---
name: "John F. Seitz"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-f-seitz"
fi1m_id: "john-f-seitz"
imdb_id: "nm0005870"
tmdb_id: 8620
wikidata_id: "Q724695"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "23 June 1892"
died: "27 February 1979"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 88
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-25T04:51:15.270992+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 F. Seitz

## Identity

John F. Seitz

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-f-seitz
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-f-seitz
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005870
- **TMDB ID:** 8620
- **Wikidata ID:** Q724695
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Seitz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q724695, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005870/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8620

Cinematographer. Born 23 June 1892 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 27 February 1979.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 23 June 1892, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 27 February 1979
- **Active:** 1931–1950
- **Also known as:** John Seitz, Jack Seitz, John Francis Seitz, John B. Sietz
- **Frequently works with:** [Billy Wilder](https://film.one/person/billy-wilder.md), [Charles Brackett](https://film.one/person/charles-brackett.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 7 Oscar nominations
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 87 (3), 1950s 91 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 88 to 83 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Romance 1, Thriller 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $20m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Seitz, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q724695, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005870/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8620

## Biography

John F. Seitz (1892–1979) was an American cinematographer and inventor. He began working in the film industry in 1909 as a lab assistant in Chicago and became a director of photography during the silent era. He achieved early success with director Rex Ingram, including on *The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse* (1921).

Seitz collaborated with Billy Wilder on several films, serving as cinematographer on *Double Indemnity* (1944), *The Lost Weekend* (1945) and *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), each earning him an Academy Award nomination. He also worked on Preston Sturges films including *Sullivan's Travels* (1941). He held 18 patents for photographic inventions and retired from cinematography in 1960.

Seitz was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1923 and served as its president in 1929. He received seven Academy Award nominations for cinematography over the course of his career.

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

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Fi1m 91, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md)
- *The Lost Weekend* (1945), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-lost-weekend.md)
- *Double Indemnity* (1944), Fi1m 92, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/double-indemnity.md)
- *Sullivan's Travels* (1941), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/sullivans-travels.md)

