---
name: "George J. Folsey"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/george-j-folsey"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "2 July 1898"
died: "1 November 1988"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-09-20T02:41:31.042557+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# George J. Folsey

Cinematographer. Born 2 July 1898 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 1 November 1988.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 2 July 1898, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 1 November 1988
- **Active:** 1931–1954
- **Also known as:** George Folsey, George J. Falsey
- **Academy Awards:** 14 Oscar nominations
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 71 (2), 1950s 76 (1)
- **Score spread:** 0 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 2, Drama 2, Romance 2, Music 1, Western 1
- **Screen time:** 6 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $10m across 2 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Folsey, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q329176, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005706/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12307

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Seven Brides for Seven Brothers*](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md) (76)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

George J. Folsey was an American cinematographer. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1898, he began his film career at the age of 14 as an office boy at the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in New York. He earned his first screen credit in 1919 and worked for Associated First National and Paramount Astoria Studios before moving to Hollywood and joining Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he spent much of his career. He retired in 1976 after working on 162 films.

Folsey's credits include *The Cocoanuts* (1929), *Animal Crackers* (1930), *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), *Adam's Rib* (1949), *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954) and *Forbidden Planet* (1956). He also served as director of photography on episodes of the television series *The Fugitive* and an NBC special starring Peggy Fleming.

Folsey received 13 Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography but did not win. He was awarded the first Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Cinematographers in 1988 and served as its president in 1956–57. His son, George Folsey Jr., worked as a director, producer and editor. Folsey died in Santa Monica, California, in 1988.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954), Fi1m 76, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md)
- *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), Fi1m 64, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-ziegfeld.md)
- *The Smiling Lieutenant* (1931), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-smiling-lieutenant.md)

## Complete filmography (128)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Balcony* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Anatomy of an Accident* (1961), Cinematography
- *I Passed for White* (1960), Director of Photography
- *Cash McCall* (1960), Director of Photography
- *Count Your Blessings* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Torpedo Run* (1958), Director of Photography
- *The High Cost of Loving* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Saddle the Wind* (1958), Director of Photography
- *House of Numbers* (1957), Director of Photography
- *Tip on a Dead Jockey* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Power and the Prize* (1956), Director of Photography
- *These Wilder Years* (1956), Director of Photography
- *The Fastest Gun Alive* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Forbidden Planet* (1956), Director of Photography
- *The Battle of Gettysburg* (1955), Director of Photography
- *The Cobweb* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Hit the Deck* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Deep in My Heart* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md)
- *Men of the Fighting Lady* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Executive Suite* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Tennessee Champ* (1954), Director of Photography
- *All the Brothers Were Valiant* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Million Dollar Mermaid* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Shadow in the Sky* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Lovely to Look At* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Man with a Cloak* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Law and the Lady* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Mr. Imperium* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Vengeance Valley* (1951), Director of Photography
- *A Life of Her Own* (1950), Director of Photography
- *The Big Hangover* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Malaya* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Adam's Rib* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Great Sinner* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Take Me Out to the Ball Game* (1949), Director of Photography
- *State of the Union* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Green Dolphin Street* (1947), Director of Photography
- *The Secret Heart* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Till the Clouds Roll By* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Green Years* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Harvey Girls* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Ziegfeld Follies* (1945), Director of Photography
- *The Clock* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Meet Me in St. Louis* (1944), Director of Photography
- *The White Cliffs of Dover* (1944), Director of Photography
- *A Guy Named Joe* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Thousands Cheer* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Andy Hardy's Double Life* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Seven Sweethearts* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Panama Hattie* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Grand Central Murder* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Rio Rita* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Married Bachelor* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Lady Be Good* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day* (1941), Director of Photography
- *The Trial of Mary Dugan* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Come Live with Me* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Third Finger, Left Hand* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Remember?* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Lady of the Tropics* (1939), Cinematography
- *Fast and Loose* (1939), Director of Photography
- *The Shining Hour* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Marie Antoinette* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Hold That Kiss* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Arsène Lupin Returns* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Mannequin* (1938), Director of Photography
- *The Bride Wore Red* (1937), Director of Photography
- *The Last of Mrs. Cheyney* (1937), Director of Photography
- *The Gorgeous Hussy* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Hearts Divided* (1936), Director of Photography
- *The Great Ziegfeld* (1936), Director of Photography — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-ziegfeld.md)
- *Kind Lady* (1935), Director of Photography
- *I Live My Life* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Page Miss Glory* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Reckless* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Forsaking All Others* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Chained* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Operator 13* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Men in White* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Going Hollywood* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Stage Mother* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Reunion in Vienna* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Storm at Daybreak* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Men Must Fight* (1933), Director of Photography
- *The Animal Kingdom* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Big Broadcast* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Misleading Lady* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Cheat* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Secrets of a Secretary* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Smiling Lieutenant* (1931), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-smiling-lieutenant.md)
- *Honor Among Lovers* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Stolen Heaven* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Royal Family of Broadway* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Laughter* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Animal Crackers* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Dangerous Nan McGrew* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Big Pond* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Glorifying the American Girl* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Battle of Paris* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Applause* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Cocoanuts* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Hole in the Wall* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Letter* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Her Wild Oat* (1927), Director of Photography
- *American Beauty* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Naughty But Nice* (1927), Director of Photography
- *See You in Jail* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Orchids and Ermine* (1927), Director of Photography
- *The Savage* (1926), Director of Photography
- *Too Much Money* (1926), Director of Photography
- *Scarlet Saint* (1925), Director of Photography
- *The Half-Way Girl* (1925), Cinematography
- *Born Rich* (1924), Director of Photography
- *The Enchanted Cottage* (1924), Director of Photography
- *The Fighting Blade* (1923), Director of Photography
- *The Bright Shawl* (1923), Director of Photography
- *The Man from M.A.R.S.* (1922), Director of Photography
- *Slim Shoulders* (1922), Director of Photography
- *What's Wrong with the Women?* (1922), Director of Photography
- *A Game Chicken* (1922), Director of Photography
- *The Road to London* (1921), as Rex's father
- *A Heart to Let* (1921), Director of Photography
- *The Stolen Kiss* (1920), Director of Photography
- *Sinners* (1920), Director of Photography
- *The Fear Market* (1920), Director of Photography
- *Uncle Tom's Cabin* (1918), Assistant Camera

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 14 nominated

- 1964: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *The Balcony*
- 1955: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers*
- 1955: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Executive Suite*
- 1954: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *All the Brothers Were Valiant*
- 1953: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Million Dollar Mermaid*
- 1948: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Green Dolphin Street*
- 1947: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *The Green Years*
- 1945: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Meet Me in St. Louis*
- 1945: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *The White Cliffs of Dover*
- 1944: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Thousands Cheer*
- 1940: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Lady of the Tropics*
- 1937: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Gorgeous Hussy*
- 1935: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Operator 13*
- 1934: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Reunion in Vienna*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

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© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/george-j-folsey