| Birth name | Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees |
|---|---|
| Birth date | July 23, 1937 |
| Birth place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Death date | February 23, 2012 (aged 74) |
| Death place | Carmel, California, U.S. |
| Education | ArtCenter College of Design |
| Years active | 1955–2002 |
| Father | Robert Surtees |
Bruce Mohr Powell Surtees (July 23, 1937 – February 23, 2012) was an American cinematographer, best known for his collaboration with Clint Eastwood.[1]
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Lenny (1974).
Early life and education
Surtees was born in Los Angeles, in 1937, as the son of three-time Oscar-winning cinematographer Robert L. Surtees and Maydell Lois James.[2] Surtees was given the middle name "Mohr" after his father's mentor Hal Mohr.[3] He studied at the ArtCenter College of Design.
Career
Surtees worked as an animation technician at Walt Disney Pictures before becoming a camera assistant under his father's direction for The Hallelujah Trail and Lost Command.[4]
He formed a close friendship with Don Siegel and Clint Eastwood, serving as a camera operator for Coogan's Bluff and Two Mules for Sister Sara. Impressed by Surtees' camera work, Siegel made him the cinematographer for The Beguiled and Dirty Harry.[5] Surtees worked as a cinematographer on several of Eastwood's films, including Play Misty for Me, High Plains Drifter, The Outlaw Josey Wales, and Sudden Impact.[1]
He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Lenny (1974), Bob Fosse's biopic of comedian Lenny Bruce. Starting in the mid-1990's, Surtees mostly worked on made-for-television films, and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Dash and Lilly (1999).
Surtees was affectionately nicknamed the "Prince of Darkness" for his low-key lighting.[1]
Personal life and death
Surtees was married twice. He met his second wife Carol Buby while scouting locations for Inchon in Seoul, South Korea.[1] He had a daughter, Suzanne Surtees, from his first marriage.[1]
Surtees died from complications from diabetes on February 23, 2012, at the age of 74.[6][7]
Filmography
Film
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Hello Mother, Goodbye! | Peter H. Hunt | |
| 1991 | Chains of Gold | Rod Holcomb | With Dariusz Wolski |
| 1994 | The Birds II: Land's End | Rick Rosenthal | |
| 1999 | Murder in a Small Town | Joyce Chopra | |
| Dash and Lilly | Kathy Bates | ||
| That Championship Season | Paul Sorvino | ||
| Lethal Vows | Paul Schneider | ||
| The Lady in Question | Joyce Chopra | ||
| 2000 | Thin Air | Robert Mandel | |
| 2000 | American Tragedy | Lawrence Schiller | |
| 2001 | And Never Let Her Go | Peter Levin |
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Title | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Academy Awards | Best Cinematography | Lenny | [8] | |
| 1999 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited Series or Movie | Dash and Lilly | [9] |
References
- ^ "BRUCE SURTEES". cinematographers.nl. Archived 2022-06-30 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-02-04.
- ^ "Bruce Surtees Biography". Filmreference.com.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (2012-02-28). "Bruce Surtees obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ Staff, Variety (2012-02-26). "D.P. Bruce Surtees dies at 74". Variety. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (2012-03-02). "Bruce Surtees dies at 74; cinematographer worked with Eastwood and Fosse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ Fox, Margalit (February 28, 2012). "Bruce Surtees, Oscar-Nominated Cinematographer, Dies at 74". New York Times
- ^ "D.P. Bruce Surtees dies at 74". Variety. February 26, 2012. Archived December 19, 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^ "The 47th Academy Awards | 1975". www.oscars.org. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
- ^ "Bruce Surtees | Emmy Awards and Nominations". Television Academy. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
External links
- Bruce Surtees at IMDb
- Entry at the Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers (archived)