Bruce Surtees

Director Of Photography

About

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Also Known As

Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees

Birth Place

Los Angeles, California, USA

Born

July 23, 1937

Died

February 23, 2012

Cause of Death

Diabetes

Biography

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Born into the business, cinematographer Bruce Surtees made a name of his own by shooting a variety of modern classics, including "Dirty Harry" and "Beverly Hills Cop," an impressive feat considering the long shadow cast by his father, Robert, the man behind the lens of such pictures as "The Graduate" and "The Sting." Bruce Surtees got his start on Clint Eastwood pictures directed by Don ...

Filmography

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Director Of Photography

That Championship Season (1999)

Director Of Photography

Lethal Vows (1999)

Director Of Photography

Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998)

Director Of Photography

The Substitute (1996)

Director Of Photography

The Stars Fell On Henrietta (1995)

Director Of Photography

Photos & Videos

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Blume In Love (1973) -- (Movie Clip) I Hope The Plane Crashes!

Blume In Love (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Venice Brings Out The Love

Biography

Born into the business, cinematographer Bruce Surtees made a name of his own by shooting a variety of modern classics, including "Dirty Harry" and "Beverly Hills Cop," an impressive feat considering the long shadow cast by his father, Robert, the man behind the lens of such pictures as "The Graduate" and "The Sting." Bruce Surtees got his start on Clint Eastwood pictures directed by Don Siegel, such as "Coogan's Bluff," serving as camera operator before stepping up to the role of director of photography with "The Beguiled" in 1971. Siegel appreciated Surtees's innovative, fearless approach to filmmaking and worked with him again on several pictures, including "Dirty Harry," "The Outfit," and "Escape from Alcatraz." Clint Eastwood called on Surtees repeatedly as well, for such visually stunning films as "High Plains Drifter" and "Pale Rider." Recognized for his low-key, moody lighting, Surtees earned the nickname "Prince of Darkness," and his style earned him an Oscar nomination for "Lenny," the 1974 biopic featuring Dustin Hoffman as iconoclastic comedian Lenny Bruce. After creating gritty fare with renowned directors of the '70s such as Arthur Penn, Gordon Parks, and Bob Fosse, Surtees moved smoothly into the '80s with action comedies "Risky Business" and "Beverly Hills Cop." He earned critical acclaim yet again a decade later, with an Emmy nomination for 1999's "Dash and Lilly," a TV movie about the affair between literary greats Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman.

Filmography

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Director Of Photography

That Championship Season (1999)

Director Of Photography

Lethal Vows (1999)

Director Of Photography

Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998)

Director Of Photography

The Substitute (1996)

Director Of Photography

The Stars Fell On Henrietta (1995)

Director Of Photography

The Birds II: Land's End (1994)

Director Of Photography

Corrina, Corrina (1994)

Director Of Photography

The Crush (1993)

Director Of Photography

That Night (1993)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Chains of Gold (1991)

Director Of Photography

The Super (1991)

Director Of Photography

Men Don't Leave (1990)

Director Of Photography

License to Drive (1988)

Director Of Photography

Back To The Beach (1987)

Director Of Photography

Psycho III (1986)

Director Of Photography

Out of Bounds (1986)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Pale Rider (1985)

Director Of Photography

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Director Of Photography

Tightrope (1984)

Director Of Photography

Risky Business (1983)

Director Of Photography

Bad Boys (1983)

Cinematographer

Sudden Impact (1983)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Honkytonk Man (1982)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

White Dog (1982)

Director Of Photography

Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982)

Director Of Photography

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Director Of Photography

Big Wednesday (1978)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Movie Movie (1978)

Director Of Photography

Three Warriors (1977)

Director Of Photography

Leadbelly (1976)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Director Of Photography

The Shootist (1976)

Director Of Photography

Night Moves (1975)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

The Outfit (1974)

Director Of Photography

Blume in Love (1973)

Director Of Photography

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Director Of Photography

Lost Horizon (1972)

Camera Operator

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Substitute (1996)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Super (1991)

Dp/Cinematographer

Chains of Gold (1991)

Dp/Cinematographer

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

Dp/Cinematographer

Sudden Impact (1983)

Risky Business (1983)

Escape From Alcatraz (1979)

Dp/Cinematographer

Movie Movie (1978)

Three Warriors (1977)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Outfit (1974)

High Plains Drifter (1973)

Dp/Cinematographer

Cinematography (TV Mini-Series)

And Never Let Her Go (2001)

Director Of Photography

Thin Air: A Spenser Mystery (2000)

Director Of Photography

American Tragedy (2000)

Director Of Photography

Murder in a Small Town (1999)

Director Of Photography

Dash and Lilly (1999)

Director Of Photography

Lady in Question (1999)

Director Of Photography

Misc. Crew (TV Mini-Series)

American Tragedy (2000)

Life Events

1971

First film as cinematographer, "The Beguiled," directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood

1971

Was director of photography for Eastwood directed "Play Misty for Me" and Siegel directed "Dirty Harry"; both films starred Eastwood

1974

Received Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography for his work in "Lenny," directed by Bob Fosse and starring Dustin Hoffman as Lenny Bruce

1976

Lensed Siegel's "The Shootist," starring John Wayne

1979

Shot the crime drama "Escape from Alcatraz" with Eastwood

1982

Was the cinematographer for Samuel Fuller's controversial film "White Dog"

1984

Lensed the Eddie Murphy comedy vehicle "Beverly Hills Cop"

1994

TV movie debut, "The Birds II: Land's End" (Showtime)

1999

Received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie for his work in "Dash and Lilly" (A&E)

2002

Final film credit, the drama "Joshua"

Videos

Blume In Love (1973) -- (Movie Clip) I Hope The Plane Crashes! Susan Anspach as Nina, wife of the divorce-lawyer title character (George Segal), in her job at the California welfare office, in writer-director Paul Mazursky’s non-linear narrative, meeting Kris Kristofferson as Elmo, then a clever edit to Shelley Winters as an aggrieved client, early in Blume In Love, 1973.

