Charles Lang

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Charles Bryant Lang Jr. (March 27, 1902 in Bluff , Utah ; † April 3, 1998 in Santa Monica , California ) was an American cameraman . With 18 Oscar nominations, Lang is one of the most successful cameramen in film history.

Life

Charles Lang originally wanted to be a lawyer, but then began his career as a co-cameraman with the film The Night Patrol (1926). The first work as a sole cameraman followed a year later with the film Ritzy . His first work for Paramount Pictures was Tom Sawyer (1930) with Jackie Coogan in the lead role, then he stayed with the Paramount film studio for over 20 years. As early as 1931, Lang was nominated for the first time for the Oscar in the category Best Cinematography . Together with colleague Leon Shamroy, he is the most frequently nominated cameraman in film history. He was nominated a total of 18 times, but only in 1934 was he awarded the trophy for the only time - for the film drama In Another Land (1932). His novel camera techniques in In Another Country shaped most Paramount films of the 1930s and 1940s.

After he left Paramount in 1951, Lang was able to continue his work successfully as a freelance cameraman without a permanent film studio. He worked as a cameraman on films such as Some Like It Hot (1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960) and Charade (1963). His last work as a cameraman was in 1973. In total, he was involved in almost 150 productions.

In 1991 he was honored with the “ ASC Lifetime Achievement Award ” by the American Society of Cinematographers . Seven years later, he died of pneumonia at the age of 96. The actress Katherine Kelly Lang is his granddaughter.

Filmography (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lang, Charles
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lang, Charles B .; Lang junior, Charles
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American cameraman
DATE OF BIRTH March 27, 1902
PLACE OF BIRTH Bluff , Utah, USA
DATE OF DEATH April 3, 1998
Place of death Santa Monica , California