Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. The BBC is reporting that filmmaker and world-renowned cinematographer Jack Cardiff has passed away at the age of 94.
Cardiff might not be a common name, but if you’re part of my generation you grew up seeing his photography on films like RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, CAT’S EYE, CONAN THE DESTROYER, GHOST STORY and THE DOGS OF WAR.
As I grew older I discovered a lot of his classic work. The way he photographed Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in THE AFRICAN QUEEN, for instance, is something that should be, and probably is, studied. There’s nothing like IB Tech and Cardiff wielded those popping colors masterfully.
Sir Laurence Olivier hired Cardiff to shoot the Marilyn Monroe vehicle THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL in 1957 and from what I read Monroe felt that she had never been photographed as well.
In the classic days he shot the best of the best. Audrey Hepburn (WAR & PEACE), Ava Gardner (THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman), Janet Leigh, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and Borgnine in the awesome THE VIKINGS, Tyrone Power (Black Rose), Deborah Kerr and Jean Simmons (Black Narcissus), Vivien Leigh (Caesar and Cleopatra), Kim Hunter (A Matter of Life and Death) and many more.
When I became a Drafthouse regular and QT Fest regular I started discovering his directorial work, which veered into the exploitation arena in the late ‘60s and ‘70s.
I fondly remember the first time I saw the trailer for THE GIRL ON THE MOTORCYCLE (under the US title NAKED UNDER LEATHER) at Harry’s house. His dad had the trailer on 16mm cut into a reel full of awesome trailers, like DIRTY MARY/CRAZY LARRY. The hell that’s a real movie! Chick biker flick called NAKED UNDER LEATHER?
It is indeed real and it’s awesome. If you can track it down you’ll get one of the best Alain Delon flicks and Marianne Faithfull is crazy hot in it.
Tarantino showed another one of his films called DARK OF THE SUN (aka The Mercenaries) starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux and Jim Brown and it blew the audience away. Fun, intense men on a mission war flick.
His final director credit belongs to the bizarre Hammer-ish THE FREAKMAKER (aka THE MUTATIONS) (1974) starring Donald Pleasence and Tom Baker about a dude making freaks. They cast real life circus people, much like Todd Browning did in the ‘30s, but this isn’t Cardiff’s better material. Harry showed it at a BNAT some years back and it’s perfect for a 24 hour film festival.
Looking up his filmography, I’m struck with how many films he directed. I had no idea and it looks like the ‘50s and early ‘60s had Cardiff doing a lot of mystery. There’s a film called INTENT TO KILL (1958) written by Hammer staple Jimmy Sangster that has me sold just on the fact that Herbet Lom plays a character called Juan Menda and there’s another called SCENT OF MYSTERY from 1960 that stars Denholm Elliott and Peter Lorre! Where can I watch these movies!?!
The man led a full and productive life. I thought I was pretty up on his work, but I now see I’ve only scratched the surface on what Jack Cardiff has given us.
My thoughts will be with friends, family and fans today.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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