Allen Daviau
{{short description|American cinematographer (1942–2020)}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Deyellspielbergdaviau (cropped).jpg
| birth_name = John Allen Daviau
| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|06|14}}
| birth_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|04|15|1942|06|14}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Cinematographer
| yearsactive = 1967–2010
| partner =
| awards =
| relatives = {{Plainlist |
- Anne Rice (cousin)
- Alice Borchardt (cousin)
}}
}}
John Allen Daviau (June 14, 1942 – April 15, 2020) was an American cinematographer known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), The Color Purple (1985), and Empire of the Sun (1987). He received five Academy Award nominations and two British Academy Film Award nominations, with one win. In addition to his work in film, Daviau served as Cinematographer-in-Residence at UCLA.{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/ucla-taps-bailey-kodak-cinematographer-residence-16261/|title=UCLA Taps Bailey as Kodak Cinematographer-in-Residence|author=Wrap Staff|work=TheWrap|date=April 13, 2010|access-date=April 16, 2020}}
Career
Daviau was born on June 14, 1942, in New Orleans, and raised in Los Angeles. He graduated from Loyola High School in 1960.
He was introduced to Steven Spielberg in the late 1960s and the two went on to work together on two early short films. They continued their professional working career by collaborating on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982); "Kick the Can," a segment from Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), The Color Purple (1985), an episode of the NBC anthology series Amazing Stories titled "Ghost Train" (1985), and Empire of the Sun (1987).
Daviau's work also includes John Schlesinger's The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), the Spielberg-produced Harry and the Hendersons (1987), Albert Brooks' Defending Your Life (1991), Barry Levinson's Avalon (1990) and Bugsy (1991), Peter Weir's Fearless (1993), Frank Marshall's Congo (1995), Rand Ravich's The Astronaut's Wife (1999) and Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing (2004), his final feature.
He received lifetime achievement awards from the Art Directors Guild in 1997 and the American Society of Cinematographers in 2007.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/allen-daviau-dead-dies-e-t-empire-of-the-sun-1234582518/|title= 'E.T.' Cinematographer Allen Daviau Dies of COVID-19 at 77|last=McNary|first=Dave|author-link=Dave McNary|work=Variety|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=April 16, 2020}}
Daviau shot thousands of commercials, documentaries, industrials and educational films, and created psychedelic special-effects lighting for Roger Corman's The Trip (1967) before he gained entry into the International Photographers Guild.
=''E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''=
While doing a lawnmower commercial in Arizona, Daviau learned that Spielberg was looking for a cinematographer for E.T. and sent the director a tape of The 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."{{cite web|url=https://theasc.com/ac_magazine/January2007/AllenDaviauASC/page1.html|title=A Movie Buff's Moment|last=Williams|first=David E.|work=American Cinematographer|publisher=American Society of Cinematographers|date=January 2007|access-date=April 16, 2020}}
Personal life and death
Following a surgical procedure in 2012, Daviau was confined to a wheelchair.{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2020/05/15/allen-daviau-cinematographer-noted-work-stephen-spielberg/|title=Allen Daviau, cinematographer noted for his work with Stephen Spielberg – obituary|author=Telegraph Obituaries|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=May 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515232830/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2020/05/15/allen-daviau-cinematographer-noted-work-stephen-spielberg/|url-access=subscription|archive-date=May 15, 2020|access-date=January 5, 2023}} He died on April 15, 2020, at the age of 77, as a result of complications from COVID-19 at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/allen-daviau-dead-spielberg-cinematographer-five-time-oscar-nominee-was-77-1290572|title=Allen Daviau, Spielberg Cinematographer and Five-Time Oscar Nominee, Dies of Coronavirus Complications at 77|last=Barnes|first=Mike|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 16, 2020|access-date=April 16, 2020}}
Filmography
Short film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Notes |
|---|
| 1968
| Amblin' | |
| 1975
| Names of Sin | |
| rowspan=2|1983
| Steven Spielberg |rowspan=2|Segments of Twilight Zone: The Movie |
| It's a Good Life |
| 2000
| The Translator | Leslie Anne Smith | |
| 2001
| Sweet | Elyse Couvillion | |
| 2002
| The Routine | |
| rowspan=2|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 | With Svetlana Cvetko |
Documentary film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Notes |
|---|
| 1971
| David H. Vowell | |
| 1973
| New Gladiators | Bob Hammer | With John Hora |
| 2004
| Olive or Twist 2004 | Peter Moody | With Tchell De Paepe, Joachim Hanwright and Michael Knight |
Feature film
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director |
|---|
| 1973 |
| 1974
| Mother Tiger Mother Tiger |
| rowspan=2|1982 |
| E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |
| rowspan=2|1985 |
| The Color Purple
|rowspan=2|Steven Spielberg |
| rowspan=2|1987 |
| Harry and the Hendersons |
| 1990
| Avalon |
| rowspan=2|1991 |
| Bugsy
| Barry Levinson |
| 1993
| Fearless |
| 1995
| Congo |
| 1999 |
| 2004 |
TV movies
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director |
|---|
| 1974 |
| 1979
| The Streets of L.A. |rowspan=2| Jerrold Freedman |
| rowspan=2|1980 |
| Rage! |
| 1983
| Legs | Jerold Freedman |
TV series
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Director ! Episode |
|---|
| 1982
| Lee Chapman | "Skating" |
| 1985
| "Ghost Train" |
| 1996
| International Cinematographer's Guild Heritage Series | Jay Nefcy | "Vittorio Storaro" |
Awards and nominations
Academy Awards
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Category ! Result |
| 1982
|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |rowspan=5|Best Cinematography |{{nom}} |
| 1985
|The Color Purple |{{nom}} |
| 1987
|Empire of the Sun |{{nom}} |
| 1990
|Avalon |{{nom}} |
| 1991
|Bugsy |{{nom}} |
BAFTA Awards
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Category ! Result |
| 1982
|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |rowspan=2|Best Cinematography |{{nom}} |
| 1987
|Empire of the Sun |{{won}} |
American Society of Cinematographers
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Category ! Result |
| 1987
|Empire of the Sun |rowspan=3|Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography |{{won}} |
| 1990
|Avalon |{{nom}} |
| 1991
|Bugsy |{{won}} |
Other Awards
| class="wikitable"
! Year ! Title ! Award ! Result |
| 1982
|E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial |Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography |{{won}} |
| 1987
|Empire of the Sun |New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Cinematography |{{nom}} |
| rowspan=2|1991
|rowspan=2|Bugsy |Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Cinematography |{{nom}} |
| National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography
|{{nom}} |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0005679|Allen Daviau}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards for Allen Daviau
| list =
{{American Society of Cinematographers Theatrical Release Award}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography 1985–2009}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daviau, Allen}}
Category:American cinematographers
Category:American wheelchair users
Category:Artists from New Orleans
Category:ArtCenter College of Design people
Category:Best Cinematography BAFTA Award winners