Best Cinematography 1962

1927/28 through 1997
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What was the best Cinematography from amongst the 1962 nominess in B&W and Color?

Birdman of Alcatraz (Burnett Guffey)
0
No votes
The Longest Day (Jean Bourgoin, Walter Wottitz)
4
16%
To Kill a Mockingbird (Russell Harlan)
4
16%
Two for the Seesaw (Ted D. McCord)
0
No votes
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (Ernest Haller)
5
20%
Gypsy (Harry Stradling Sr.)
1
4%
Hatari! (Russell Harlan)
2
8%
Lawrence of Arabia (Freddie Young)
9
36%
Mutiny on the Bounty (Robert Surtees)
0
No votes
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (Paul Vogel)
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 25

Mister Tee
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Mister Tee »

Hey, a year where I've seen all the nominees.

On the Color side, though this is getting back to my early youth, I actually saw four of the five in a theatre (Gypsy the exception). Apparently the branch was nominating the kinds of movies my parents were taking us to.

My memory of Hatari! is dim, but I presume the African settings were picturesque. No Out of Africa, however.

Gypsy had a lot of interiors and even some cheesy studio sets (like the train station); I don't recall anything impressive about it.

The Brothers Grimm had Period and Fantasy going for it, but still managed to be average looking.

The Bounty remake was utterly unnecessary, but it had some good-looking images.

Handicapping this category, though, is a charade: we all know Lawrence of Arabia is the hands-down choice. You can argue that Doctor Zhivago saw Lean tilting too far into "photographer not director" territory, but here he found perfect balance: Lawrence is a powerful piece of direction enhanced by Young's breathtaking work.

As I got older, of course, I found most of the movies I truly loved from 1962 were black and white. Only a very few did I see on a big screen, one of which I'll cite as an alternate no one else is mentioning: The MIracle Worker. Others I've only seen on TV or home video that would make solid candidates: Through a Glass Darkly, Cape Fear, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Manchurian Candidate.

Two for the Seesaw is one of those films whose qualifications for this category were so puzzling that you have to assume the cinematographer was a branch favorite. I guess Ted McCord, with two other nominations, vaguely fits that slot.

The other nominees are all acceptable, at least. Birdman of Alcatraz does a nice job of making its cramped setting feel big enough to hold a rather long movie.

The Longest Day has varied locations and wartime activity to create visual interest. I'm not as in its corner as Magilla, but I can live with it.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? has some powerfully Gothic images inside the Hudson household, and that last scene on the beach is beautifully lit.

But I'll go with To Kill a Mockingbird, at least partly because it's so clearly the best movie of the bunch -- but also because it sets a visual tone that lets us view this world of very real (and contemporary) racial strife at least sometimes through the eyes of a child. Beautiful work that rates the win.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Precious Doll »

Dare I saw but these are reasonably respectable lineups, particularly the B&W.

B&W

I've only even seen Mockingbird & Baby Jane on the big screen (and later DVD) and they are the two most effectively shot. Mockingbird has a wonderful 'child's nightmare' feel to it towards the end and that owes something to the photography.

I've only seen the other three on VHS but they were all visually fine with Birdman the standout. Voted for To Kill a Mockingbird.

Colour

I have only ever seen Lawrence of Arabia on the big screen and recently on Blu Ray and it is without a doubt the most impressive of the line-up. Despite my lukewarm response to the film it is a fully deserving winner.

Gypsy, Mutiny on the Bounty & Hatari are all fine though I simply cannot recall the Brothers Grimm.

Omissions: Lolita, Billy Budd, The Eclipse, An An Autumn's Afternoon (Ozu's last film), The Manchurian Candidate, Long Days Journey into Night, The Exterminating Angel, Ivan's Childhood, Last Year at Mariebard & The Easy Life. All B&W except for the Ozu.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Greg »

The stunning desert scenes alone made Lawrence Of Arabia one of the all-time-most-deserving winners for its color cinematography. For their enhancement of their drab/depressing themes, my black-and-white alternatives are Long Day's Journey Into Night and Days Of Wine And Roses.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Reza »

Big Magilla wrote:I'd replace Birdman of Alcatraz, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and the godawful Two for the Seesaw
All three of these films had striking cinematography and I think deserved their nods.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Big Magilla »

Something ate my long post, so here's the synopsis:

Black-and-White:

I'd replace Birdman of Alcatraz, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and the godawful Two for the Seesaw with Advise & Consent, Billy Budd and The Manchurian Candidate and give the award, as the Academy did, to The Longest Day over To Kill a Mockingbird.

Color

No replacements here, although I do wonder why they nominated Gypsy over The Music Man, with Lawrence of Arabia the obvious choice for the win.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Big Magilla »

Reza wrote:Allows only one vote. Cannot vote in both categories together.
Sorry about that. It's been fixed.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Reza »

Allows only one vote. Cannot vote in both categories together.

B/W
1. Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
2. The Longest Day
3. To Kill a Mockingbird
4. Birdman of Alcatraz
5. Two For the Seesaw

Colour
1. Lawrence of Arabia
2. Mutiny on the Bounty
3. Hatari!
4. The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
5. Gypsy
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Best Cinematography 1962

Post by Big Magilla »

Two of the most undisputed winners in this category ever and only one real embarassment among the nominees. Let's see if you guys agree.
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