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Allen Daviau | |
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| Born | John Allen Daviau (1942-06-14)June 14, 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | April 15, 2020(2020-04-15) (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1967–2010 |
| Relatives |
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John Allen Daviau (June 14, 1942 – April 15, 2020)[1] was an Americancinematographer known for his collaborations withSteven Spielberg onE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982),The Color Purple (1985), andEmpire of the Sun (1987). He received fiveAcademy Award nominations and twoBritish Academy Film Award nominations, with one win. In addition to his work in film, Daviau served as Cinematographer-in-Residence atUCLA.[2]
Daviau was born on June 14, 1942, in New Orleans, and raised in Los Angeles. He graduated fromLoyola High School in 1960.[1]
He was introduced toSteven Spielberg in the late 1960s[3] and the two went on to work together on two early short films. They continued their professional working career by collaborating onE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); "Kick the Can," a segment fromTwilight Zone: The Movie (1983),The Color Purple (1985), an episode of theNBC anthology seriesAmazing Stories titled "Ghost Train" (1985), andEmpire of the Sun (1987).[3]
Daviau's work also includesJohn Schlesinger'sThe Falcon and the Snowman (1985), the Spielberg-producedHarry and the Hendersons (1987),Albert Brooks'Defending Your Life (1991),Barry Levinson'sAvalon (1990) andBugsy (1991),Peter Weir'sFearless (1993),Frank Marshall'sCongo (1995),Rand Ravich'sThe Astronaut's Wife (1999) andStephen Sommers'Van Helsing (2004), his final feature.
He received lifetime achievement awards from theArt Directors Guild in 1997 and theAmerican Society of Cinematographers in 2007.[4]
Daviau shot thousands of commercials, documentaries, industrials and educational films, and created psychedelic special-effects lighting forRoger Corman'sThe Trip (1967) before he gained entry into the International Photographers Guild.[4]
While doing a lawnmower commercial in Arizona, Daviau learned that Spielberg was looking for a cinematographer forE.T. and sent the director a tape ofThe Boy Who Drank Too Much, a 1980 telefilm that he shot. "It had a lot of mood, and it's about kids, so I knew Steven would watch it!" Daviau said. Spielberg stated that he contacted Daviau for his next feature, saying, "I did something I rarely do. I didn't think twice; I picked up the phone and asked Allen if he would photograph my next feature."[5]
Following a surgical procedure in 2012, Daviau was confined to a wheelchair.[1] He died on April 15, 2020, at the age of 77, as a result of complications fromCOVID-19 at theMotion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.[3]
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Amblin' | Steven Spielberg | |
| 1975 | Names of Sin | Rolf Forsberg | |
| 1983 | Kick the Can | Steven Spielberg | Segments ofTwilight Zone: The Movie |
| It's a Good Life | Joe Dante | ||
| 2000 | The Translator | Leslie Anne Smith | |
| 2001 | Sweet | Elyse Couvillion | |
| 2002 | The Routine | Bob Giraldi | |
| 2004 | ASC-DCI StEM | Also writer | |
| How to Be a Hollywood Player in Less Than Ten Minutes | Joe Hudson | ||
| 2010 | The Caretaker 3D | Sean Isroelit | WithSvetlana Cvetko |
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Say Goodbye | David H. Vowell | |
| 1973 | New Gladiators | Bob Hammer | WithJohn Hora |
| 2004 | Olive or Twist 2004 | Peter Moody | With Tchell De Paepe, Joachim Hanwright and Michael Knight |
Feature film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Brothers O'Toole | Richard Erdman |
| 1974 | Mother Tiger Mother Tiger | Rolf Forsberg |
| 1982 | Harry Tracy, Desperado | William A. Graham |
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Steven Spielberg | |
| 1985 | The Falcon and the Snowman | John Schlesinger |
| The Color Purple | Steven Spielberg | |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | |
| Harry and the Hendersons | William Dear | |
| 1990 | Avalon | Barry Levinson |
| 1991 | Defending Your Life | Albert Brooks |
| Bugsy | Barry Levinson | |
| 1993 | Fearless | Peter Weir |
| 1995 | Congo | Frank Marshall |
| 1999 | The Astronaut's Wife | Rand Ravich |
| 2004 | Van Helsing | Stephen Sommers |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Mooch Goes to Hollywood | Richard Erdman |
| 1979 | The Streets of L.A. | Jerrold Freedman |
| 1980 | The Boy Who Drank Too Much | |
| Rage! | William Graham | |
| 1983 | Legs | Jerold Freedman |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | McDonaldland | Lee Chapman | "Skating" |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Steven Spielberg | "Ghost Train" |
| 1996 | International Cinematographer's Guild Heritage Series | Jay Nefcy | "Vittorio Storaro" |
| Organization | Year | Category | Title | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | 1982 | Best Cinematography | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Nominated |
| 1985 | The Color Purple | Nominated | ||
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | Nominated | ||
| 1990 | Avalon | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | Bugsy | Nominated | ||
| American Society of Cinematographers | 1987 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography | Empire of the Sun | Won |
| 1990 | Avalon | Nominated | ||
| 1991 | Bugsy | Won | ||
| BAFTA Film Awards | 1982 | Best Cinematography | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Nominated |
| 1987 | Empire of the Sun | Won | ||
| Boston Society of Film Critics | 1982 | Best Cinematography | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial | Won |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 1991 | Best Cinematography | Bugsy | Nominated |
| National Society of Film Critics | Best Cinematography | Nominated | ||
| New York Film Critics Circle | 1987 | Best Cinematography | Empire of the Sun | Nominated |
