---
name: "John Bailey"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-bailey"
fi1m_id: "john-bailey"
imdb_id: "nm0007037"
tmdb_id: 1527
wikidata_id: "Q367813"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "10 August 1942"
died: "10 November 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-04T23:08:18.813248+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 Bailey

## Identity

John Bailey

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-bailey
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-bailey
- **IMDb ID:** nm0007037
- **TMDB ID:** 1527
- **Wikidata ID:** Q367813
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bailey_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367813, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007037/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1527

Cinematographer. Born 10 August 1942 in Moberly, Missouri, USA. Died 10 November 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 10 August 1942, Moberly, Missouri, USA
- **Died:** 10 November 2023
- **Active:** 1971–1997
- **Also known as:** John Ira Bailey
- **Frequently works with:** [Lawrence Kasdan](https://film.one/person/lawrence-kasdan.md), [Paul Schrader](https://film.one/person/paul-schrader.md), [William Hurt](https://film.one/person/william-hurt.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 83 (2), 1980s 75 (5), 1990s 81 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 74 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 5 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Comedy 4, Romance 4, Crime 2, Mystery 2, Action 1
- **Screen time:** 19 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $763m across 9 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bailey_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q367813, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007037/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1527

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Groundhog Day*](https://film.one/film/groundhog-day.md) (88), [*As Good as It Gets*](https://film.one/film/as-good-as-it-gets.md) (77)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Accidental Tourist*](https://film.one/film/the-accidental-tourist.md) (78)
- **Tubi:** [*The Big Chill*](https://film.one/film/the-big-chill.md) (67)

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

## Biography

John Ira Bailey (10 August 1942 – 10 November 2023) was an American cinematographer and occasional film director. Born in Moberly, Missouri, and raised in Norwalk, California, he studied at Loyola Marymount University and the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. He began his career as an assistant cameraman and worked as a camera operator on films including *Days of Heaven* (1978) before becoming a director of photography.

Bailey shot numerous features, including *Ordinary People* (1980), *American Gigolo* (1980), *Groundhog Day* (1993), *As Good as It Gets* (1997), *How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days* (2003) and *The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants* (2005). He collaborated frequently with directors Paul Schrader, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Apted and Ken Kwapis. He also directed several films, among them *The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe* (1991) and *China Moon* (1994).

Bailey served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2017 to 2019, the first cinematographer in that role for many years. He was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, hollywoodreporter.com, latimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (10)

- *As Good as It Gets* (1997), Fi1m 77, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/as-good-as-it-gets.md)
- *Groundhog Day* (1993), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/groundhog-day.md)
- *In the Line of Fire* (1993), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-line-of-fire.md)
- *The Accidental Tourist* (1988), Fi1m 78, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-accidental-tourist.md)
- *Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters* (1985), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/mishima-a-life-in-four-chapters.md)
- *The Big Chill* (1983), Fi1m 67, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-chill.md)
- *American Gigolo* (1980), Fi1m 64, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/american-gigolo.md)
- *Ordinary People* (1980), Fi1m 81, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)
- *Days of Heaven* (1978), Fi1m 85, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/days-of-heaven.md)
- *Two-Lane Blacktop* (1971), Fi1m 81, Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/two-lane-blacktop.md)

## Complete filmography (87)

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

- *Ten Tricks* (2022), Director of Photography
- *Casting a Shadow* (2019), Actor
- *Phil* (2019), Director of Photography
- *An Actor Prepares* (2018), Director of Photography
- *How to Be a Latin Lover* (2017), Director of Photography
- *Burn Your Maps* (2016), Director of Photography
- *A Walk in the Woods* (2015), Director of Photography
- *The Forger* (2014), Director of Photography
- *The Angriest Man in Brooklyn* (2014), Director of Photography
- *A.C.O.D.* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Snake & Mongoose* (2013), Director of Photography
- *The Way Way Back* (2013), Director of Photography
- *Big Miracle* (2012), Director of Photography
- *Country Strong* (2010), Director of Photography
- *Ramona and Beezus* (2010), Director of Photography
- *When in Rome* (2010), Director of Photography
- *Brief Interviews with Hideous Men* (2009), Director of Photography
- *The Greatest* (2009), Director of Photography
- *He's Just Not That Into You* (2009), Director of Photography
- *Making Mishima* (2008), Actor
- *Over Her Dead Body* (2008), Director of Photography
- *Mad Money* (2008), Director of Photography
- *The Death and Life of Bobby Z* (2007), Director of Photography
- *License to Wed* (2007), Director of Photography
- *The Architect* (2006), Director of Photography
- *The Producers* (2005), Director of Photography
- *Must Love Dogs* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants* (2005), Director of Photography
- *Incident at Loch Ness* (2004), Director of Photography
- *The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing* (2004), Director of Photography
- *ADM: DOP* (2003), Director of Photography
- *How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days* (2003), Director of Photography
- *Naqoyqatsi* (2002), Camera Operator
- *The Kid Stays in the Picture* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood* (2002), Director of Photography
- *The Anniversary Party* (2001), Director of Photography
- *'N Sync: Bigger Than Live* (2001), Director
- *Antitrust* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Michael Jordan to the Max* (2000), Director of Photography
- *Via Dolorosa* (2000), Director
- *For Love of the Game* (1999), Director of Photography
- *Forever Mine* (1999), Director of Photography
- *The Out-of-Towners* (1999), Director of Photography
- *Living Out Loud* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Always Outnumbered* (1998), Director of Photography
- *As Good as It Gets* (1997), Director of Photography — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/as-good-as-it-gets.md)
- *Passion* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Extreme Measures* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Mariette in Ecstasy* (1996), Director
- *Nobody's Fool* (1994), Director of Photography
- *China Moon* (1994), Director
- *Desert Passion* (1993), Director of Photography
- *In the Line of Fire* (1993), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-line-of-fire.md)
- *Groundhog Day* (1993), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/groundhog-day.md)
- *A Brief History of Time* (1991), Director of Photography
- *The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe* (1991), Director
- *My Blue Heaven* (1990), Director of Photography
- *The Accidental Tourist* (1988), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-accidental-tourist.md)
- *Vibes* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Tough Guys Don't Dance* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Swimming to Cambodia* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Light of Day* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Brighton Beach Memoirs* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Crossroads* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/mishima-a-life-in-four-chapters.md)
- *Silverado* (1985), Director of Photography
- *The Pope of Greenwich Village* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Racing with the Moon* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Big Chill* (1983), Director of Photography — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-chill.md)
- *Without a Trace* (1983), Director of Photography
- *That Championship Season* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Cat People* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Continental Divide* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Honky Tonk Freeway* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Ordinary People* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/ordinary-people.md)
- *City in Fear* (1980), Director of Photography
- *American Gigolo* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/american-gigolo.md)
- *Boulevard Nights* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Battered* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Days of Heaven* (1978), Camera Operator — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/days-of-heaven.md)
- *The Mafu Cage* (1978), Director of Photography
- *A Question of Guilt* (1978), Camera Operator
- *Welcome to L.A.* (1976), Camera Operator
- *Legacy* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Premonition* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Two-Lane Blacktop* (1971), Assistant Camera — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/two-lane-blacktop.md)
- *Midnight Men: A John Schlesinger and Michael Childers Story*, Actor

---
© 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-bailey