---
name: "Thomas Del Ruth"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/thomas-del-ruth"
fi1m_id: "thomas-del-ruth"
imdb_id: "nm0215878"
tmdb_id: 3031
wikidata_id: "Q2423401"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "1 May 1942"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 10
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-10-04T21:22:24.261507+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."
---

# Thomas Del Ruth

## Identity

Thomas Del Ruth

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/thomas-del-ruth
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** thomas-del-ruth
- **IMDb ID:** nm0215878
- **TMDB ID:** 3031
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2423401
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Del_Ruth, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2423401, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215878/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3031

Cinematographer. Born 1 May 1942 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 1 May 1942, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Active:** 1967–1999
- **Frequently works with:** [Amy Heckerling](https://film.one/person/amy-heckerling.md), [Andrew Bernstein](https://film.one/person/andrew-bernstein.md), [Carol Flint](https://film.one/person/carol-flint.md), [Christopher Misiano](https://film.one/person/christopher-misiano.md), [David Nutter](https://film.one/person/david-nutter.md), [Jessica Yu](https://film.one/person/jessica-yu.md), [John Travolta](https://film.one/person/john-travolta.md), [John Wells](https://film.one/person/john-wells.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 84 (1), 1970s 80 (3), 1980s 78 (3), 1990s 70 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 72 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 3 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Comedy 4, Crime 2, Romance 2, Adventure 1, History 1
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $787m across 7 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Del_Ruth, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2423401, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0215878/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3031

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*ER*](https://film.one/tv/er.md) (88), [*The Breakfast Club*](https://film.one/film/the-breakfast-club.md) (75)
- **HBO Max:** [*Stand by Me*](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md) (88), [*The West Wing*](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md) (86)
- **Tubi:** [*Look Who's Talking*](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking.md) (71)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Look Who's Talking Too*](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking-too.md) (35)

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

## Biography

Thomas Del Ruth is an American cinematographer. Born in Beverly Hills, California, he is the son of film director Roy Del Ruth and performer Winnie Lightner. He began working in the film industry in the early 1960s, initially as a messenger and actor, before moving to the camera department in 1967 and becoming a director of photography in 1979.

Del Ruth is known for his work on feature films including *The Breakfast Club* (1985), *Stand by Me* (1986) and *The Running Man* (1987), as well as television series such as *ER* (1994) and *Charmed* (1998). He served as cinematographer on 96 episodes of *The West Wing* (1999–2004), for which he received two Primetime Emmy Awards and multiple American Society of Cinematographers Awards. He retired around 2009.

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

## On Fi1m (10)

- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *ER* (1994), Fi1m 88, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Look Who's Talking Too* (1990), Fi1m 35, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking-too.md)
- *Look Who's Talking* (1989), Fi1m 71, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking.md)
- *Stand by Me* (1986), Fi1m 88, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md)
- *The Breakfast Club* (1985), Fi1m 75, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-breakfast-club.md)
- *The Sting* (1973), Fi1m 85, First Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *Fat City* (1972), Fi1m 73, Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/fat-city.md)
- *Patton* (1970), Fi1m 82, Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md)
- *Cool Hand Luke* (1967), Fi1m 84, First Assistant Camera — [page](https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke.md)

## Complete filmography (75)

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

- *It Takes All Kinds: The Making of Motel Hell* (2014), Thanks
- *Flipped* (2010), Director of Photography
- *Code Breakers* (2005), Director of Photography
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Down Will Come Baby* (1999), Director of Photography
- *Charmed* (1998), series, Director of Photography
- *Kissing a Fool* (1998), Director of Photography
- *Leave It to Beaver* (1997), Director of Photography
- *When The Cradle Falls* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Asteroid* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Full Circle* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Chasing the Dragon* (1996), Director of Photography
- *JAG* (1995), series, Director of Photography, Director
- *Abandoned and Deceived* (1995), Director of Photography
- *My Brother's Keeper* (1995), Cinematography
- *One Christmas* (1994), Director of Photography
- *ER* (1994), series, Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *ER: 24 Hours* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Next Door* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Royce* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Shattered Image* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Amore!* (1993), Director of Photography
- *House of Secrets* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Donato and Daughter* (1993), Director of Photography
- *Barbarians at the Gate* (1993), Director of Photography
- *T Bone N Weasel* (1992), Director of Photography
- *The Mighty Ducks* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Little Sister* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Kuffs* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Look Who's Talking Too* (1990), Director of Photography — Fi1m 35, [page](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking-too.md)
- *Look Who's Talking* (1989), Director of Photography — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/look-whos-talking.md)
- *Ladykillers* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Satisfaction* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Cross My Heart* (1987), Director of Photography
- *The Running Man* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Who Is Julia?* (1986), Cinematography
- *Stand by Me* (1986), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md)
- *Blind Justice* (1986), Cinematography
- *Quicksilver* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Code of Vengeance* (1985), Additional Photography
- *The Breakfast Club* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/the-breakfast-club.md)
- *Fandango* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Impulse* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Best Kept Secrets* (1984), Cinematography
- *Get Crazy* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Intimate Agony* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Who Will Love My Children?* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Hysterical* (1982), Additional Photography
- *In Love with an Older Woman* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Paper Dolls* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Death Wish II* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Million Dollar Infield* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Help Wanted: Male* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Elvis and the Beauty Queen* (1981), Director of Photography
- *This House Possessed* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Underground Aces* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Mark, I Love You* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Motel Hell* (1980), Director of Photography
- *She's Dressed to Kill* (1979), Director of Photography
- *The Crash of Flight 401* (1978), Camera Operator
- *Rolling Thunder* (1977), Camera Operator
- *The Shootist* (1976), Camera Operator
- *The Outlaw Josey Wales* (1976), Camera Operator
- *The Sting* (1973), First Assistant Camera — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-sting.md)
- *The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean* (1972), Camera Operator
- *Fat City* (1972), Assistant Camera — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/fat-city.md)
- *Myra Breckinridge* (1970), Assistant Camera
- *Tora! Tora! Tora!* (1970), Assistant Camera
- *Patton* (1970), Assistant Camera — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/patton.md)
- *The Happy Ending* (1969), Assistant Camera
- *Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here* (1969), Assistant Camera
- *Justine* (1969), Assistant Camera
- *The Boston Strangler* (1968), Assistant Camera
- *Cool Hand Luke* (1967), First Assistant Camera — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke.md)
- *Divorce American Style* (1967), Assistant Camera

---
© 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/thomas-del-ruth