About Frank Stanley
Lived 1922 – 1999 (aged 77). Frank Stanley was an American cinematographer.
Frank Walter Stanley (May 5, 1922 – December 21, 1999) was an American cinematographer. He is best known for four Clint Eastwood films in a row: Breezy, Magnum Force (1973), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) and The Eiger Sanction (1975).
Career During the filming of The Eiger Sanction, shot in Switzerland, which required a great deal of precarious mountain-climbing cinematography, Stanley fell during the shoot but survived. He used a wheelchair for some time and was taken out of action. Stanley, who later managed to complete filming after a delay under pressure from an unsympathetic Clint Eastwood, would later blame Eastwood for the accident due to a lack of preparation, describing him both as a director and an actor as "a very impatient man who doesn't really plan his pictures or do any homework. He figures he can go right in and sail through these things". Stanley was never hired by Eastwood or Malpaso Productions again. Bruce Surtees was Eastwood's regular cinematographer before and after this period, on a total of twelve films.
Later Stanley was the cinematographer on Blake Edwards's 10 (1979) and Grease 2 (1982). Filmography
Director of photography
Film
Camera and electrical department
TV movies
TV series
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Important facts
People in Frank Stanley's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Frank Stanley's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Frank Stanley?
American cinematographer (1922–1999)
When was Frank Stanley born?
Frank Stanley was born on 5 May 1922 in New York City.
When did Frank Stanley die?
Frank Stanley died on 21 December 1999 in Sarasota.
What was Frank Stanley's occupation?
Frank Stanley was a cinematographer.
What nationality was Frank Stanley?
Frank Stanley was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Frank Stanley (cinematographer)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Frank Stanley. https://biography.guide/frank-stanley/
MLA: "Frank Stanley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/frank-stanley/.
Chicago: "Frank Stanley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/frank-stanley/.
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