Jack Craig Couffer A.S.C. (December 7, 1924 – July 30, 2021) was an American cinematographer, film and television director, and author. Couffer has specialized on documentary films, often involving nature and animal cinematography. Couffer was nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) w ...

for his work on the film version of the novel ''

Jonathan Livingston Seagull ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull'', written by American author Richard Bach and illustrated with black-and-white photographs shot by Russell Munson, is a fable in novella form about a seagull who is trying to learn about life and flight, and a homi ...

'' (1974). Couffer served in the United States Army during the Second World War; based on his war experience, he subsequently wrote a book about the "

Bat Bomb Bat bombs were an experimental World War II weapon developed by the United States. The bomb consisted of a bomb-shaped casing with over a thousand compartments, each containing a hibernating Mexican free-tailed bat with a small, timed incendi ...

" project to use bats to deliver incendiary bombs. Following the war Couffer studied at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television. During the 1950s, Couffer and a friend sailed a boat to the Galapagos islands, staying for 10 months - an event Couffer described as the best time in his life. Couffer has described his subsequent career as follows:Couffer, Jack (undated).
Jack Couffer Mini Biography
" webpage of the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), retrieved January 17, 2008. Among many other projects with Disney, Couffer wrote, directed, and filmed the documentary '' The Legend of the Boy and the Eagle'' (1967). Couffer has also worked on numerous independent and major studio films and television shows. Couffer was credited as a cinematographer for the influential, experimental documentary ''

The Savage Eye ''The Savage Eye'' is a 1959 "dramatized documentary" film that superposes a dramatic narration of the life of a divorced woman with documentary camera footage of Los Angeles. The film was written, produced, directed, and edited by Ben Maddow, Sid ...

'' (1959), and received his nomination for the

for the film ''

'' (1973). He had worked with

Joseph Strick Joseph Ezekiel Strick (July 6, 1923 – June 1, 2010, aged 86) was an American director, producer and screenwriter. Life and career Born in the Pittsburgh area town of Braddock, Pennsylvania, Strick briefly attended UCLA, then enrolled in the U.S ...

on ''The Savage Eye'', and Strick co-produced two drama films directed and written by Couffer, including ''

Ring of Bright Water ''Ring of Bright Water'' is a book by Gavin Maxwell about his life in a remote house in coastal Scotland where he kept several wild otters as pets. First published in 1960, it became a best seller and is considered a literary masterpiece, event ...

'' (1969) and ''

The Darwin Adventure ''The Darwin Adventure'' is a 1972 British drama film directed by Jack Couffer and written by William Fairchild. The film stars Nicholas Clay, Susan Macready, Ian Richardson, Christopher Martin, Robert Flemyng and Philip Brack. The film was rel ...

'' (1972). In addition to his book about the "Bat Bomb," Couffer published ten other books of non-fiction and fiction. In 2019, Couffer lived in Corona Del Mar, California and was still working at the age of 94.Take Five: Meet Jack Couffer, CdM cinematographer, director and author
/ref> He died in July 2021 at the age of 96 in a nursing facility in Costa Mesa, California.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Couffer, Jack 1924 births 2021 deaths American cinematographers American television directors Film directors from California People from Upland, California USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni United States Army personnel of World War II