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Stanley Cortez

Highest Rated: 94% The Three Faces of Eve (1957)

Lowest Rated: 0% The Angry Red Planet (1959)

Birthday: Nov 4, 1908

Birthplace: New York, New York, USA

A master of chiaroscuro cinematography, Stanley Cortez once described himself as "always chosen to shoot weird things." Born Stanislaus Krantz in NYC, he adopted his stage name from his older brother, actor-director Ricardo Cortez (1899-1977). While still an undergraduate, Cortez began working as an assistant cameraman on silent films. At the advent of talking pictures, he worked as a photographer's assistant to Edward Steichen and Pirie MacDonald and briefly pursued a career as a portrait photographer in his own right. He wrote, directed and shot the short "Scherzo" (1932) before landing as a contract cinematographer at Universal in the late 1930s. Many of the early features he shot were undistinguished (an exception was 1934's minor horror classic "The Black Cat"), but Cortez developed a reputation for economy and efficiency. He was loaned to RKO to shoot Orson Welles' "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942). Sparing no expense, he and Welles created a particular look for the film drawn from the low-key lighting utilized by early photographic pioneers. Cortez's fluid camerawork with its deep-focus and unique framing kept the film visually interesting and he earned his first Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. His second Academy Award nomination was for his work alongside Lee Garmes on the epic "Since You Went Away" (1944).

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Highest rated movies

94% 77% The Three Faces of Eve
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94% 82% Shock Corridor
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93% 90% The Night of the Hunter
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93% 80% The Naked Kiss
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89% 84% The Magnificent Ambersons
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86% 87% Let There Be Light
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77% 79% Since You Went Away
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65% 54% Secret Beyond the Door
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57% 56% Another Man, Another Chance
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20% 58% The Bridge at Remagen
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
57% 56% Another Man, Another Chance Cinematographer,
Film Editing
- 1977
20% 58% The Bridge at Remagen Cinematographer - 1969
No Score Yet 45% Blue Cinematographer - 1968
No Score Yet 48% The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini Cinematographer - 1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Young Dillinger Cinematographer - 1965
No Score Yet No Score Yet Nightmare in the Sun Cinematographer - 1965
93% 80% The Naked Kiss Cinematographer - 1964
0% 19% They Saved Hitler's Brain Cinematographer - 1963
94% 82% Shock Corridor Cinematographer - 1963
No Score Yet 69% Back Street Cinematographer - 1961
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thunder in the Sun Cinematographer - 1959
No Score Yet 0% Vice Raid Cinematographer - 1959
0% 29% The Angry Red Planet Cinematographer - 1959
No Score Yet 57% Top Secret Affair Cinematographer - 1957
94% 77% The Three Faces of Eve Cinematographer - 1957
No Score Yet 33% Man From Del Rio Cinematographer - 1956
93% 90% The Night of the Hunter Cinematographer - 1955
No Score Yet 75% Black Tuesday Cinematographer - 1955
No Score Yet 30% Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd Cinematographer - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet Stronghold Cinematographer - 1951
No Score Yet 69% The Underworld Story Cinematographer - 1950
No Score Yet 36% The Man on the Eiffel Tower Cinematographer - 1949
No Score Yet No Score Yet Smart Woman Cinematographer - 1948
65% 54% Secret Beyond the Door Cinematographer - 1948
No Score Yet 58% Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman Cinematographer - 1947
86% 87% Let There Be Light Cinematographer - 1946
77% 79% Since You Went Away Cinematographer - 1944
No Score Yet 83% Flesh and Fantasy Cinematographer - 1943
89% 84% The Magnificent Ambersons Cinematographer - 1942
No Score Yet No Score Yet Alias the Deacon Cinematographer - 1940
No Score Yet No Score Yet Danger on the Air Cinematographer - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lady in the Morgue Cinematographer - 1938
No Score Yet No Score Yet I Cover the War Cinematographer - 1937