John Morley Stephens (born November 17, 1932 Valparaiso, Indiana died

Huntington Beach, California Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...

June 18, 2015) was an American

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 ...

. He was noted for his innovative work on the 1966 film ''

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

'', for which he pioneered the use of a number of camera mounts and developed the first remotely operated pan-and- tilt-head camera. For this latter invention, he received a Technical Achievement Award from the Society of Operating Cameramen in 1994.

Biography

Stephens learned how to use a camera when he served in the United States Navy in the 1950s. Working as a photographer in

Sun Valley, Idaho Sun Valley is a resort city in the western United States, in Blaine County, Idaho, adjacent to the city of Ketchum in the Wood River valley. The population was 1406 at the 2010 census, down from 1427 in 2000.Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' (1956) and ''

South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

'' (1958). As a cinematographer, Stephens was known for his work on such films as '' Billy Jack'', '' Blacula'', Martin Scorsese's '' Boxcar Bertha'', and William Friedkin's '' Sorcerer''. He also shot the memorable bicycle chase for

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

's ''

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial'' (or simply ''E.T.'') is a 1982 American science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Melissa Mathison. It tells the story of Elliott, a boy who befriends an extraterrestrial, d ...

'', though he did not receive on-screen credit for his work. He was also the second unit director and cameraman for John Landis' comedy '' Three Amigos'' and the aerial photographer for Phil Alden Robinson's acclaimed '' Field of Dreams''. From the late 1980s onward, he more prominently worked as a second unit director of photography, most notably on Martin Brest's '' Midnight Run'' and

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...

's '' Titanic''. Stephens died in Orange County, California on June 18, 2015. He was 82.

Partial filmography

As camera operator

*''

Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...

'' (1956) - 2nd assistant cameraman (uncredited) *''

'' (1958) - 2nd assistant cameraman (uncredited) * '' Ski Party'' (1965)- camera operator - (uncredited) *'' The Hallelujah Trail'' (1965) - second unit (uncredited) *''

Seconds The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...

'' (1966) *''

'' (1966) *'' Ice Station Zebra'' (1968) - additional arctic photography *''

Snowball Express ''Snowball Express'' is a 1972 American screwball comedy film produced by Ron Miller and Tom Leetch and directed by Norman Tokar. The film is about a man who leaves his middle class job to run a hotel left to him by his great uncle. Plot Johnn ...

'' (1972) - second unit *'' The Fog'' (1980) - additional camera (uncredited) *''

'' (1982) - (uncredited) *''

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom'' is a 1984 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. It is the second installment in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise, and a prequel to the 1981 film ''Raiders of the Lost Ark'', fea ...

'' (1984) - California unit *'' Three Amigos'' (1986) - second unit; also second unit director *'' Field of Dreams'' (1989) - aerial photographer

As cinematographer

*'' Run, Angel, Run'' (1969) *'' Billy Jack'' (1971) *'' Bunny O'Hare'' (1971) *'' Boxcar Bertha'' (1972) *'' Blacula'' (1972) *'' Sorcerer'' (1977) *'' Ski Patrol'' (1990)

As second unit director of photography

*'' The Other Side of the Mountain'' (1975) *'' Midnight Run'' (1988) *'' Loose Cannons'' (1990) *'' Major League II'' (1994) *''

Conspiracy Theory A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * * * * The term has a nega ...

'' (1997) *'' Titanic'' (1997) *''

Six Days Seven Nights ''Six Days, Seven Nights'' is a 1998 American action-adventure comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The screenplay was written by Michael Browning. It was filmed on location in Kauai, and released on Jun ...

'' (1998) *''

Bandits Banditry is a type of organized crime committed by outlaws typically involving the threat or use of violence. A person who engages in banditry is known as a bandit and primarily commits crimes such as extortion, robbery, and murder, either as an ...

'' (2001)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, John M. 1932 births 2015 deaths American cinematographers