Jack Cardiff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jack Cardiff OBE
Jack Cardiff in the 1970s
Born	(1914-09-18)18 September 1914 Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, England
Died	22 April 2009(2009-04-22) (aged 94) Ely, Cambridgeshire, England
Occupation	Actor cinematographer director photographer
Years active	1918–2007
Known for	A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Black Narcissus (1947) The Red Shoes (1948) The African Queen (1951) War and Peace (1956) Sons and Lovers (1960)

Jack Cardiff OBE (born September 18, 1914 – died April 22, 2009) was a famous British filmmaker. He was a cinematographer (someone who films movies), a director, and a photographer. He worked in movies for a very long time, from the early silent films to modern movies. He saw many changes in how films were made over more than 50 years.

Jack was especially known for his amazing work with color in films. He worked with famous directors like Powell and Pressburger on movies such as A Matter of Life and Death, Black Narcissus, and The Red Shoes. He also worked on The African Queen with John Huston and Under Capricorn with Alfred Hitchcock.

He also directed movies, and his film Sons and Lovers (1960) was very popular. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for it!

In 2000, he received a special honor called the OBE from Britain. In 2001, he was given an Academy Honorary Award for his great contributions to cinema. Jack Cardiff's work is also shown in the documentary film Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010) and a play called Prism (2017).

Jack Cardiff's Early Life

Jack Cardiff was born in Great Yarmouth, England. His parents, Florence and John Joseph Cardiff, were music hall entertainers. This meant they performed on stage.

Jack started acting at a young age. He performed in music halls and appeared in several silent films. Some of these early movies included My Son, My Son (1918) and Tip Toes (1927). When he was 15, he began working behind the scenes. He was a camera assistant and helped with movie production for British International Pictures. He even worked on Alfred Hitchcock's film The Skin Game (1931).

Becoming a Cinematographer

In 1935, Jack Cardiff became a camera operator. Sometimes, he even worked as a cinematographer. He mostly worked for a company called London Films. He was a camera operator on Wings of the Morning (1937). This was the first film in Britain to use Technicolor, which was a new way to film in color.

During World War II, he filmed public information movies. He also made films in India. These films showed the new capital city of Delhi.

A big moment in his career came when he worked on The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943). He was a second unit Technicolor camera operator for this film. The directors, Powell and Pressburger, were very impressed with his skills. They hired him as the main cinematographer for their next color film, A Matter of Life and Death (1946).

Their teamwork continued with Black Narcissus (1947). For this film, Jack Cardiff won an Oscar and a Golden Globe award. They also worked together on The Red Shoes (1948). These films made Jack Cardiff very famous. Many big-budget movies wanted him to be their cinematographer.

In 1995, the British Society of Cinematographers gave Jack Cardiff a special award. It was for his amazing work throughout his career.

Directing Movies

In the late 1950s, Jack Cardiff started directing his own films. He had some success with movies like Intent to Kill (1958). His film Sons and Lovers (1960) was a big hit. It was based on a book by D. H. Lawrence.

This movie received seven Oscar nominations. Jack Cardiff himself was nominated for Best Director. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Best Director for Sons and Lovers.

Later Career and Legacy

After focusing on directing in the 1960s, Jack Cardiff returned to cinematography. He worked on many mainstream films in the United States during the 1970s and 1980s. One of the last films he photographed was in 2004. He lit the scene for the veteran actor Sir John Mills in a short film called Lights 2.

Jack Cardiff passed away on April 22, 2009, at the age of 94. He was survived by his wife and four sons.

His life and career are celebrated in a documentary film. It is called Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010). This film took 17 years to make. It includes interviews with Jack Cardiff himself. It also features tributes from famous people like Martin Scorsese and Kirk Douglas. The documentary was shown at the Festival de Cannes in 2010.

Jack Cardiff's life was also explored in a 2017 stage play. The play is called Prism by Terry Johnson.

Main Films as Cinematographer

Jack Cardiff was a camera operator or cinematographer for many films. Here are some of his most important works:

Main Films as Director

Jack Cardiff also directed several films. Here are some of them:

Awards and Nominations

Jack Cardiff won many awards for his work in cinema.

Academy Awards

Other Awards