## Complete filmography (158)

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

- *Guns of the Timberland* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The Man in the Net* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Island of Lost Women* (1959), Director of Photography
- *The Badlanders* (1958), Director of Photography
- *The Deep Six* (1958), Director of Photography
- *The Big Land* (1957), Director of Photography
- *A Cry in the Night* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Santiago* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Hell on Frisco Bay* (1955), Director of Photography
- *The McConnell Story* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Many Rivers to Cross* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Rogue Cop* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Rocket Man* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Saskatchewan* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Fort Algiers* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Desert Legion* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Invaders from Mars* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Botany Bay* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Iron Mistress* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Savage* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The San Francisco Story* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Detective Story* (1951), Additional Photography
- *When Worlds Collide* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Dear Brat* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Goldbergs* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Director of Photography — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md)
- *Appointment with Danger* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Captain Carey, U.S.A.* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Chicago Deadline* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Great Gatsby* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Night Has a Thousand Eyes* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Beyond Glory* (1948), Director of Photography
- *The Big Clock* (1948), Director of Photography
- *On Our Merry Way* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Saigon* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Wild Harvest* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Calcutta* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Imperfect Lady* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Home Sweet Homicide* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Well Groomed Bride* (1946), Director of Photography
- *The Lost Weekend* (1945), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-lost-weekend.md)
- *The Unseen* (1945), Director of Photography
- *The Miracle of Morgan's Creek* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Casanova Brown* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Hail the Conquering Hero* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Double Indemnity* (1944), Director of Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/double-indemnity.md)
- *The Hour Before the Dawn* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Five Graves to Cairo* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Lucky Jordan* (1942), Director of Photography
- *The Moon and Sixpence* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Winning Your Wings* (1942), Cinematography
- *This Gun for Hire* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Fly By Night* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Sullivan's Travels* (1941), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/sullivans-travels.md)
- *Dr. Kildare's Crisis* (1940), Director of Photography
- *A Little Bit of Heaven* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Dr. Kildare's Strange Case* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Let's Talk Turkey* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Bad Little Angel* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Thunder Afloat* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Culinary Carving* (1939), Cinematography
- *6,000 Enemies* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Prophet Without Honor* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Sergeant Madden* (1939), Director of Photography
- *The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Young Dr. Kildare* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Stablemates* (1938), Director of Photography
- *The Crowd Roars* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Lord Jeff* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Love Is a Headache* (1938), Director of Photography
- *Navy Blue and Gold* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Madame X* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Between Two Women* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Carnival in Paris* (1937), Director of Photography
- *15 Maiden Lane* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Poor Little Rich Girl* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Captain January* (1936), Director of Photography
- *The Country Doctor* (1936), Director of Photography
- *The Littlest Rebel* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Navy Wife* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Redheads on Parade* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Curly Top* (1935), Director of Photography
- *The Farmer Takes a Wife* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Our Little Girl* (1935), Director of Photography
- *One More Spring* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Helldorado* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Marie Galante* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Springtime for Henry* (1934), Director of Photography
- *All Men Are Enemies* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Coming Out Party* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Mr. Skitch* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Paddy the Next Best Thing* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Adorable* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Dangerously Yours* (1933), Director of Photography
- *Ladies They Talk About* (1933), Director of Photography
- *6 Hours to Live* (1932), Director of Photography
- *A Passport to Hell* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Woman in Room 13* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Careless Lady* (1932), Director of Photography
- *She Wanted a Millionaire* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Over the Hill* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Age for Love* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Merely Mary Ann* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Hush Money* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Men of the Sky* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Young Sinners* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Misbehaving Ladies* (1931), Director of Photography
- *East Lynne* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Right of Way* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Kismet* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Bad Man* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Road to Paradise* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Sweethearts and Wives* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Back Pay* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Murder Will Out* (1930), Director of Photography
- *In the Next Room* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Painted Angel* (1929), Director of Photography
- *A Most Immoral Lady* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Her Private Life* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Hard to Get* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Careers* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Squall* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Saturday's Children* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The Divine Lady* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Adoration* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Outcast* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Patsy* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Across to Singapore* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Trail of '98* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Fair Co-Ed* (1927), Director of Photography
- *The Magician* (1926), Director of Photography
- *Mare Nostrum* (1926), Director of Photography
- *The Price of a Party* (1924), Director of Photography
- *Classmates* (1924), Director of Photography
- *The Arab* (1924), Director of Photography
- *Scaramouche* (1923), Director of Photography
- *Where the Pavement Ends* (1923), Director of Photography
- *Trifling Women* (1922), Director of Photography
- *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1922), Director of Photography
- *Turn to the Right* (1922), Director of Photography
- *The Conquering Power* (1921), Director of Photography
- *Uncharted Seas* (1921), Director of Photography
- *The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse* (1921), Director of Photography
- *Hearts Are Trumps* (1920), Director of Photography
- *Shore Acres* (1920), Director of Photography
- *The Sagebrusher* (1920), Director of Photography
- *The Westerners* (1919), Director of Photography
- *Up Romance Road* (1918), Director of Photography
- *Powers That Prey* (1918), Director of Photography
- *Beauty and the Rogue* (1918), Director of Photography
- *The Mate of the Sally Ann* (1917), Director of Photography
- *A Game of Wits* (1917), Director of Photography
- *The Bride's Silence* (1917), Director of Photography
- *Souls in Pawn* (1917), Director of Photography
- *The Serpent's Tooth* (1917), Director of Photography
- *Whose Wife?* (1917), Director of Photography
- *The Ranger of Lonesome Gulch* (1916), Director of Photography
- *The Quagmire* (1916), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 7 nominated

- 1955: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Rogue Cop*
- 1952: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *When Worlds Collide*
- 1951: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Sunset Boulevard*
- 1946: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *The Lost Weekend*
- 1945: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Double Indemnity*
- 1944: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Five Graves to Cairo*
- 1929: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Divine Lady*

*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-f-seitz