Blume In Love (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Venice Brings Out The Love Writer-director Paul Mazursky’s opening, with the familiar tune by the Milanese composer Ponchielli, with George Segal the title character, narrating his thoughts over shots of Venice’s Piazza San Maro, Susan Anspach as his ex-wife introduced near the end, in Blume In Love, 1973, co-starring Kris Kristofferson and Marsha Mason.

Blume In Love (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Do You Know What You Are To Me? Writer-director Paul Mazursky as Kurt, L-A divorce-law partner of the title character George Segal, suddenly facing his own divorce after being caught in an affair with his secretary Gloria (Annazette Chase), in his acclaimed comic-drama Blume In Love, also starring Susan Anspach and Kris Kristofferson.

Sparkle (1976) -- (Movie Clip) She's Bustin' At The Seams Neat two opening scenes, introducing Phillip Michael Thomas and Dorian Harewood on the front steps, with Lonette McKee, Irene Cara and Dwan Smith as “Sister,” Sparkle and Delores, Mary Alice their mom, Beatrice Winde the neighbor, Sam O’Steen directing, in the cult hit (re-made by Whitney Houston in 2012), Sparkle, 1976.

Sparkle (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Hooked On Your Love Among the reasons for buzz about Lonette McKee, singing the lead as eldest sister “Sister,” backed up by 16 year-old Irene Cara (title character) and Dwan Smith (as Delores), with a Curtis Mayfield original, certainly more in the contemporary style than that of the setting, Harlem ca. 1958, in the fictional show-biz drama Sparkle, 1976.

Sparkle (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Jump (Curtis Mayfield Composition) The first musical number, an original from Curtis Mayfield, not to be confused with the Pointer Sisters’ 1984 hit, the fictional Williams sisters (Lonette McKee, Irene Cara and Dwan Smith), with Philip Michael Thomas and Dorian Harewood, all doing their own vocals, performing at a Harlem amateur show, in Sparkle, 1976.

Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Little Josey Opening sequence finds star and director Clint Eastwood a mild-mannered Missouri farmer in the fields with his son, about to be given cause for vengeance in The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.

Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) I'll Be Comin' With You Title character and director Clint Eastwood has just seen his family killed and farm burned by Yankee bandits in Missouri, so he joins up with Confederate stragglers, led by John Russell, cueing the credit sequence, in The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.

Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) Whooped 'em Again! After escaping a slaughter by lawless Union troops in post-Civil War Missouri, a textbook horseback conversation from director and title character Clint Eastwood, with Sam Bottoms as his frightened protegè Jamie, preceding their horse-tackling stunt to avoid capture, in The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.

Outlaw Josey Wales, The (1976) -- (Movie Clip) I've Got Nothing Better To Do Jamie (Sam Bottoms), alone among surrendering Missouri post-Civil War rebels, senses a trap, nasty Senator Lane (Frank Schofield) and turncoat Fletcher (John Vernon) behind it, and director and title character Clint Eastwood turning the tables, big-ly, in The Outlaw Josey Wales, 1976.

Escape From Alcatraz (1979) -- (Movie Clip) Rotten Eggs The warden (Patrick McGoohan) delivers his well-practiced welcome speech to mostly non-responsive new inmate Frank Morris (Clint Eastwood), in an early scene from director Don Siegel's Escape From Alcatraz, 1979.

Escape From Alcatraz (1979) -- (Movie Clip) Welcome To Alcatraz Clint Eastwood (as inmate Frank Morris) gets checked in old-style at "The Rock," one of many hypnotic location sequences by director Don Siegel in the 1979 hit Escape From Alcatraz.

Escape From Alcatraz (1979) -- (Original Trailer) Original trailer for the last collaboration between director Don Siegel and star Clint Eastwood, the 1979 hit Escape From Alcatraz, with Fred Ward, Jack Thibeau and Patrick McGoohan.

Night Moves (1975) -- (Original Trailer) Original trailer for Arthur Penn’s highly-regarded private-eye drama Night Moves, 1975, starring Gene Hackman and Jennifer Warren, from an original screenplay by Alan Sharp.

Risky Business - (Original Trailer) A high school student (Tom Cruise) practices his business skills by turning his suburban home into a bordello in Risky Business (1983).

High Plains Drifter - (Original Trailer) A man with no name (Clint Eastwood) sets out to protect a town from bandits...by any means necessary in High Plains Drifter (1973).

Two Mules For Sister Sara - (Pan-and-scan Trailer) Clint Eastwood, pretending to be a simple cowboy, leads Shirley MacLaine, pretending to be a nun, through revolutionary Mexico in Two Mules For Sister Sara (1970).

Family

Robert L Surtees

Father

Director of photography.

Maydell Surtees

Mother

Nancy Corby

Sister

Born in December 1932.

Linda Lowers

Sister

Born on September 7, 1942.

Thomas William Surtees

Brother

Cameraman. Born on July 22, 1951.

Bibliography

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