Robert L. Surtees

Robert L. Surtees

American cinematographer (1906-1985)

Robert Lee Surtees, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer. He worked at various studios, including Universal, UFA, Warner Brothers, and MGM, lighting for notable directors Howard Hawks, Mike Nichols, and William Wyler, gaining him a reputation as one of the most versatile cinematographers of his time. He won three Academy Awards, out of 16 total nominations, for the films King Solomon's Mines (1950), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and Ben-Hur (1959).

Filmography in the catalog

Credited on 18 films (1943–1978) — matched by name in the Creator or Credits field.

Year ▲ Title CreatorLengthFormatColorSound
1943 Election Daze. Bert Glazer 925 ft. B&W sound
1944 Music For Millions Irving Lesser Enterprises 120 min 16mm B&W sound
1947 The Unfinished Dance Henry Koster 101 min
1948 A Date With Judy. Richard Thorpe 113 min 35mm Color sound
1949 Big Jack. Richard Thorpe 85 min. 35mm B&W sound
1949 Intruder In The Dust. Clarence Brown 89 min. 35mm B&W sound
1949 That midnight kiss Norman Taurog 96 min
1951 The Strip. Loew's Inc. 85 min. 35mm B&W sound
1954 Valley Of The Kings. Loew’s Incorporated 86 min. 35mm Color sound
1957 Les Girls Collectors Book Store 1:17 16mm Color
1960 CIMARRON. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. 13 reels 35mm Color sound
1965 The Hallelujah Trail. Mirisch-Kappa 149 min 35mm Color sound
1967 Doctor Dolittle. Apjac Productions Inc.; Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp. 152 min 35mm Color sound
1967 The Graduate Audio Brandon 105 mi 16mm Color sound
1973 The Sting Universal Pictures Co. Inc. 129 min 16mm Color sound
1975 The Hindenburg Universal Pictures 126 min Color sound
1977 The Turning Point ▶ Herbert Ross 119 min Color
1978 Same Time, Next Year Universal Pictures Co. Inc. 119 min 16mm Color sound