---
name: "Joseph F. Biroc"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joseph-f-biroc"
fi1m_id: "joseph-f-biroc"
imdb_id: "nm0005657"
tmdb_id: 14431
wikidata_id: "Q717851"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "12 February 1903"
died: "7 September 1996"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 5
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-09-24T06:55:02.845085+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."
---

# Joseph F. Biroc

## Identity

Joseph F. Biroc

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joseph-f-biroc
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joseph-f-biroc
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005657
- **TMDB ID:** 14431
- **Wikidata ID:** Q717851
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Biroc, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q717851, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005657/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14431

Cinematographer. Born 12 February 1903 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 7 September 1996.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 12 February 1903, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 7 September 1996
- **Active:** 1946–1980
- **Also known as:** Joseph Francis Biroc, Joesph Biroc, Joe Biroc, Joseph Biroc
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 1 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 91 (1), 1960s 70 (1), 1970s 72 (2), 1980s 89 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 76 across 4 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Action 2, Comedy 2, Drama 2, Family 1, Fantasy 1, Science Fiction 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $243m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Biroc, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q717851, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005657/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14431

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*It's a Wonderful Life*](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md) (91)
- **Hulu:** [*Airplane!*](https://film.one/film/airplane.md) (89)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!*](https://film.one/film/the-russians-are-coming-the-russians-are-coming.md) (70)

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

## Biography

Joseph F. Biroc (also credited as Joseph Francis Biroc) was an American cinematographer. Born in New York City, he began working in films in 1918 as a laboratory assistant at Paragon Studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1920s and worked as a camera operator at RKO Pictures before becoming a director of photography in 1940.

During the Second World War he served in the US Army Signal Corps, filming the Liberation of Paris in 1944 and reaching the rank of captain. After the war he received his first screen credit as cinematographer on *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), sharing duties with Joseph Walker. He later freelanced across studios and frequently collaborated with director Robert Aldrich on films including *Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte* (1964), *The Flight of the Phoenix* (1965) and *The Longest Yard* (1974).

Biroc won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for *The Towering Inferno* (1974, shared with Fred J. Koenekamp) and received further Oscar nominations. He also worked extensively in television and was awarded the American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989. He died in Woodland Hills, California, in 1996.

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

## On Fi1m (5)

- *Airplane!* (1980), Fi1m 89, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *The Towering Inferno* (1974), Fi1m 68, Additional Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno.md)
- *Escape from the Planet of the Apes* (1971), Fi1m 77, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/escape-from-the-planet-of-the-apes.md)
- *The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!* (1966), Fi1m 70, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-russians-are-coming-the-russians-are-coming.md)
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Fi1m 91, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)

## Complete filmography (122)

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

- *A Winner Never Quits* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Father of Hell Town* (1985), Director of Photography
- *The Jerk, Too* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Airplane II: The Sequel* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Hammett* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Desperate Lives* (1982), Director of Photography
- *...All the Marbles* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Airplane!* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/airplane.md)
- *The Gambler* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Scruples* (1980), series, Director of Photography
- *Beyond the Poseidon Adventure* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Little Women* (1978), series, Director of Photography
- *The Clone Master* (1978), Director of Photography
- *SST: Death Flight* (1978), Director of Photography
- *A Family Upside Down* (1978), Director of Photography
- *The Choirboys* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Washington: Behind Closed Doors* (1977), series, Director of Photography
- *Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers* (1976), series, Director of Photography
- *The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox* (1976), Director of Photography
- *Hustle* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Towering Inferno* (1974), Additional Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-towering-inferno.md)
- *Shanks* (1974), Director of Photography
- *The Longest Yard* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Thursday's Game* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Honky Tonk* (1974), Cinematography
- *Wonder Woman* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Blazing Saddles* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Cahill: United States Marshal* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Emperor of the North* (1973), Director of Photography
- *The Crooked Hearts* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Ulzana's Raid* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Playmates* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Gidget Gets Married* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Brian's Song* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The Organization* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The Grissom Gang* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Escape from the Planet of the Apes* (1971), Director of Photography — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/escape-from-the-planet-of-the-apes.md)
- *Mrs. Pollifax — Spy* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Mean Justice* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Too Late the Hero* (1970), Director of Photography
- *The Greatest Mother of 'em All* (1969), Director of Photography
- *What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Lady in Cement* (1968), Director of Photography
- *The Killing of Sister George* (1968), Director of Photography
- *The Legend of Lylah Clare* (1968), Director of Photography
- *The Detective* (1968), Director of Photography
- *Fitzwilly* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Tony Rome* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Who's Minding the Mint?* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Enter Laughing* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Warning Shot* (1967), Director of Photography
- *The Swinger* (1966), Director of Photography
- *The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!* (1966), Director of Photography — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-russians-are-coming-the-russians-are-coming.md)
- *The Flight of the Phoenix* (1965), Director of Photography
- *I Saw What You Did* (1965), Director of Photography
- *To Trap a Spy* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte* (1964), Director of Photography
- *The Young Lovers* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Kitten with a Whip* (1964), Director of Photography
- *The Man from U.N.C.L.E.* (1964), series, Director of Photography
- *Bullet for a Badman* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Ride the Wild Surf* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Viva Las Vegas* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Gunfight at Comanche Creek* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Under the Yum Yum Tree* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Promises! Promises!* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Toys in the Attic* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Bye Bye Birdie* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Convicts 4* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Confessions of an Opium Eater* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Hitler* (1962), Director of Photography
- *Operation Eichmann* (1961), Cinematography
- *Gold of the Seven Saints* (1961), Director of Photography
- *13 Ghosts* (1960), Director of Photography
- *Ice Palace* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The FBI Story* (1959), Director of Photography
- *The Bat* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Verboten!* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Home Before Dark* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Born Reckless* (1958), Director of Photography
- *The Amazing Colossal Man* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Playroom* (1957), Cinematography
- *Forty Guns* (1957), Director of Photography
- *Run of the Arrow* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Unknown Terror* (1957), Director of Photography
- *China Gate* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Garment Jungle* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Ride Back* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Black Whip* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Tension at Table Rock* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Attack* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Nightmare* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Quincannon, Frontier Scout* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Bengazi* (1955), Director of Photography
- *The Steel Cage* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Down Three Dark Streets* (1954), Director of Photography
- *World for Ransom* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Appointment in Honduras* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Donovan's Brain* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Charade* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Vice Squad* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Twonky* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Glass Wall* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Loan Shark* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Red Planet Mars* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Without Warning!* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Bushwhackers* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Cry Danger* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Killer That Stalked New York* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Mrs. Mike* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Johnny Allegro* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Roughshod* (1949), Director of Photography
- *My Dear Secretary* (1948), Director of Photography
- *On Our Merry Way* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Magic Town* (1947), Director of Photography
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Director of Photography — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *Five Came Back* (1939), Camera Operator
- *Where Sinners Meet* (1934), Camera Operator
- *Before Dawn* (1933), Camera Operator
- *Secrets of the French Police* (1932), Assistant Camera
- *The Lost Squadron* (1932), Camera Operator
- *Street Girl* (1929), Camera Operator

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- 1975: Best Cinematography (won), for *The Towering Inferno*
- 1965: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte*

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 1985: Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie (nominated)
- 1980: Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie (nominated)

*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/joseph-f-biroc