Richard Howard Kline (November 15, 1926 – August 7, 2018) was an American cinematographer, known for his collaborations with directors Richard Fleischer and

Michael Winner Robert Michael Winner (30 October 1935 – 21 January 2013) was a British filmmaker, writer, and media personality. He is known for directing numerous action, thriller, and black comedy films in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, including several c ...

. He was a second-generation filmmaker, being the son of cinematographer Benjamin H. Kline and the nephew of ASC co-founder

Phil Rosen Philip E. Rosen (May 8, 1888 – October 22, 1951) was an American film director and cinematographer. He directed more than 140 films between 1915 and 1949. He was born in Malbork, Marienburg, German Empire (now, Malbork, Poland), grew up ...

. He was nominated twice 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 ''

Camelot Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and, since the Lancelot-Grail cycle, eventually came to be described as th ...

'' (1968) and ''King Kong'' (1976).

Career

Kline was born in Los Angeles, California in 1926; his father was cinematographer Benjamin H. Kline. After Kline graduated from high school in 1943 at the age of 16, his father got him a job as a slate boy working for

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

the same year, and one of the films he worked on as a slate boy was ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

''. A year later, in 1944, Kline joined the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

, serving from 1944 to 1946. By the time he had joined the Navy, he was already a first assistant cameraman. Kline was shipped out to the Pacific Theatre, where he would film battles out on the ocean. Kline left the Navy in 1946, and went to Paris in 1948, after he could not find a job in Hollywood. After graduating from

Sorbonne University Sorbonne University (french: Sorbonne Université; la Sorbonne: 'the Sorbonne') is a public research university located in Paris, France. The institution's legacy reaches back to 1257 when Sorbonne College was established by Robert de Sor ...

with a degree in Fine Art and Fine History, he married and returned to Hollywood, and returned to Columbia in 1951, working first as a camera assistant, and then a camera operator. Kline began working as a cinematographer in 1963, and in 1967, he became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers. Kline worked extensively with director Richard Fleischer, and was nominated for the

on two occasions. Much of his work was in the realm of genre cinema, and he collaborated with directors like

, Richard Fleischer,

Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American film director, producer, and editor. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of ...

, and

Brian De Palma Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for his work in the suspense, crime and psychological thriller genres. De Palma was a leading ...

. Kline also worked alongside other cinematographers such as Charles Lawton Jr.,

Burnett Guffey Burnett Guffey, A.S.C. (May 26, 1905 – May 30, 1983) was an American cinematographer. He won two Academy Awards: ''From Here to Eternity'' (1953) and ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967). Career While still a teenager, the future Academy Award-win ...

James Wong Howe Wong Tung Jim, A.S.C. (; August 28, 1899 – July 12, 1976), known professionally as James Wong Howe (Houghto), was a Chinese-born American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was one of the most soug ...

, and

Philip H. Lathrop Philip H. Lathrop, A.S.C. (October 22, 1912 – April 12, 1995) was an American cinematographer noted for his skills with wide screen technology and detailed approach to lighting and camera placement. Routledge, Chris. "Lathrop, Philip H. ...

. He was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for his work on

in 1967, and for another Oscar for his work on

King Kong King Kong is a fictional giant monster resembling a gorilla, who has appeared in various media since 1933. He has been dubbed The Eighth Wonder of the World, a phrase commonly used within the franchise. His first appearance was in the novelizat ...

in 1976, and was the recipient of the 20th annual ASC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He died from natural causes at his home in

Brentwood, Los Angeles Brentwood is a suburban neighborhood in the Los Angeles Westside, Westside region of Los Angeles. History General Modern development began after the establishment of the Sawtelle Veterans Home, Pacific Branch of the National Home for Disab ...

, at the age of 91, on August 7, 2018, the 51st anniversary of when he joined the A.S.C.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

*Nominee Best Cinematography —

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

( ''Camelot'') (1967) *Nominee Best Cinematography —

( ''King Kong'') (1976) *Winner Lifetime Achievement Award —

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 ...

(2006)

References

External links

*
SN Richard Howard Kline
at

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1926 births 2018 deaths American cinematographers Burials at Los Angeles National Cemetery Film people from Los Angeles People from Encino, Los Angeles United States Navy personnel of World War II {{US-cinematographer-stub