Andrew Laszlo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Andrew Laszlo
Born	László András (1926-01-12)January 12, 1926 Pápa, Hungary
Died	October 7, 2011(2011-10-07) (aged 85) Bozeman, Montana
Occupation	Cinematographer
Years active	1963-1992
Spouse(s)	Ann Granger
Children	4
Family	Grandchildren 5

Andrew Laszlo (January 12, 1926 – October 7, 2011) was a talented Hungarian-American cinematographer. He was famous for his work on movies like The Warriors. Andrew Laszlo also received Emmy nominations for his work on The Man Without a Country in 1973 and the TV miniseries Shōgun in 1980. He was a master at using light and cameras to tell stories on screen.

Andrew Laszlo's Early Life in Hungary (1926–1941)

Andrew Laszlo was born as László András in 1926, in a town called Pápa, Hungary. His family settled there when he was about three years old. Before World War II started, Andrew had a happy childhood. He enjoyed playing with his older brother, Alex. They often imagined exciting adventures together.

One important memory from his childhood was seeing the Graf Zeppelin airship fly over Pápa. When he asked about the symbol on its tail, his father said it was a swastika. This was a sign of the difficult times that were coming.

Andrew loved sports. He was a great swimmer and skater. In high school, he became skilled at fencing. This was also when he first became interested in photography. He even started a small business printing photos for his classmates.

In the late 1930s, Andrew's father had to join the Hungarian Army. This made it hard for the family financially. Andrew learned how to make lampshades to help support his family. He was still a full-time high school student, but his business was successful. Then, World War II changed everything for everyone.

Surviving the War Years (1941-1947)

In June 1941, the city of Kassa in Hungary was bombed. The Hungarian government used this event to declare war on the Soviet Union. This meant Hungary joined the Axis Powers with Germany. Sadly, Antisemitism, which is hatred against Jewish people, grew stronger in Hungary.

In 1944, a part of Pápa became a Ghetto. All Jewish families, including the Laszlos, were forced to move there. In early June, Andrew was sent to a Labor Camp. He was taken there in a crowded train car. On June 29, his family (except his brother, Alex) was sent to Auschwitz. Andrew was then moved to another labor camp in what is now Romania. He worked laying railroad tracks. He later received a final postcard from his brother, Alex.

After an air raid, Andrew escaped the labor camp and went to Budapest. He was later forced onto a train with many others. They were sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. This was in the winter of 1944. Andrew survived for months in terrible conditions. It was very cold, and there was little food. He saw his Aunt Alice there, but she died soon after.

In March 1945, Andrew was moved to the Theresienstadt camp. Like many others, he got typhoid fever. Here, he was reunited with his father, whom he thought had died. Finally, on May 8, 1945, the Soviet army freed Theresienstadt. Andrew found a piano and asked a fellow Hungarian pianist, George Feyer, to play for everyone.

When Andrew returned to Pápa, the town was very different. The Soviet Army was in charge. Andrew started his photography business again, and the Russian soldiers were good customers. He finished high school and then moved to Budapest. He got a job at the Hungarian Film Bureau, but it wasn't very exciting. Andrew realized it would take a long time for the Hungarian movie business to recover.

He decided to move to the United States. His uncle, George Laszlo, who lived in New York, agreed to help him. Andrew traveled through Ulm, Germany, where he sold American cigarettes to earn money. After a stop in Frankfurt, he was allowed to enter the United States. He arrived in New York City on January 17, 1947, just five days after his 21st birthday.

Andrew Laszlo's Career in the United States (1947-1996)

When Andrew arrived in New York, his uncle, George Laszlo, helped him. Andrew quickly got used to life in the city. He wanted to work in photography. He worked in a darkroom for a company that printed textiles. He also worked as a door-to-door baby photographer.

His big break came when he was drafted into the army for the Korean War. He went to the U.S. Army motion picture school. This was a great chance to learn. They used 35mm film every day, which taught him a lot.

After the army, it was hard to find a job in the film industry. Andrew tried everything. He even sent his resumes on sandpaper or shirt cardboard so people would remember them. He took any job that let him be behind a camera. He wanted to do lighting and experiment with lenses. Slowly, he got better jobs and started his career.

Andrew married Ann Granger before leaving the US Army. They soon had their first son, also named Andrew. He got a job as a camera operator for The Phil Silvers Show. Then he worked on other TV shows, like Naked City, where he was the Director of Photography. Andrew and his family settled in New York, where they had three more children: Jim, Jeffrey, and Elizabeth.

Andrew worked with TV star Ed Sullivan starting in 1953. He filmed shows in places like Portugal, Alaska, and Ireland. In 1959, Ed Sullivan took Andrew to Havana, Cuba. Ed wanted to interview Fidel Castro. The electrical system in Cuba was different, which caused big problems for the camera equipment. But somehow, they managed to get the footage.

In 1962, Andrew filmed his first feature movie, One Potato, Two Potato. This film was about an interracial marriage. In 1966, he worked on Francis Ford Coppola's You're A Big Boy Now. In 1968, he filmed The Night They Raided Minsky's.

Filming The Beatles at Shea Stadium

On August 15, 1965, The Beatles played a concert at Shea Stadium in New York City. Andrew was the cinematographer for this Ed Sullivan production. It was the first very large rock concert filmed for television. The crew used 14 cameras. They were not ready for the loud screams of 56,000 teenagers. The sound system couldn't handle it. They had to add much of the song sound later. Andrew's hearing was never the same after this concert.

Working on The Warriors and Shōgun

In 1979, Andrew filmed Walter Hill's popular movie The Warriors. This movie let Andrew create new camera techniques. He used special lighting for the subway car scenes. He later wrote that if the movie were made today, it would be very different because of new technology.

Andrew also worked on the 1980 NBC miniseries Shōgun. This show starred Richard Chamberlain and was filmed in Japan. It was challenging because the actors and extras often did not speak English. Andrew shared a funny story about filming a big action scene in Osaka harbor. Guns were firing, people were jumping into the water, and bombs were exploding. But the cameras weren't recording! They had to reshoot the entire scene, which cost a lot of time and money.

His last feature film was Newsies, filmed in 1991. It was about a newspaper delivery-boy's strike in 1899. The movie starred Christian Bale and Robert Duvall. Even though it didn't do well at the box office, it became a cult favorite. It was later turned into a stage musical.

After Newsies, Andrew decided to stop working in TV and film. He wanted to focus on teaching, fly-fishing, and woodworking.

Andrew Laszlo's Later Years (1996-2011)

After his film career, Andrew gave lectures to film students across the United States. He also wrote two books about cinematography, which is the art and science of making movies. Andrew was a great storyteller. He wrote several fiction books, including The Rat Catcher (2004) and A Fight of No Consequence (2006). His experiences in Japan inspired his book Banjin.

When he wasn't teaching or writing, Andrew enjoyed woodworking and metalworking. He also loved fly-fishing in the rivers near his ranch in Montana. Most of all, he enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Andrew Laszlo passed away at his home in Bozeman, Montana, on October 7, 2011, at the age of 85.

Andrew Laszlo's Filmography

Feature Motion Pictures

Television Programs

Images for kids

• 

  Andrew Laszlo