Walter Wottitz

Walter Wottitz (June 22, 1912 – November 1, 1986) was a French cinematographer. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on The Longest Day.

Life and career Born in Thessaloniki, Greece, Wottitz began his cinematography career in the late 1930's, working for director Christian-Jaque. He worked for several prominent directors in French cinema, including Marcel Pagnol, Claude Sautet, Jean-Pierre Melville, and Pierre Granier-Deferre.

Wottitz (along with Jean Bourgoin) shot the 1962 World War II epic The Longest Day for 20th Century Fox, which earned them an Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) and a Golden Globe Award for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White). His other American film credits included The Train (1964) and Up from the Beach (1965), both shot in France.

Wottitz died on November 1, 1986, at the age of 74.

Partial filmography

No Love Allowed (1942) Naïs (1945) That's Not the Way to Die (1946) Paris Precinct (1955) Honoré de Marseille (1956) Patrouille de choc (1957) Love Is at Stake (1957) Certains l'aiment froide (1960) Tartarin of Tarascon (1962) The Longest Day (1962) D'où viens-tu Johnny? (1963) The Train (1964) Up from the Beach (1965) The Dictator's Guns (1965) God's Thunder (1965) The Upper Hand (1966) The Gardener of Argenteuil (1966) Action Man (1967) 24 Hours in the Life of a Woman (1968) Under the Sign of the Bull (1969) Army of Shadows (1969) La Horse (1970) The Widow Couderc (1971) The Train (1973) Un flic (1972) Creezy (1974) Bons Baisers de Hong Kong (1975) The Passengers (1977)

Awards and nominations