Bruce Surtees
Bruce Surtees | |
|---|---|
| Born | Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees July 23, 1937 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | February 23, 2012 (aged 74) Carmel, California, U.S. |
| Education | ArtCenter College of Design |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1971–2002 |
| Father | Robert Surtees |
Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees (July 23, 1937 – February 23, 2012) was an American cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with Clint Eastwood.[1] He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work Lenny (1974).
Early life and education
Surtees was born in Los Angeles, in 1937, as the son of three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert L. Surtees and Maydell Lois James.[2] Surtees was given the middle name "Mohr" after his father's mentor Hal Mohr.[3] He studied at the ArtCenter College of Design.
Career
Surtees worked as an animation technician at Walt Disney Pictures before becoming a camera assistant under his father's direction for The Hallelujah Trail and Lost Command.[4]
He formed a close friendship with Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood, serving as a camera operator for Coogan's Bluff and Two Mules for Sister Sara. Impressed by Surtees' camera work, Siegel made him the cinematographer for The Beguiled and Dirty Harry.[5] Surtees worked as a cinematographer on several of Eastwood's films, including Play Misty for Me, High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Sudden Impact.[1]
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Lenny (1974), Bob Fosse's biopic of comedian Lenny Bruce. Starting in the mid-1990's, Surtees mostly worked on made-for-television films, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Dash and Lilly (1999).
Surtees was affectionately nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" for his low-key lighting.[1]
Personal life
Surtees was married twice. He met his second wife Carol Buby while scouting locations for Inchon in Seoul, South Korea.[1] He had a daughter, Suzanne Surtees, from his first marriage.[1]
Death
Surtees died from complications from diabetes on February 23, 2012, at the age of 74.[6][7]
Filmography
- The Beguiled (1971)
- Play Misty for Me (1971)
- Dirty Harry (1971)
- The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid (1972)
- Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972)
- Joe Kidd (1972)
- High Plains Drifter (1973)
- Blume in Love (1973)
- The Outfit (1973)
- Lenny (1974)
- Night Moves (1975)
- Sparkle (1976)
- Leadbelly (1976)
- The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
- The Shootist (1976)
- Three Warriors (1977)
- Big Wednesday (1978)
- Movie Movie (1978) (segment "Baxter's Beauties of 1933")
- Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
- Dreamer (1979)
- Inchon (1981)
- Firefox (1982)
- White Dog (1982)
- Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1982)
- Honkytonk Man (1982)
- Bad Boys (1983) - with Donald E. Thorin
- Risky Business (1983) - with Reynaldo Villalobos
- Sudden Impact (1983)
- Tightrope (1984)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Pale Rider (1985)
- Psycho III (1986)
- Out of Bounds (1986)
- Ratboy (1986)
- Back to the Beach (1987)
- License to Drive (1988)
- Men Don't Leave (1990)
- Run (1991)
- Chains of Gold (1991)
- The Super (1991)
- That Night (1992)
- The Crush (1993)
- The Birds II: Land's End (1994)
- Corrina, Corrina (1994)
- The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995)
- The Substitute (1996)
- Just a Little Harmless Sex (1998)
- Murder in a Small Town (1999)
- Dash and Lilly (1999)
- That Championship Season (1999)
- Lethal Vows (1999)
- The Lady in Question (1999)
- Thin Air (2000)
- American Tragedy (2000)
- Joshua (2002)
Awards and nominations
| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award | 1975 | Best Cinematography | Lenny | Nominated | [8] |
| Primetime Emmy Award | 1999 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Dash and Lilly | Nominated | [9] |
References
- ^ a b c d e "BRUCE SURTEES". cinematographers.nl. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
- ^ "Bruce Surtees Biography". Filmreference.com.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (February 28, 2012). "Bruce Surtees obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ Staff, Variety (February 26, 2012). "D.P. Bruce Surtees dies at 74". Variety. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (March 2, 2012). "Bruce Surtees dies at 74; cinematographer worked with Eastwood and Fosse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (February 28, 2012). "Bruce Surtees, Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer, Dies at 74". New York Times.
- ^ "D.P. Bruce Surtees dies at 74". Variety. February 26, 2012. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013.
- ^ "The 47th Academy Awards | 1975". www.oscars.org. October 6, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ "Bruce Surtees | Emmy Awards and Nominations". Television Academy. Retrieved March 13, 2026.