Celebrity Biographies
Jack Cardiff
A true legend of cinematography, the British Jack Cardiff was one of the great operators in the history of cinema. His work has produced some of the best images of big stars, like Ava Gardner, who was never as attractive on screen as in The Barefoot Contessa , or Audrey Hepburn, whom Cardiff portrayed in War and Peace . The teacher passed away on Wednesday, April 22, at the age of 94, at his residence in Cambridgeshire, south-east England, after a brief illness. “Cardiff contributed to some of the best films ever made,” a source from the British Film Institute commented.
Born on September 18, 1914 in Yamouth (Norfolk), Jack Cardiff was the son of a couple of actors dedicated to music hall. The boy was going to follow in the footsteps of his parents, since he made his acting debut in 1918 –when he was only 4 years old– in the silent film My Son, My Son . He was active as a child actor until he was 13 years old. From that moment he decided to work behind the cameras, in various occupations. He progressively ascended the rungs, as he went from clapperboard boy, to assistant, camera operator, and finally director of photography.
In 1943 Cardiff had a providential encounter with Michael Powell and Emmerich Pressburger, for whom he served as cinematographer on the legendary Life and Death of Colonel Blimp . The filmmakers were so pleased with him that they hired him again for Life or Death , The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus , for which he received a well-deserved Oscar for Best Cinematography. After placing himself under the command of Alfred Hitchcock in Tormented , Henry Hathaway ( The Black Rose ) and Albert Lewin ( Pandora and the Flying Dutchman), Cardiff established himself as one of the greats photographing the unforgettable The African Queen for John Huston . From that moment he began to work more in Hollywood than in his native country, with titles such as The Barefoot Contessa , War and Peace , The Vikings , The Prince and the Pauper and The Awakening . He was one of the few who was given the go-ahead to be photographed by actress Marilyn Monroe , whom he portrayed in The Prince and the Showgirl . He was also a great friend of Sophia Loren , whom he photographed in Sands of Death.. “Everyone adored her, and of course I did too,” Cardiff said of the Italian star.
To broaden his horizons, Jack Cardiff launched into production in 1953 with The Story of William Tell , starring Errol Flynn . His films as a director include My Sweet Geisha , The Rebel Dreamer , Last Train to Katanga , and The Girl on the Motorcycle . Cardiff was very active until the 80s, when he took care of the photography of great successes like Conan, the destroyer or Rambo . He has continued to work until 2007, when he made the miniseries The Other Side of the Screen .. He has been survived by his wife, Nikki, who was actually his third, after two divorces. Cardiff had a total of four children. His son Mason Cardiff has worked as a specialist.