Jordan Cronenweth: Acclaimed Cinematographer of BLADE RUNNER, ALTERED STATES, ROLLING THUNDER, STOP MAKING SENSE, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED & More

The influential director of photography, seen here filming Harrison Ford in Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER, was born on Feb. 20th, 1935 in Los Angeles.

He died in his hometown on November 29th, 1996.

Cronenweth was 61.

Jordan was the son of famed 1940's & '50's Columbia Studios still photographer

(William) Edward Cronenweth

Edward Cronenweth photographing Clark Gable

The younger Cronenweth entered the film industry in 1957 and worked in the still photo lab at his dad's studio.

In 1961 he became camera assistant later camera operator for cinematographer Conrad Hall, working on such classics as THE PROFESSIONALS, COOL HAND LUKE, HELL IN THE PACIFIC & BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID.

Robert Ryan, Lee Marvin and Cronenweth on the set of 1966'S THE PROFESSIONALS

Cronenweth's first credited gig as DP was co-photographing (with Hall & Vincent Saizis) the ABC STAGE '67 TV production of Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory, directed by Frank Perry

Geraldine Page in Memory

His first feature film credit was co-photographing Robert Altman's BREWSTER McCLOUD with Lamar Boren

Bud Cort as BREWSTER

Cronenweth's first solo feature film as Director of Photography was the low-budget 1971 horror cheapie (and MST3K fave) THE TOUCH OF SATAN aka NIGHT OF THE DEMON

In the 1970's Cronenweth did some influential and eclectic work on a host of varied films: from big budget studio releases (THE FRONT PAGE, GABLE AND LOMBARD) to future cult classics (HANDLE WITH CARE aka CITIZEN'S BAND, ROLLING THUNDER) to under appreciated gems (THE NICKEL RIDE, PLAY IT AS IT LAYS) to acclaimed tele-films (ONE IN A MILLION: THE RON LEFLORE STORY, AND I ALONE SURVIVED).

Let's just say James Brolin and Jill Clayburgh are no

GABLE AND LOMBARD

A superbly moody & doomed Jason Miller and a heartbreakingly effective Linda Haynes (lovely as usual) help make Robert TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD Mulligan's 1975 low-key, grim crime drama THE NICKEL RIDE a favorite of mine from the 1970's--Croenweth's gray & bleak look for RIDE and a brilliant supporting cast (Bo Hopkins, Victor French, John Hillerman, Lou Frizzell, Richard Evans, etc.) didn't hurt the film either.

Cronenweth teamed with legendary filmaker Billy Wilder on the raucous 1974 remake of THE FRONT PAGE with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

In the revenge/drive-in classic ROLLING THUNDER,

another favorite movie of mine from that decade,

Cronenweth deftly mixes the bright, sweaty, sun-baked exteriors of Texas & Mexico with the dark, dusky & deadly interiors of those states bars, cathouses and motel rooms

Shooting in the sun with superbly stoic & consumed William Devane and tender, tough & sexy Linda Haynes (back again!)--her performance is soooo good as well!

Devane and Haynes in the shadows of director John Flynn's action-drama gem

CITIZEN'S BAND aka HANDLE WITH CARE, Jonathan Demme's quirky 1977 C.B. craze comedy featured Paul Le Mat, Candy Clark and Roberts Blossom and Cronenweth's top notch lighting camerawork

Tuesday Weld gives a searing & stunning performance as damaged actress Maria Wyeth-Lang in Frank Perry's PLAY IT AS IT LAYS---it's an early bright spot of Cronenweth's career

Cronenweth was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1978.

He continued to work in increasing physical pain for 13 more years as a DP--doing some his best work in the 1980's.

His masterwork was 1982's BLADE RUNNER for Ridley Scott.

Cronenweth won the BAFTA and L.A. Film Critics Awards for his stylish, dazzling

and groundbreaking camerawork for the sci-fi classic.

The look created by director Scott & his production team: DP Cronenweth, production designer Lawrence G. Paull, art director David L. Snyder, set decorator Linda DeScenna, costume designers Michael Kaplan & Charles Knode and the visual effects masters Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dyer, has helped make BLADE RUNNER one of the most influential films of the last 40 years.

I hear a remake is finally coming!

Cronenweth's other highlights of the 1980's include:

The 1980 Ken Russell sci-fi/horror/thriller mind bender ALTERED STATES with William Hurt in his film debut--featuring some of Cronenweth's most visually arresting imagery

Ivan Passer's murky but masterful 1981 character crime mystery

CUTTER'S WAY aka CUTTER'S BONE with John Heard & Jeff Bridges,

one of the that years most compelling films

The 1982 romantic comedy-drama BEST FRIENDS with Goldie Hawn & Burt Reynolds

for director Norman Jewison

Re-teamed with Jonathan Demme on one of the all-time greatest concert films ever made--STOP MAKING SENSE with the Talking Heads

2 back-to-back films with Francis Ford Coppola:

First, PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED with Kathleen Turner

It garnered Cronenweth his only Oscar Nomination

for Best Cinematography of 1986

Cronenweth also won the American Society of Cinematographers Award for his work on PEGGY SUE

Coppola & Cronenweth re-teamed the next year on the stateside Vietnam War drama GARDENS OF STONE with James Caan

Cronenweth's final big screen features were 3 films of the early 1990's:

The 1991 Richard Lester concert film GET BACK with Paul McCartney

And 2 for filmmaker Phil Joanou-- Cronenweth had previously shot the color segment of the 1988 concert documentary U2: RATTLE AND HUM for the director

The excellent Irish mob crime drama STATE OF GRACE with Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright (Penn) & Ed Harris

And Cronenweth's last film, the good looking, but rather tepid 1992 romantic thriller FINAL ANALYSIS with Richard Gere & Kim Bassinger

Cronenweth started lensing ALIEN 3 for David Fincher in Jan. of 1991 but fell ill and was replaced by Alex Thomson (EXCALIBUR, CLIFFHANGER, 1996's HAMLET).

His other film, TV & video DP credits include:

CRY FOR ME BILLY, ZANDY'S BRIDE, BIRDS OF PREY, U2: THE BEST OF 1980-1990, TRANSPLANT, REFUGE OF THE ROADS, JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS and second unit work on THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES.

Liv Ullmann is Gene Hackman's mail-order purchase in

ZANDY'S BRIDE

Did you know...?

As a child, Cronenweth appeared in the 1952 bio pic CARBINE WILLIAMS with James Stewart.

He was the original cinematographer of W.D. Richter's THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI, but was replaced after several weeks by Fred J. Koenekamp (PATTON, THE TOWERING INFERNO).

A 2003 poll conducted by the International Cinematographers Guild voted Cronenweth as one of the 10 most influential cinematographers of all time.

He was the subject of the Charles de Lauzinka short film THE LIGHT THAT BURNS--REMEMBERING JORDAN CRONENWETH

His son is 2-time Oscar Nominated cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, known for his work with David Fincher (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, FIGHT CLUB, GONE GIRL).