Joseph H. August, A.S.C. (26 April 1890 – 25 September 1947) 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 ...

and co-founder of the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

. His films included ''

Gunga Din "Gunga Din" () is an 1890 poem by Rudyard Kipling set in British India. The poem is much remembered for its final line: "You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din". Background The poem is a rhyming narrative from the point of view of a Briti ...

'' (1939) for which he was nominated for

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) ...

, ''

The Hunchback of Notre Dame ''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story o ...

'' (1939), ''

The Devil and Daniel Webster "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1936) is a short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. He tells of a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is later defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the noted 19th-c ...

'' (1941), and ''

Portrait of Jennie ''Portrait of Jennie'' is a 1948 American fantasy film based on the 1940 novella by Robert Nathan. The film was directed by William Dieterle and produced by David O. Selznick. It stars Jennifer Jones and Joseph Cotten. At the 21st Academy Awar ...

'' (1948). He died in 1947 shortly after completing the filming of ''Portrait of Jennie''. He received his second Oscar nomination, posthumously, for this film. His son, Joseph A. August (1916–2006), was also a cinematographer.

Selected filmography

*''

Hell's Hinges ''Hell's Hinges'' is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart and Clara Williams. Directed by Charles Swickard, William S. Hart and Clifford Smith, and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was written by C. Gardne ...

'' (1916; film debut) *''

The Apostle of Vengeance ''The Apostle of Vengeance'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Clifford Smith and starring William S. Hart, Nona Thomas, and John Gilbert. A Kentucky-born preacher returns home from Vermont in order to settle a feud between two w ...

'' (1916) *''

The Aryan ''The Aryan'' is a 1916 American silent Western film starring William S. Hart, Gertrude Claire, Charles K. French, Louise Glaum, and Bessie Love. Directed by William S. Hart and produced by Thomas H. Ince, the screenplay was written by C. ...

'' (1916) *''

Truthful Tulliver ''Truthful Tulliver'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by William S. Hart and starring Hart, Alma Rubens and Nina Byron. Footage was featured in Decasia, an American collage film by director Bill Morrisson. Plot Truthful Tul ...

'' (1917) *''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewr ...

'' (1917) *''

'Blue Blazes' Rawden ''Blue Blazes' Rawden'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by William S. Hart and written by J.G. Hawks. The film stars William S. Hart, Maude George, Robert McKim, Gertrude Claire, Robert Gordon, and Jack Hoxie. The film was releas ...

'' (1918) * '' The Border Wireless'' (1918) *'' Selfish Yates'' (1918) *''

Travelin' On ''Travelin' On'' is an album by the jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and his trio, released in 1968. It was recorded during the same sessions as '' Mellow Mood''. It was the sixth part of Peterson's '' Exclusively for My Friends'' series. Music The ...

'' (1922) *'' St. Elmo'' (1923) *''

Good-By Girls! ''Good-By Girls!'' or ''Goodbye Girls'' is a 1923 American silent comedy mystery film directed by Jerome Storm and starring William Russell, Carmel Myers and Tom Wilson.Solomon p.282 Plot While staying at a country house, author Vance McPhee ...

'' (1923) *''

The Vagabond Trail ''The Vagabond Trail'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by William A. Wellman and produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. The film is based on the 1923 novel ''Donnegan'' by George Owen Baxter (aka Max Brand). Pl ...

'' (1924) *''

Tumbleweeds A tumbleweed is a kind of plant habit or structure. Tumbleweed, tumble-weed or tumble weed may also refer to: Films * ''Tumbleweeds'' (1925 film), William S. Hart film * ''Tumbling Tumbleweeds'' (1935 film), Gene Autry film * ''Tumbleweed'' (1 ...

'' (1925) *''

The Beloved Rogue ''The Beloved Rogue'' is a 1927 American silent romantic adventure film, loosely based on the life of the 15th century French poet, François Villon. The film was directed by Alan Crosland for United Artists. François Villon is played by J ...

'' (1927) *''

Two Arabian Knights ''Two Arabian Knights'' (1927) is an American comedy film, directed by Lewis Milestone and starring William Boyd, Mary Astor, and Louis Wolheim. A silent film, ''Two Arabian Knights'' was produced by Howard Hughes and was distributed by United ...

'' (1928) *''

Up the River ''Up the River'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, and starring Claire Luce, Spencer Tracy and Humphrey Bogart. The plot concerns escaped convicts, as well as a female convict. It was the feature film debut role of ...

'' (1930) *''

The Black Camel ''The Black Camel'' (1929) is the fourth of the Charlie Chan novels by Earl Derr Biggers. Plot summary It tells the story of a Hollywood star (Shelah Fane), who is stopping in Hawaii after she finished shooting a film on location in Tahiti. ...

'' (1931) *''

The Brat ''The Brat'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code comedy film directed by John Ford, starring Sally O'Neil, and featuring Virginia Cherrill. The film is based on the 1917 play by Maude Fulton. A previous silent film had been made in 1919 with Alla Nazim ...

