{{Short description|American cinematographer (1916-1985)}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox person | name = Arthur J. Ornitz | birth_name = Arthur Jacob Ornitz<ref name="encyclopedia">{{Cite web |title=ARTHUR J. ORNITZ |url=https://cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/ornitz.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923104606/https://cinematographers.nl/GreatDoPh/ornitz.htm |archive-date=2023-09-23 |access-date=2026-03-12 |website=cinematographers.nl}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|11|28}} | birth_place = [[New York City]], [[New York state|New York]], U.S. | death_date = {{Death date and age|1985|7|10|1916|11|28}}<ref name="nytobituary" /> | death_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | other_names = Arthur Ornitz | alma_mater = [[University of California, Los Angeles]] | occupation = {{hlist|Cinematographer|film director|screenwriter}} | years_active = 1936–1983 | spouse = | children = 1 | parents = [[Samuel Ornitz]] (father) | relatives = [[Don Ornitz]] (brother) }}
'''Arthur Jacob Ornitz''', [[American Society of Cinematographers|ASC]] (November 28, 1916 – July 10, 1985) was an American cinematographer and filmmaker, known best for his work on [[New York City|New York]]-based productions. He worked with such directors as [[William Friedkin]], [[Sidney Lumet]], [[John Cassavetes]], [[Paul Mazursky]], and [[Shirley Clarke]].<ref name="encyclopedia"/>
== Early life and education == Ornitz was born in [[New York City]], the son of Sadie (née Lesser) and screenwriter [[Samuel Ornitz]], a [[Hollywood Ten]] blacklistee.<ref name="nytobituary" /> He had a brother, [[Don Ornitz|Don]], who was a photographer. Ornitz studied film at the [[University of California, Los Angeles]].<ref name="nytobituary">{{Cite news|date=July 16, 1985|title=Arthur Ornitz|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/16/arts/arthur-ornitz.html|access-date=October 24, 2020}}</ref>
== Career == Ornitz made his directing debut with short film ''[[Wanted – A Master]]'' (1936), which was nominated for the [[Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film|Academy Award for Best Short Subject (One-Reel)]]. He was a documentary cameraman for [[Joris Ivens]] and [[Floyd Crosby]] during the latter part of the decade.<ref name="encyclopedia" /> During [[World War II]], he served in the [[US Army Signal Corps]], under a unit commanded by [[Frank Capra]].<ref name="encyclopedia" />
During the 1950s, Ornitz lived in [[Denmark]] and worked with Danish filmmaker couple [[Astrid Henning-Jensen|Astrid]] and [[Bjarne Henning-Jensen]]. His first American feature film was [[The Goddess (1958 film)|''The Goddess'']] (1958), directed by [[John Cromwell (director)|John Cromwell]]. During the decade, he also shot and directed various commercials.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=ASC Breakfast Club 2014 Video Collection |url=https://theasc.com/articles/asc-breakfast-club-2014-video-collection |access-date=2026-03-12 |website=The American Society of Cinematographers |language=en}}</ref>
Among other films, he shot ''[[The Connection (1961 film)|The Connection]]'' (1961), ''[[A Thousand Clowns]]'' (1965), [[Charly (1968 film)|''Charly'']] (1968), ''[[The Boys in the Band (1970 film)|The Boys in the Band]]'' (1970), ''[[The Anderson Tapes]]'', ''[[Minnie and Moskowitz]]'' (both 1971), ''[[Serpico]]'' (1973), ''[[Death Wish (1974 film)|Death Wish]]'' (1974), ''[[Next Stop, Greenwich Village]]'' (1976), ''[[An Unmarried Woman]]'' (1978), and ''[[Hanky Panky (1982 film)|Hanky Panky]]'' (1982).
