---
name: "Robert L. Surtees"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-surtees"
fi1m_id: "robert-surtees"
imdb_id: "nm0005892"
tmdb_id: 10005
wikidata_id: "Q178115"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "9 August 1906"
died: "5 January 1985"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 13
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_over: 13
updated: "2026-09-25T07:18:01.741638+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."
---

# Robert L. Surtees

## Identity

Robert L. Surtees

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/robert-surtees
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** robert-surtees
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005892
- **TMDB ID:** 10005
- **Wikidata ID:** Q178115
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Surtees_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q178115, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005892/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10005

Cinematographer. Born 9 August 1906 in Covington, Kentucky, USA. Died 5 January 1985.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 9 August 1906, Covington, Kentucky, USA
- **Died:** 5 January 1985
- **Active:** 1935–1977
- **Also known as:** Robert Surtees, Robert Lee Surtees
- **Frequently works with:** [Sam Zimbalist](https://film.one/person/sam-zimbalist.md), [Anne Bancroft](https://film.one/person/anne-bancroft.md), [Deborah Kerr](https://film.one/person/deborah-kerr.md), [Hugh Griffith](https://film.one/person/hugh-griffith.md), [Sonya Levien](https://film.one/person/sonya-levien.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 3 Oscars (3 won · 11 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 74 (1), 1950s 74 (5), 1960s 62 (4), 1970s 81 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 80 to 77 across 7 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 6 at 60–79, 3 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Romance 8, Adventure 4, Comedy 4, History 3, Fantasy 2
- **Screen time:** 31 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $570m across 12 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Surtees_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q178115, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005892/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/10005

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Ben-Hur*](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md) (76), [*Mutiny on the Bounty*](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty-1962.md) (56)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Graduate*](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md) (86)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Oklahoma!*](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md) (72)
- **HBO Max:** [*Quo Vadis*](https://film.one/film/quo-vadis.md) (65)

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

## Biography

Robert L. Surtees was an American cinematographer. Born in Covington, Kentucky, he began his career as an assistant cameraman to Gregg Toland and others in the late 1920s, later working in Germany before returning to Hollywood studios including MGM.

He photographed nearly 100 films over a career spanning five decades. Surtees won three Academy Awards for Best Cinematography, for *King Solomon's Mines* (1950), *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952) and *Ben-Hur* (1959), and received a total of 16 nominations. His other notable credits include *Quo Vadis* (1951), *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1962), *The Graduate* (1967), *The Last Picture Show* (1971) and *The Sting* (1973).

His son Bruce Surtees also worked as a cinematographer.

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

## On Fi1m (13)

- *The Turning Point* (1977), Fi1m 70, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-turning-point.md)
- *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *The Last Picture Show* (1971), Fi1m 89, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show.md)
- *Doctor Dolittle* (1967), Fi1m 50, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-dolittle.md)
- *The Graduate* (1967), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md)
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1962), Fi1m 56, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty-1962.md)
- *Cimarron* (1960), Fi1m 57, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/cimarron.md)
- *Ben-Hur* (1959), Fi1m 76, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md)
- *Oklahoma!* (1955), Fi1m 72, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md)
- *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bad-and-the-beautiful.md)
- *Quo Vadis* (1951), Fi1m 65, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/quo-vadis.md)
- *King Solomon's Mines* (1950), Fi1m 72, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/king-solomons-mines.md)
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), Fi1m 74, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)

## Complete filmography (76)

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

- *Bloodbrothers* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Same Time, Next Year* (1978), Director of Photography
- *The Turning Point* (1977), Director of Photography — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-turning-point.md)
- *A Star Is Born* (1976), Director of Photography
- *The Hindenburg* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Great Waldo Pepper* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Sting* (1973), Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *Oklahoma Crude* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Lost Horizon* (1973), Director of Photography
- *The Other* (1972), Director of Photography
- *The Cowboys* (1972), Director of Photography
- *The Last Picture Show* (1971), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/the-last-picture-show.md)
- *Summer of '42* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The Liberation of L.B. Jones* (1970), Director of Photography
- *The Arrangement* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Sweet Charity* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Coogan's Bluff* (1968), Director of Photography
- *The Graduate* (1967), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-graduate.md)
- *Doctor Dolittle* (1967), Director of Photography — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-dolittle.md)
- *Lost Command* (1966), Director of Photography
- *The Chase* (1966), Additional Photography
- *The Third Day* (1965), Director of Photography
- *The Hallelujah Trail* (1965), Director of Photography
- *The Collector* (1965), Director of Photography
- *The Satan Bug* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Kisses for My President* (1964), Director of Photography
- *PT 109* (1963), Director of Photography
- *Mutiny on the Bounty* (1962), Director of Photography — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/mutiny-on-the-bounty-1962.md)
- *Cimarron* (1960), Director of Photography — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/cimarron.md)
- *It Started in Naples* (1960), Director of Photography
- *Ben-Hur* (1959), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/ben-hur.md)
- *The Law and Jake Wade* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Merry Andrew* (1958), Director of Photography
- *Raintree County* (1957), Director of Photography
- *Les Girls* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Swan* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Tribute to a Bad Man* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Oklahoma!* (1955), Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md)
- *Trial* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Valley of the Kings* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Long, Long Trailer* (1954), Director of Photography
- *Escape from Fort Bravo* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Mogambo* (1953), Director of Photography
- *Ride, Vaquero!* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Bad and the Beautiful* (1952), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bad-and-the-beautiful.md)
- *The Merry Widow* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Wild North* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Light Touch* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Quo Vadis* (1951), Director of Photography — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/quo-vadis.md)
- *The Strip* (1951), Director of Photography
- *King Solomon's Mines* (1950), Director of Photography — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/king-solomons-mines.md)
- *Intruder in the Dust* (1949), Director of Photography
- *That Midnight Kiss* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Big Jack* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Act of Violence* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Kissing Bandit* (1948), Director of Photography
- *A Date with Judy* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Big City* (1948), Director of Photography
- *Tenth Avenue Angel* (1948), Director of Photography
- *The Unfinished Dance* (1947), Director of Photography
- *Two Sisters from Boston* (1946), Director of Photography
- *No Leave, No Love* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Strange Holiday* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Our Vines Have Tender Grapes* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Music for Millions* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Two Girls and a Sailor* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Lost Angel* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Election Daze* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Don't You Believe It* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Nursery Rhyme Mysteries* (1943), Director of Photography
- *Heavenly Music* (1943), Director of Photography
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), Camera Operator — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)
- *David Harum* (1934), Assistant Camera
- *State Fair* (1933), Assistant Camera
- *Lady with a Past* (1932), Assistant Camera

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 3 won, 11 nominated

- 1979: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Same Time, Next Year*
- 1978: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Turning Point*
- 1977: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *A Star Is Born*
- 1976: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Hindenburg*
- 1974: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Sting*
- 1972: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Last Picture Show*
- 1968: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Doctor Dolittle*
- 1963: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Mutiny on the Bounty*
- 1960: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *Ben-Hur*
- 1956: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Oklahoma!*
- 1953: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (won), for *The Bad and the Beautiful*
- 1952: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Quo Vadis*
- 1951: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *King Solomon's Mines*
- 1945: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo*

*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/robert-surtees