Alexander Pelepiock (January 11, 1900 – June 14, 1977) was a Canadian-born Mexican

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

known for working in over 200 films, most of them during the

Golden Age of Mexican cinema The Golden Age of Mexican cinema ( es, Época de Oro del Cine Mexicano) is a period in the history of the Cinema of Mexico between 1930 and 1969 when the Mexican film industry reached high levels of production, quality and economic success of its ...

. His most well-known works include '' The Other One'' (1946), '' Desired'' (1951), ''

En La Palma de Tu Mano ''En la Palma de Tu Mano'' (''In the Palm of Your Hand'') is a 1951 Mexican crime drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón. The film received eleven nominations and won eight Ariel Awards in 1952, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was ...

'' (1952), and '' Untouched'' (1955). Throughout his career, he was nominated fourteen times for an

Ariel Award for Best Cinematography Ariel may refer to: Film and television *Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award * ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki * ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...

which he won twice for ''

'' and '' Untouched''. In 1973, Phillips was recognized with a

Golden Ariel The Golden Ariel ( es, Ariel de Oro) is an award that “symbolizes the work of excellence that a member of the film industry has achieved throughout their career and that has contributed to the development and growth of Mexican cinematography”. ...

from the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences for his excellence and contributions to the Mexican film industry. He died on June 14, 1977, at the age of 76, due to CVST.

Early life

Phillips was born in

Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

. In his youth, his family moved to

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

, but he returned to Canada because of his dislike with the

czar Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the t ...

ist government. He enlisted in the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army (french: Armée canadienne) is the command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also respo ...

where he met

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

who introduced him to

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

since he expressed his interest in becoming an actor.

Hollywood

He auditioned with

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...

and

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

but was unable to obtain a role. And studied under Stanley Shoemakers wing. He later approached

Christie Comedies Christie Film Company was an American pioneer motion picture company founded in Hollywood, California by Al Christie and Charles Christie, two brothers from London, Ontario, Canada. It made comedies. While Charles served almost exclusively in ad ...

where he was advised to look for more stable positions in the

movie industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post pr ...

and started his career in

cinematography Cinematography (from ancient Greek κίνημα, ''kìnema'' "movement" and γράφειν, ''gràphein'' "to write") is the art of motion picture (and more recently, electronic video camera) photography. Cinematographers use a lens to focu ...

and

film editing Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film stock, film which increasingly involves the use Digital cinema, of digital ...

. He received an opportunity when an assistant fell sick and was able to travel to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

with the

Canadian Official Photography Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

. After Christie Comedies went

bankrupt Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...

, he was hired by

Samuel Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

while he attended evening classes. He received the opportunity of working with Barnes, Edison and Meyer, and learned techniques such as graduations, tridimensional vision, and the sense of potential balance. Phillips then began experimenting with lights and camera movements.

Mexico

He moved to Mexico in 1931 and worked with directors such as

Arcady Boytler Arcady Sergeevich Boytler Rososky (August 31, 1895 – November 24, 1965) was a producer, screenwriter, and director most renowned for his films during the golden age of Mexican cinema. Boytler was born in Moscow, Russia. During the 1920s, he ...

Roberto Gavaldón Roberto Gavaldón (June 7, 1909 in Jiménez, Chihuahua – September 4, 1986 in Mexico City) was a Mexican film director. Eight of Gavaldón's films were featured on the list 100 Best Movies of the Cinema of Mexico. His 1958 film ''Ash Wed ...

Julio Bracho Julio Bracho Gavilán (17 July 1909 – 26 April 1978) was a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Bracho was born as ninth of eleven children of Julio Bracho y Zuloaga and his wife Luz Pérez Gavilán. His sister Guadalupe Bracho Pérez- ...

, and

Luis Buñuel Luis Buñuel Portolés (; 22 February 1900 – 29 July 1983) was a Spanish-Mexican filmmaker who worked in France, Mexico, and Spain. He has been widely considered by many film critics, historians, and directors to be one of the greatest and m ...

. He worked on some of the earliest Mexican movies such as the silent film ''

Santa Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnight ...

'' (1931) where his work was considered

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

. He worked in more than 250 movies in Mexico and 150 in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

including '' La mujer del puerto'' (1934), '' Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe'' (1952 with Luis Buñuel), '' La Red'' (1953 with

Emilio Fernández Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 October 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best kn ...

). His last film was '' El castillo de la pureza'' (1972 with

Arturo Ripstein Arturo Ripstein y Rosen (born December 13, 1943) is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. Considered the "Godfather of independent Mexican cinema", Ripstein's work is generally characterized by "somber, slow-paced, macabre melodramas tackling ...

Awards

Premio Ariel The Ariel Award ( es, Premio Ariel) is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award recognizes artistical and technical excel ...

for ''

En la palma de tu mano ''En la Palma de Tu Mano'' (''In the Palm of Your Hand'') is a 1951 Mexican crime drama film directed by Roberto Gavaldón. The film received eleven nominations and won eight Ariel Awards in 1952, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was ...

'' (1952), '' Untouched'' (1955), and '' El Castillo de la pureza'' (1973, ''Ariel de Oro'').