[[Victor J. Kemper]] cited him as a mentor.<ref name=":0" />
== Death == Ornitz died of cancer at his home in [[Manhattan]] on July 10, 1985. He was survived by his mother, his wife and a son.<ref name="nytobituary"/> Ornitz's son, Kim H. Ornitz, is a sound mixer.<ref name="encyclopedia" />
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
==== Feature films ==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Director !Notes |- |1950 |''North Sea Boys'' |[[Astrid Henning-Jensen]]<br/>[[Bjarne Henning-Jensen]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1951 |''[[Kranes konditori]]'' | rowspan="2" |Astrid Henning-Jensen | |- |''[[Ukjent mann]]'' | |- |1952 |''[[Vi arme syndere]]'' |[[Erik Balling]]<br/>Ole Palsbo | |- |1958 |[[The Goddess (1958 film)|''The Goddess'']] |[[John Cromwell (director)|John Cromwell]] | |- |1959 |''Kiss Her Goodbye'' |Albert Lipton | |- |1960 |[[The Pusher (film)|''The Pusher'']] |[[Gene Milford]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1961 |[[The Connection (1961 film)|''The Connection'']] |[[Shirley Clarke]] | |- |''[[Teenage Millionaire]]'' |[[Lawrence Doheny]] | |- |[[The Young Doctors (film)|''The Young Doctors'']] |[[Phil Karlson]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1962 |[[Jacktown (film)|''Jacktown'']] |William Martin | |- |[[Requiem for a Heavyweight (film)|''Requiem for a Heavyweight'']] |[[Ralph Nelson]] | |- |1963 |[[Act One (1963 film)|''Act One'']] |[[Dore Schary]] | |- |1964 |''[[The World of Henry Orient]]'' |[[George Roy Hill]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1965 |''The Colonial Naturalist — Mark Catesby'' |[[Charles S. Dubin]] | |- |''[[A Thousand Clowns]]'' |[[Fred Coe]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1967 |[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (ballet)|''A Midsummer Night's Dream'']] |[[George Balanchine]]<br>Dan Eriksen | |- |''[[The Tiger Makes Out]]'' |[[Arthur Hiller]] | |- |1968 |[[Charly (1968 film)|''Charly'']] |Ralph Nelson | |- | rowspan="2" |1969 |''[[Me, Natalie]]'' |Fred Coe | |- |''[[Change of Mind]]'' |[[Robert Stevens (director)|Robert Stevens]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1970 |[[The Boys in the Band (1970 film)|''The Boys in the Band'']] |[[William Friedkin]] | |- |''[[House of Dark Shadows]]'' |[[Dan Curtis]] | |- |''[[Soldier Blue]]'' |Ralph Nelson |Replaced by [[Robert B. Hauser]]<ref name="encyclopedia" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Soldier Blue (1970) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/22495 |access-date=2026-04-07 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]] |quote="Arthur Ornitz was replaced as photographer several weeks into production; Robert B. Hauser receives screen credit."}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2" |1971 |''[[The Anderson Tapes]]'' |[[Sidney Lumet]] | |- |''[[Minnie and Moskowitz]]'' |[[John Cassavetes]] | |- |1972 |[[The Possession of Joel Delaney (film)|''The Possession of Joel Delaney'']] |[[Waris Hussein]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1973 |[[Black Snake (film)|''Black Snake'']] |[[Russ Meyer]] | |- |''[[Serpico]]'' |Sidney Lumet | |- |''[[Badge 373]]'' |[[Howard W. Koch]] | |- | rowspan="3" |1974 |[[Death Wish (1974 film)|''Death Wish'']] |[[Michael Winner]] | |- |[[Law and Disorder (1974 film)|''Law and Disorder'']] |[[Ivan Passer]] | |- |''[[Forever Young, Forever Free]]'' |Ashley Lazarus | |- |1976 |''[[Next Stop, Greenwich Village]]'' |[[Paul Mazursky]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1977 |[[Thieves (1977 film)|''Thieves'']] |[[John Berry (film director)|John Berry]] | |- |''[[An Unmarried Woman]]'' |Paul Mazursky | |- |1978 |''[[Oliver's Story]]'' |[[John Korty]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1981 |[[The Chosen (1981 film)|''The Chosen'']] |[[Jeremy Kagan]] | |- |[[Tattoo (1981 film)|''Tattoo'']] |[[Bob Brooks (film director)|Bob Brooks]] | |- |1982 |[[Hanky Panky (1982 film)|''Hanky Panky'']] |[[Sidney Poitier]] | |}
==== Short films ==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Director !Notes |- |1936 |''[[Wanted – A Master]]'' |Himself |Co-director with [[Gunther von Fritsch]] |- |1940 |''Power and the Land'' |[[Joris Ivens]] |Docuementary short |- |1949 |''I gode hender'' |Himself | |- |1960 |''The Computer Comes to Marketing'' |[[Maurice Rapf]] | |- | rowspan="2" |1961 |''The Shoes'' |[[Ernest Pintoff]] | |- |''After Hours'' |[[Shepard Traube]] |Docuementary short |}
=== Television ===
==== TV series ==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title !Notes |- |1955 |[[Omnibus (American TV program)|''Omnibus'']] |Episode: "Uncle Tom's Cabin" |- |1957-58 |[[Harbourmaster (TV series)|''Harbourmaster'']] |2 episodes |- |1958 |[[Decision (TV series)|''Decision'']] |Episode: "Man Against Crime" |- |1964 |[[East Side West Side (TV series)|''East Side West Side'']] |Episode: "It's War, Man" |- |1970 |''[[NET Playhouse]]'' |Episode: "Helen Hayes Remembers" |}
==== TV films, miniseries, and specials ==== {| class="wikitable" !Year !Title |- | rowspan="2" |1956 |''Bulletin from Bertie'' |- |''Out of Darkness'' |- |1964 |''[[Carol for Another Christmas]]'' |- |1973 |''Honor Thy Father'' |- | rowspan="2" |1977 |''The Quinns'' |- |''Wilma'' |- |1979 |''[[Mayflower: The Pilgrims' Adventure]]'' |- | rowspan="2" |1980 |''[[Hardhat and Legs]]'' |- |[[Playing for Time (film)|''Playing for Time'']] |- |1982 |''[[The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana]]'' |- | rowspan="2" |1983 |''[[Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number]]'' |- |[[First Affair (film)|''First Affair'']] |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|0005817}}
{{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ornitz, Arthur J.}} [[Category:1916 births]] [[Category:1985 deaths]] [[Category:American cinematographers]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in New York (state)]] [[Category:People from Manhattan]] [[Category:Mass media people from New York City]] [[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
{{US-cinematographer-stub}} [[Category:United States Army personnel of World War II]] [[Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni]]