Rudolph Maté | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Rudolf Mayer (1898-01-21)21 January 1898 |
| Died | 27 October 1964(1964-10-27) (aged 66) Beverly Hills, California, United States |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1919–1964 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 1 |
Rudolph Maté (bornRudolf Mayer; 21 January 1898 – 27 October 1964) was a Polish-Hungariancinematographer who worked in Hungary, Austria, Germany, and France. He collaborated with notable directors includingFritz Lang,René Clair, andCarl Theodor Dreyer, attracting notable recognition forThe Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) andVampyr (1932).
In 1935, he relocated to the United States serving as a cinematographer on notable Hollywood films, includingDodsworth (1936),Foreign Correspondent (1940), andGilda (1946). By 1947, Maté became a film director, with notable titles such asD.O.A. (1950),When Worlds Collide (1951), andThe 300 Spartans (1962).
Rudolph Maté was born on 21 January 1898 inKraków (then in theGrand Duchy of Kraków,Austro-Hungarian Empire, currently inPoland) into an upper-class Jewish family. In 1919, he graduated at theUniversity of Budapest having studied art.[1] He began working in the film industry as a laboratory assistant and an assistant cameraman forAlexander Korda at theCorvin Film Studio. The same year, Maté was appointed to the Communist Directory of the Arts, responsible for nationalizing the film industry. However, in 1920, these plans were abandoned afterMiklós Horthy came to power and banned theHungarian Communist Party. Korda, along with Maté, subsequently relocated toVienna to work forSascha-Film.[1]
In 1924, Maté went toBerlin to work as asecond unit camera operator forErich Pommer. He later hired Maté as an assistant cinematographer toKarl Freund onMikaël (1924). His influence on the film inspiredCarl Theodor Dreyer to hire him as cinematographer onThe Passion of Joan of Arc (1928).[2] Maté's work has been praised as among the best of thesilent film era, with film historian John Wakeman noting his high-contrast lighting brought out facial features on the actors with stark clarity.[3]Wheeler Winston Dixon also noted Maté photographed "each shot with a radiant clarity, often using a halo 'iris' effect during Joan's close-ups, to accentuate her isolation and persecution during the trial. Often, Maté frames Joan slightly from above, looking down at her with a mixture of reverence and sadness, which also serves to suggest her powerlessness during her interrogation by the judges".[4]
His next collaboration with Dreyer wasVampyr (1932). The entire film was shot on location with numerous scenes shot inCourtempierre,France. During filming, Maté had shot some scenes that appeared blurry and fuzzy, after natural light had accidentally shone into the camera lens. Dreyer accepted the results, and had a gauze placed .9-metre (2 ft 11 in) in front of the camera to recreate the effect.[5][6] In addition, Maté collaborated withFritz Lang andRené Clair while in France.[7] His reputation in Europe made him one of the most requested cinematographers that he accepted a contract withFox Film Corporation. In 1935, Maté moved to Hollywood, working on his first American film titledDante's Inferno (1935).[8] A year later, Maté left Fox Film to work onDodsworth (1936) forSamuel Goldwyn. A few years later, Goldwyn selected Maté as his in-house cinematographer, replacingGregg Toland who decided to become a wartime film director.[8] He was nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Cinematography in five consecutive years, forAlfred Hitchcock'sForeign Correspondent (1940),Alexander Korda'sThat Hamilton Woman (1941),Sam Wood'sThe Pride of the Yankees (1942),Zoltan Korda'sSahara (1943), andCharles Vidor'sCover Girl (1944).[9]
While working forColumbia Pictures, Maté initially signed on as cinematographer onIt Had to Be You (1947). However, during production, he began to assume more directorial responsibilities fromDon Hartman. Vincent J. Farrar was brought in as a second cinematographer to take over from Maté, who was later credited as both co-director and co-cinematographer on the film.[8] Columbia Pictures presidentHarry Cohn had taken notice and hired Maté as a director. His first solo directorial debut was the 1948film noir thrillerThe Dark Past, a remake ofBlind Alley (1939).[10] Maté's relationship with Harry Cohn proved contentious at times, with Cohn berating him on one occasion that Maté could barely stammer out his responses.[11]
His most notable film wasD.O.A. (1950), afilm noir in which Frank Bigelow (portrayed byEdmond O'Brien) is slowly dying of poison and races against the clock to find out the real culprits.[12] A review inThe New York Times deemed the film "a fairly obvious and plodding recital, involving crime, passion, stolen iridium, gangland beatings and one man's innocent bewilderment upon being caught up in a web of circumstance that marks him for death".[13] William Brogdon ofVariety felt Maté's direction "lingers too long over [the first portion of the story], spreading expectancy very thin, but when he does launch his suspense-building it comes over with a solid wallop."[14]
Maté later directed the suspense filmUnion Station (1950), which starredWilliam Holden andBarry Fitzgerald, andBranded (1950) which starredAlan Ladd. Maté next directedThe Prince Who Was a Thief (1951), starringTony Curtis andPiper Laurie. His most successful film was the science fiction disasterWhen Worlds Collide (1951). The film earned an HonoraryAcademy Award forBest Special Effects.[12]
Maté's last Hollywood film was the historical epicThe 300 Spartans (1962). His final film (co-directed withPrimo Zeglio) was the Italian adventure filmSeven Seas to Calais (1963), starringRod Taylor. He traveled toGreece to film a low-budget romantic comedy titledAliki (1963) starringAliki Vougiouklaki.[12][15]
In 1929, Maté married Paula Sophie Hartkop in Paris. The couple arrived in the United States in 1935; in August 1937, Paula Sophie died from complications of pneumonia.[16] On July 6, 1941, he married Regina Opoczynski inLas Vegas. They had one son named Christopher. The couple divorced in 1958 after Maté had left his wife stranded in France for four weeks.[17] On 27 October 1964, Maté died from a heart attack at his home in Beverly Hills, aged 66.[18]
