---
name: "John Alcott"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-alcott"
fi1m_id: "john-alcott"
imdb_id: "nm0005633"
tmdb_id: 2286
wikidata_id: "Q1335915"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "27 November 1930"
died: "28 July 1986"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 75
average_over: 7
updated: "2026-10-04T18:41:43.836002+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."
---

# John Alcott

## Identity

John Alcott

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-alcott
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-alcott
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005633
- **TMDB ID:** 2286
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1335915
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alcott, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1335915, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005633/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2286

Cinematographer. Born 27 November 1930 in London, United Kingdom. Died 28 July 1986.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 27 November 1930, London, United Kingdom
- **Died:** 28 July 1986
- **Active:** 1968–1984
- **Frequently works with:** [Stanley Kubrick](https://film.one/person/stanley-kubrick.md), [Patrick Magee](https://film.one/person/patrick-magee.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 92 (1), 1970s 82 (2), 1980s 68 (4)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 86 to 76 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Crime 3, Action 2, Adventure 2, Science Fiction 2, Thriller 2
- **Screen time:** 16 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $305m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alcott, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1335915, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005633/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2286

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*A Clockwork Orange*](https://film.one/film/a-clockwork-orange.md) (78)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes*](https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes.md) (65)
- **AMC+:** [*Vice Squad*](https://film.one/film/vice-squad.md) (64)

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

## Biography

John Alcott (27 November 1930 – 28 July 1986) was an English cinematographer. He began his career in the camera department at Gainsborough Studios and later assisted Geoffrey Unsworth before joining Stanley Kubrick's production of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), where he took over as lighting cameraman for the 'Dawn of Man' sequence.

Alcott shot three further films for Kubrick: A Clockwork Orange (1971), Barry Lyndon (1975) and The Shining (1980). His work on Barry Lyndon, which used only natural and candlelight, earned him the Academy Award for Best Cinematography. He received BAFTA and BSC awards for the same film and a BAFTA nomination for A Clockwork Orange.

After moving to the United States in 1981, Alcott worked on films including The Beastmaster (1982), Under Fire (1983), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) and No Way Out (1987). He died of a heart attack in Cannes, France, aged 55.

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

## On Fi1m (7)

- *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* (1984), Fi1m 65, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes.md)
- *Vice Squad* (1982), Fi1m 64, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/vice-squad.md)
- *Fort Apache, the Bronx* (1981), Fi1m 56, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/fort-apache-the-bronx.md)
- *The Shining* (1980), Fi1m 88, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-shining.md)
- *Barry Lyndon* (1975), Fi1m 85, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/barry-lyndon.md)
- *A Clockwork Orange* (1971), Fi1m 78, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/a-clockwork-orange.md)
- *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), Fi1m 92, Additional Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey.md)

## Complete filmography (21)

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

- *No Way Out* (1987), Director of Photography
- *White Water Summer* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* (1984), Director of Photography — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes.md)
- *Under Fire* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Triumphs of a Man Called Horse* (1983), Director of Photography
- *The Beastmaster* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Vice Squad* (1982), Director of Photography — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/vice-squad.md)
- *Fort Apache, the Bronx* (1981), Director of Photography — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/fort-apache-the-bronx.md)
- *Terror Train* (1980), Director of Photography
- *The Shining* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-shining.md)
- *Fangio: Una vita a 300 all'ora* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?* (1978), Director of Photography
- *The Disappearance* (1977), Director of Photography
- *March or Die* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Barry Lyndon* (1975), Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/barry-lyndon.md)
- *Overlord* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs* (1974), Director of Photography
- *A Clockwork Orange* (1971), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/a-clockwork-orange.md)
- *2001: A Space Odyssey* (1968), Additional Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/2001-a-space-odyssey.md)
- *Venetian Bird* (1952), as Clapper Loader

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1976: Best Cinematography (won), for *Barry Lyndon*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won

- 1976: Best Cinematography (won), for *Barry Lyndon*

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

---
© 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/john-alcott