'' (1931) *''

Seas Beneath ''Seas Beneath'' is a 1931 American Pre-Code action film directed by John Ford and starring George O'Brien and Marion Lessing. In the book, ''John Ford'' by Peter Bogdanovich, Ford was interviewed about his memories of directing the film, and ...

'' (1931) *''

Vanity Street ''Vanity Street'' is a 1932 American Pre-Code crime drama film directed by Nick Grinde and starring Charles Bickford, Helen Chandler and Mayo Methot.Scott p.42 A New York policeman assists a down-on-her-luck showgirl, helping her get a job at th ...

'' (1932) *'' The Silent Witness'' (1932) * ''

As the Devil Commands ''As the Devil Commands'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film written by Jo Swerling from a story by Keene Thompson. It is directed by Roy William Neill and stars Alan Dinehart, Mae Clarke and Neil Hamilton. Plot When John Duncan becomes ill, he m ...

'' (1932) *''

The Circus Queen Murder ''The Circus Queen Murder'' is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Adolphe Menjou, Donald Cook and Greta Nissen. It is the sequel to the 1932 film '' The Night Club Lady'' in which Menjou had also s ...

'' (1933) *''

Black Moon Black Moon may refer to: * Black moon, one of four astronomical events involving new or dark moons * Black Moon (person) (c. 1821–1893), Lakota (American Indian) headman * Black Moon or Lilith (hypothetical moon), a hypothetical natural satelli ...

'' (1934) *''

The Captain Hates the Sea ''The Captain Hates the Sea'' is a 1934 comedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and released by Columbia Pictures. The film, which involves a ''Grand Hotel''-style series of intertwining stories involving the passengers on a cruise ship, is notab ...

'' (1934) *'' Among the Missing'' (1934) *''

Twentieth Century The 20th (twentieth) century began on January 1, 1901 ( MCMI), and ended on December 31, 2000 ( MM). The 20th century was dominated by significant events that defined the modern era: Spanish flu pandemic, World War I and World War II, nuclear ...

'' (1934) *''

The Whole Town's Talking ''The Whole Town's Talking'' (released in the UK as ''Passport to Fame'') is a 1935 American comedy film starring Edward G. Robinson as a law-abiding man who bears a striking resemblance to a killer, with Jean Arthur as his love interest. It w ...

'' (1935) *'' The Informer'' (1935) *''

Sylvia Scarlett ''Sylvia Scarlett'' is a 1935 American romantic comedy film starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant, based on '' The Early Life and Adventures of Sylvia Scarlett'', a 1918 novel by Compton MacKenzie. Directed by George Cukor, it was notorious ...

'' (1935) *'' Mary of Scotland'' (1936) *''

The Plough and the Stars ''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act Play (theatre), play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title refe ...

'' (1936) *''

The Soldier and the Lady ''The Soldier and the Lady'' is the 1937 American adventure film version of the oft-produced 1876 Jules Verne novel, '' Michel Strogoff''. Produced by Pandro S. Berman, he hired as his associate producer, Joseph Ermolieff. Ermolieff had produc ...

'' (1937) *''

The Saint in New York ''The Saint in New York'' is a mystery novel by Leslie Charteris, first published in the United Kingdom by Hodder and Stoughton in 1935. It was published in the United States by Doubleday in January 1935. A shorter version of the novel had pr ...

'' (1938) *''

'' (1939) *''

Man of Conquest ''Man of Conquest'' is a 1939 American Western (genre), Western film directed by George Nicholls Jr. and starring Richard Dix (actor), Richard Dix, Gail Patrick, and Joan Fontaine. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Academy Awar ...

'' (1939) *''

Nurse Edith Cavell ''Nurse Edith Cavell'' is a 1939 American film directed by British director Herbert Wilcox about Edith Cavell. The film was nominated at the 1939 Oscars for Best Original Score. Plot The story follows the broadly true story of Edith Cavell w ...

'' (1939) *''

'' (1939) *'' Primrose Path'' (1940) *''

Dance, Girl, Dance ''Dance, Girl, Dance'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Dorothy Arzner and starring Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, and Ralph Bellamy. The film follows two dancers who strive to preserve their own integrity while fi ...

'' (1940) *''

Melody Ranch ''Melody Ranch'' is a 1940 Western musical film directed by Joseph Santley and starring Gene Autry, Jimmy Durante, and Ann Miller. Written by Jack Moffitt, F. Hugh Herbert, Bradford Ropes, and Betty Burbridge, the film is about a singing cowbo ...

'' (1940) *''

'' (1941) *''

They Were Expendable ''They Were Expendable'' is a 1945 American war film directed by John Ford, starring Robert Montgomery and John Wayne, and featuring Donna Reed. The film is based on the 1942 novel of the same name by William Lindsay White, relating the story ...

'' (1945) *''

'' (1948, final film)

References

External links

* * 1890 births 1947 deaths American cinematographers Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery People from Idaho Springs, Colorado Place of death missing {{US-cinematographer-stub