
John F. Seitz
Cinematographer · Died February 27, 1979, aged 86 · Chicago, Illinois, USA
John Francis Seitz, A.S.C. (June 23, 1892 – February 27, 1979) was an American cinematographer and inventor. He was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Seitz's Hollywood career began in 1909 as a lab assistant with the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company in Chicago. He went to work as a lab technician for the American Film Manufacturing Company (known as "Flying A"), also in Chicago. In 1916, during the silent era, he established himself, achieving great successes with the Rudolph Valentino film The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921). Highly regarded by director Billy Wilder, Seitz worked with him on the film noirs Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), and Sunset Blvd. (1950), receiving Academy Award nominations for each. In 1929, he served a year as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C.) for which he had been a member since 1923. The A.S.C. named its 2002 Heritage Award after Seitz. Besides one Golden Globe and seven Oscar nominations, he also received the Look Magazine Award for The Lost Weekend, the A.S.C. Award for Sunset Blvd., and was among the winners of the inaugural George Award from the George Eastman House for outstanding contributions to the art of cinema for the years 1915 to 1925. He retired in 1960 and devoted himself to photographic inventions, for which he held 18 patents. An example of one Seitz invention is the matte shot: a large painting is photographed separately and later added to a scene to expand it, add effects, and/or create a sense of depth in backgrounds. He was also noted for his innovations with low-key lighting, which enhanced the film noir style. A widower, he married screenwriter Marie Boyle in 1934 who raised his daughter Margaret Alice Marhoefer and later gave birth to a son, John Lawrence Seitz.
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 23, 1892
- February 27, 1979 (aged 86)
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cinematographer
- 58 on MovieCove · 166 credits in all
What are John F. Seitz's films like?
Across their 58 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 3 · Earnest 54
A split, not a type: Light 24 · Serious 19 · Dark 15
A split, not a type: Grounded 31 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 4
Gentle 17 · Charged 27 · Intense 14
Steady 30 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 1
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 33 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 7
Slow burn 26 · Even-paced 32 · Relentless 0
Casual 32 · Engaged 24 · Full focus 2
A split, not a type: Easy watch 27 · Affecting 22 · Heavy 9
Resolved 53 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0
Moods and endings
- Happy27
- Bittersweet23
- Tragic5
- Ambiguous2
- Cyclical1
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 John F. Seitz's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 12 of their 58 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).
- The Patsy (1928) · cinematographer · free
- The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) · cinematographer · free
- Many Rivers to Cross (1955) · cinematographer · free
- Invaders from Mars (1953) · cinematographer · free
- On Our Merry Way (1948) · cinematographer · free
- Marie Galante (1934) · cinematographer · free
- Fort Algiers (1953) · cinematographer · free
Subscription and free streaming for John F. Seitz'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
166 credits, 58 with a MovieCove page.

Guns of the Timberland(1960)
Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films
The Man in the Net(1959)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Island of Lost Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

The Badlanders(1958)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
The Deep Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

The Big Land(1957)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
A Cry in the Night(1956)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Santiago(1956)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Hell on Frisco Bay(1955)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
The McConnell Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

Many Rivers to Cross(1955)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Rogue Cop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

The Rocket Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

Saskatchewan(1954)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Fort Algiers(1953)
Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Desert Legion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

Invaders from Mars(1953)
Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films
Botany Bay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

The Iron Mistress(1952)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The Savage(1952)
Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films
The San Francisco Story(1952)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Thunder in the East(1952)
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
Detective Story(1951)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
When Worlds Collide(1951)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Dear Brat(1951)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
A Place in the Sun(1951)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
The Goldbergs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

Sunset Boulevard(1950)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Appointment with Danger(1950)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Captain Carey, U.S.A.(1949)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Chicago Deadline (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

The Great Gatsby(1949)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Beyond Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

The Big Clock(1948)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
On Our Merry Way(1948)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Saigon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

Wild Harvest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

Calcutta (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Imperfect Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

Home Sweet Homicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Well Groomed Bride (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

The Lost Weekend(1945)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Unseen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Casanova Brown(1944)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Hail the Conquering Hero(1944)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Double Indemnity(1944)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
The Hour Before the Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

Going My Way(1944)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Five Graves to Cairo(1943)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Lucky Jordan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

The Moon and Sixpence(1942)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Winning Your Wings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

