smalley" and "Once Upon a Savage Night" |
| 1964 | Temple Houston | Long Maned Pony | Episode "Last Full Moon" |
| Nightmare in Chicago | Officer Miller | TV movie | |
| Alfred Hitchcock Presents | The Intern | Episode "The Gentleman from America" | |
| Destry | Jose | Episode "Ride to Rio Verde" | |
| 1966–67 | The Wild Wild West | Lightnin' McCoy / Sarrkan | Episodes "The Night of the Golden Cobra" and "The Night of the Surreal McCoy" |
| 1967 | Bewitched | Guard | Episode "Art for Sam's Sake" |
| 1969 | Bracken's World | Cameraman | Episode "The Chase Sequence" |
Documentary works
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | The World of Animals: It's a Dog's World | Alan Landsburg Joseph L. Scanlan |
With Vilis Lapenieks |
| 1967 | Do Blonds Have More Fun? | Mel Ferber | With Vilis Lapenieks, Stan Lazan and Kenneth Van Sickle |
| A Nation of Immigrants | Robert Abel Aram Boyajian Mel Stuart |
With Les Blank, Adam Giffard and Vilis Lapenieks | |
| The Big Land | David H. Vowell | With Vilis Lapenieks and Stan Lazan | |
| 1968 | The World of Animals: The World of Horses | Joseph L. Scanlan | With David Blewitt and Dieter Perschke |
| Sophia: A Self-Portrait | Robert Abel Mel Stuart |
With Roberto Gerardi | |
| The World of Animals: Big Cats, Little Cats | Bud Wiser | With David Blewitt, Robert Grant, J. Barry Herron, Fred Kaplan and Vilmos Zsigmond | |
| 1972 | Hollywood: The Dream Factory | With Jim Wilson | |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–69 | National Geographic Specials | Irwin Rosten Jeff Myrow Walon Green Heinz Sielmann Himself |
4 episodes |
| 1968 | The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau | Patrick Watson | Episode "Search in the Deep" |
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | San Sebastian 1746 in 1968 | Floyd L. Peterson |
| 1969 | The Moviemakers | Jay Anson |
Film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Wattstax | Mel Stuart | Concert film |
| 1984 | Terror in the Aisles | Andrew J. Kuehn | |
| 1986 | 50 Years of Action! | Douglass M. Stewart Jr. | With Charlie Clifton and Caleb Deschanel |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Academy Awards | Best Cinematography | Chinatown | Nominated |
| BAFTA Awards | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| 1994 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | World War II: When Lions Roared | Nominated |
| 1999 | Lansky | Won | ||
| 2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Light Direction | Fail Safe | Won |
References
- 1 2 3 Association, Texas State Historical. "John Ayala Alonzo: A Legacy in Cinematography". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
- ↑ Variety
- ↑ "Schnitt.de". Archived from the original on November 27, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ↑ "Art-tv.ch". Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
- ↑ "John A. Alonzo; Cinematographer, 66". The New York Times. March 29, 2001.
- 1 2 Bergan, Ronald (May 9, 2001). "John Alonzo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
- ↑ "Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved March 23, 2026.
She further tried to diminish his contribution by giving additional director of photography credits to Fraker, Douglas Slocombe, John Alonzo, and Laszlo Kovacs.
- ↑ "The man who shot chinatown- a film by Axel Schill". www.themanwhoshotchinatown.com. Retrieved March 24, 2026.