Selected filmography

* ''

See My Lawyer ''See My Lawyer'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and written by Edmund Hartmann and Stanley Davis. It is based on the 1939 musical ''See My Lawyer'' by Richard Maibaum and Harry Clork. The film stars Ole Olsen, Chi ...

'' (1921) * '' Hold Your Breath'' (1924) * '' Seven Days'' (1925) * ''

The Nervous Wreck ''The Nervous Wreck'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent comedy film, comedy adventure film directed by Scott Sidney and starring Harrison Ford (silent film actor), Harrison Ford, Phyllis Haver and Chester Conklin.Connelly p.182 It is based ...

'' (1926) * ''

Luponini from Chicago ''Luponini from Chicago'' (Spanish:''Luponini de Chicago'') is a 1935 Mexican comedy crime film directed by and starring José Bohr.Balderston, Gonzalez & Lopez p.196 It also features Anita Blanch, Carlos Villatoro and Isabelita Blanch. Cast * ...

'' (1935) * ''

The Eternal Secret ''The Eternal Secret'' (Spanish:''Secreto eterno'') is a 1942 Mexican drama film directed by Carlos Orellana and starring Orellana, Marina Tamayo and David Silva.Gubern, p. 38, 214 The film's sets were designed by Ramón Rodríguez Granada. ...

'' (1942) * ''

Michael Strogoff ''Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar'' (french: Michel Strogoff) is a novel written by Jules Verne in 1876. Critic Leonard S. Davidow, considers it one of Verne's best books. Davidow wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than thi ...

'' (1944) * ''

The White Monk ''The White Monk'' (Spanish:''El monje blanco'') is a 1945 Mexican historical drama film directed by Julio Bracho and starring María Félix, Tomás Perrín and Julio Villarreal.Taibo p.138 The film's sets were designed by the art director Jorge ...

'' (1945) * ''

Twilight Twilight is light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon, which illuminates the lower atmosphere and the Earth's surface. The word twilight can also refer to the periods of time when this il ...

'' (1945) * ''

Everybody's Woman ''Everybody's Woman'' (Italian: ''La signora di tutti'') is a 1934 Italian drama film directed by Max Ophüls and starring Isa Miranda, Memo Benassi and Tatyana Pavlova. It is the only film Max Ophüls made in Italy. The film was a success an ...

'' (1946) * ''

Flor de caña ''Flor de caña'' ("Sugarcane Flower") is a 1948 Mexican film. It was written by Luis Alcoriza Luis Alcoriza de la Vega (September 5, 1918 – December 3, 1992) was a respected Mexican screenwriter, film director, and actor. Alcoriza was ...

'' (1948) * '' Desired'' (1951) * '' Women Who Work'' (1953) * ''

The Last of the Fast Guns ''The Last of the Fast Guns'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by George Sherman and written by David P. Harmon. The film stars Jock Mahoney, Gilbert Roland, Linda Cristal, Eduard Franz, Lorne Greene and Carl Benton Reid. The film was ...

'' (1958) * ''

My Mother Is Guilty ''My Mother Is Guilty'' (Spanish: ''Mi madre es culpable'') is a 1960 Mexican drama film directed by Julián Soler and starring Marga López, Carlos Baena and Domingo Soler.Riera p.59 The film's sets were designed by Jesús Bracho. Cast * Marga ...

'' (1960) * ''

The Partisan of Villa ''The Partisan of Villa'' (Spanish:''La guerrillera de Villa'') is a 1967 Spanish-Mexican comedy film directed by Miguel Morayta and starring Carmen Sevilla, Julio Alemán Julio Méndez Alemán (November 29, 1933 – April 11, 2012) was a ...

'' (1967) * ''

Traitors of San Angel ''Traitors of San Angel'' (Spanish:''Los traidores de San Ángel'') is a 1967 action film directed by Leopoldo Torre Nilsson and starring Ian Hendry, Lautaro Murúa and Graciela Borges.Cowie & Elley p.26 It was a co-production between Argentin ...

'' (1967) * ''

Farewell to Marriage ''Farewell to Marriage'' (Spanish:''Despedida de casada'') is a 1968 Mexican film. It was produced by Fernando de Fuentes. Cast * Ana Luisa Peluffo * Elsa Cárdenas * Mauricio Garcés * Gracita Morales * Alfredo Landa Alfredo Landa Areta ...

'' (1968)

External links

*
Alex Phillips, Builder of Atmospheres

Medalla Salvador Toscano - ALEX PHILLIPS Jr.

at

Canal 22 XEIMT-TDT, known as Canal 22, is a television station located in Mexico City. Broadcasting on channel 22, XEIMT is owned by Televisión Metropolitana, S.A. de C.V., and operated by the Secretariat of Culture. It is one of Mexico's principal pub ...

Histórico de nominados y ganadores - Ariel

ALEX PHILLIPS, CONSTRUCTOR DE ATMÓSFERAS
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phillips, Alex 1900 births 1977 deaths Phillips, Alez Canadian emigrants to Mexico Phillips, Alez Golden Ariel Award winners Best Cinematography Ariel Award winners Mexican people of Canadian descent