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Robert L. Surtees (August 9, 1906 – January 5, 1985) was an American cinematographer who won three Academy Awards for the films King Solomon's Mines, The Bad and the Beautiful and the 1959 version of Ben-Hur.
Robert Surtees. Cinematographer: Ben-Hur. Robert L. Surtees began his working life as a portrait photographer and retoucher, before becoming camera assistant at Universal in 1927. He spent a lengthy apprenticeship (15 years) working under such experienced cinematographers as Hal Mohr, Joseph Ruttenberg and Gregg Toland.
- January 1, 1
- Covington, Kentucky, USA
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- Monterey, California, USA
Robert Surtees. Cinematographer: Ben-Hur. Robert L. Surtees began his working life as a portrait photographer and retoucher, before becoming camera assistant at Universal in 1927.
- August 9, 1906
- January 5, 1985
Robert L. Surtees, A.S.C. (August 9, 1906 – January 5, 1985) was an American cinematographer who won Academy Awards three times, for the films King Solomon's Mines, The Bad and the Beautiful and the 1959 version of Ben Hur.
As a studio cinematographer for MGM for almost 20 years, Surtees photographed films in almost every popular genre, from small comedies such as Lost Angel to westerns such as Escape from Fort Bravo to blockbuster musicals like Oklahoma!
Jan 7, 1985 · Academy Award-winning cinematographer Robert Lee Surtees, whose career spanned more than five decades of motion picture history, has died after a prolonged illness.
One of the most versatile cinematographers in film history, Robert L Surtees came up through the studio system, beginning as an assistant cameraman to Gregg Toland and Joseph Ruttenberg at Universal in the late 1920s before moving to MGM and establishing himself as a top-flight director of photography.
