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Sol Polito

Cinematographer · Died May 23, 1960, aged 67 · Palermo, Sicily, Italy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Sol Polito, A.S.C. (born Salvatore Polito, November 12, 1892 — May 23, 1960) was an American cinematographer. He is best known for his work with directors Michael Curtiz and Mervyn LeRoy at Warner Bros. studios in the 1930s and 1940s. Salvatore Polito was born November 12, 1892, in Palermo, Italy, and immigrated to the United States in 1905. He attended school in New York City and began working in the motion picture industry as a still photographer. After experience as a lab assistant and camera assistant, he was promoted to lighting cameraman in 1917. Polito married Frances (Francesca) D'Angelis in New York in 1914. The union produced two sons. The elder son Gene Polito (1918-2010) also became a cinematographer. Younger son S. Robert Polito (1922-2015) became a physician. Polito moved from Brooklyn to Los Angeles in 1919 to continue his career at First National Pictures and Warner Bros. He worked on more than 170 films at various studios, but is best known for his work at Warner Bros. with directors Michael Curtiz and Mervyn LeRoy. Polito died in Los Angeles on May 23, 1960, aged 67, and was entombed in the Mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California. Polito received three Academy Award nominations: 1939: The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Best Cinematography (Color), shared with W. Howard Greene 1941: Sergeant York, Best Cinematography (Black and White) 1942: Captains of the Clouds, Best Cinematography (Color)

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 12, 1892
Died
May 23, 1960 (aged 67)
From
Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
55 on MovieCove · 129 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Down 11% in 30 days

What are Sol Polito's films like?

Across their 52 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 67th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy13 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Musical2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Musical movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
30%
Bonds
21%
Self
20%
Power
12%
Society
10%
Survival
4%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love13 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition11 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice11 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty8 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 52 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 18 · Serious 18 · Dark 16

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 22 · Stylized 25 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 31 · Intense 12

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 22 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 3

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 27 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 7

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 29 · Relentless 5

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 29 · Engaged 21 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 24 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 48 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
32
Romantic
21
Melancholic
19
Joyful
14
Warm
9
Other
46

How their films linger

Feel-good23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy27
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sol Polito's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 15 of their 55 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sol Polito's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

129 credits, 55 with a MovieCove page.

  • Anna Lucasta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Sorry, Wrong Number(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Voice of the Turtle(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Escape Me Never (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • The Long Night(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cloak and Dagger(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • A Stolen Life(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Cinderella Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Rhapsody in Blue(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Corn Is Green(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Arsenic and Old Lace(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Mark Twain(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Old Acquaintance(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • This Is the Army(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Now, Voyager(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Gay Sisters(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Captains of the Clouds(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Sergeant York(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Navy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • The Sea Wolf(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Santa Fe Trail(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • City for Conquest(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Sea Hawk(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Virginia City(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Four Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Confessions of a Nazi Spy(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Dodge City(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • You Can't Get Away with Murder(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Angels with Dirty Faces(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Valley of the Giants(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Boy Meets Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Gold Diggers in Paris(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Robin Hood(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Gold Is Where You Find It(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Varsity Show(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Prince and the Pauper(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Ready, Willing and Able(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Three Men on a Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • The Charge of the Light Brigade(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Sons o' Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Colleen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • The Petrified Forest(1936)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Frisco Kid(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Shipmates Forever (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • In Caliente(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • 'G' Men(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Woman in Red(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Go Into Your Dance(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Sweet Adeline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Flirtation Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Madame du Barry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Dames(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Monica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Wonder Bar(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Dark Hazard (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • Hi, Nellie(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Gold Diggers of 1933(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Picture Snatcher(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Working Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • The Mind Reader(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • 42nd Street(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Three on a Match(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Blessed Event(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Dark Horse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Two Seconds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • It's Tough to Be Famous(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Fireman, Save My Child (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Union Depot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Local Boy Makes Good (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Suicide Fleet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Five Star Final(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Ruling Voice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Bargain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Big Business Girl(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Woman Hungry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hot Heiress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Going Wild (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Widow from Chicago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Girl of the Golden West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Numbered Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Show Girl in Hollywood(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Playing Around (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • No, No, Nanette (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Twin Beds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Man and the Moment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Broadway Babies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Seven Footprints to Satan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Border Patrol (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Heart to Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hawk's Nest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Burning Daylight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Scarlet Seas(1928)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Shepherd of the Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Gun Gospel(1927)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Hard-Boiled Haggerty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Lonesome Ladies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Land Beyond the Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Somewhere in Sonora (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Overland Stage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Unknown Cavalier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Satan Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Camera Operator

  • Senor Daredevil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • The People vs. Nancy Preston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • Soft Shoes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • A Cafe in Cairo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Roaring Rails (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Siren Of Seville (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lightning Rider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Why Men Leave Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Bad Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • The Bishop of the Ozarks (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • The Roof Tree (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Cinematographer

  • The Price of Redemption (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Cinematographer

  • Alias Jimmy Valentine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Cinematographer

  • Should a Woman Tell? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Cinematographer

  • In Wrong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Cinematographer

  • Burglar by Proxy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Cinematographer

  • Bill Apperson's Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Cinematographer

  • Who Loved Him Best? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Cinematographer

  • Her Second Husband (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Camera Operator

  • The World Against Him (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Cinematographer

  • Fate's Boomerang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Cinematographer

  • Fruits of Desire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Cinematographer

  • The Cotton King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Cinematographer

  • The Butterfly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Cinematographer

  • Rip Van Winkle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 128 titles from 1914 to 1949.

Biggest box office

Sergeant York (1941)

$16M worldwide

Highest rated

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography126 of 128: 126 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score77thOther crew2 of 128: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1910s12 · crew1920s32 · crew1930s60 · crew1940s24 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Sol Polito's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 55; across their 52 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Reach · how many have seen their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Midcredits score across 55 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up29
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th15

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 55 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved13
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed8
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · cinematographer

Scarlet Seas (1928)

97th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

Midcredits 98th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 69/100 in their films, across 40 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 54. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sol Polito's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 9 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 7 · minimalMedian of all films: 36

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Sol Polito work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sol Polito's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 26.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

  • Max Steiner18 titles    See newest 12 of 18 shared titles with Max Steiner
  • George Amy11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with George Amy
  • Bernhard Kaun9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Bernhard Kaun
  • Owen Marks6 titles    See all 6 shared titles with Owen Marks

Producers