This Gun for Hire(1942)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Fly By Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

Sullivan's Travels(1941)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Dr. Kildare's Crisis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

A Little Bit of Heaven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

We Who Are Young(1940)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all filmsLet's Talk Turkey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Bad Little Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Thunder Afloat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Culinary Carving (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

6,000 Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Prophet Without Honor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

Sergeant Madden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Another Thin Man(1939)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
Young Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Stablemates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

The Crowd Roars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Lord Jeff (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

Love Is a Headache(1938)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
A Christmas Carol(1938)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Navy Blue and Gold(1937)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Madame X (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

Between Two Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)
Carnival in Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

Saratoga(1937)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
15 Maiden Lane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

Poor Little Rich Girl(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Captain January(1936)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Country Doctor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

The Littlest Rebel(1935)
Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Navy Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Redheads on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Curly Top(1935)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
The Farmer Takes a Wife(1935)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Our Little Girl(1935)
Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films
One More Spring (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Helldorado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

Marie Galante(1934)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Springtime for Henry (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

All Men Are Enemies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

Coming Out Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

Mr. Skitch(1933)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Paddy the Next Best Thing (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

Adorable (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

Dangerously Yours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

Ladies They Talk About(1933)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Cavalcade(1933)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
6 Hours to Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

A Passport to Hell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

The Woman in Room 13 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Careless Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

She Wanted a Millionaire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

Over the Hill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

The Age for Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Merely Mary Ann (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Hush Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Men of the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Young Sinners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

Misbehaving Ladies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

East Lynne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

The Right of Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Kismet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

The Bad Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Road to Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)
Sweethearts and Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Back Pay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

Murder Will Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

In the Next Room (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

The Painted Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

A Most Immoral Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Her Private Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Hard to Get (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Careers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

The Squall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

Saturday's Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

The Divine Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

Adoration (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

Outcast (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

The Patsy(1928)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Across to Singapore(1928)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
The Trail of '98(1928)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Fair Co-Ed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

The Magician (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

Mare Nostrum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

The Price of a Party (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)
Classmates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

The Arab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

Scaramouche(1923)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Where the Pavement Ends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

Trifling Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

The Prisoner of Zenda (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

Turn to the Right (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

The Conquering Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

Uncharted Seas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all filmsHearts Are Trumps (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

Shore Acres (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

The Sagebrusher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

The Westerners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

Up Romance Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

Powers That Prey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

Beauty and the Rogue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

The Mate of the Sally Ann (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
A Game of Wits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
The Bride's Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

Souls in Pawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

The Serpent's Tooth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

Whose Wife? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)
The Ranger of Lonesome Gulch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
The Quagmire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)
Career shape
A full career of 158 titles from 1916 to 1960.
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 John F. Seitz's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 58; across their 58 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 61st percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up20
- 50th to 74th20
- 25th to 49th16
- Below 25th2
Shape of the crowd
28 of their 58 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved13
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser28
- Broadly Agreed10
- Mixed6
Reviewers score the cinematography 70/100 in their films, across 47 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 52. 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 John F. Seitz's work okay for kids?
Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does John F. Seitz work with?
People who share at least 2 of John F. Seitz's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Alan Ladd shares the most, 14.
Directors
- Billy WilderShared titles: Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Lost Weekend (1945), Double Indemnity (1944), Five Graves to Cairo (1943)See all 4 shared titles with Billy Wilder

- Gordon DouglasShared titles: The Big Land (1957), Santiago (1956), The Iron Mistress (1952)See all 3 shared titles with Gordon Douglas

- Frank TuttleShared titles: A Cry in the Night (1956), Hell on Frisco Bay (1955), This Gun for Hire (1942)See all 3 shared titles with Frank Tuttle

- Preston SturgesShared titles: Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943), Sullivan's Travels (1941)See all 3 shared titles with Preston Sturges

Writers
- Martin RackinShared titles: The Big Land (1957), Santiago (1956), Hell on Frisco Bay (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Martin Rackin

- Sydney BoehmShared titles: Hell on Frisco Bay (1955), The Savage (1952), When Worlds Collide (1951)See all 3 shared titles with Sydney Boehm
- Charles BrackettShared titles: Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Lost Weekend (1945), Five Graves to Cairo (1943)See all 3 shared titles with Charles Brackett

- Harry TugendShared titles: Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 3 shared titles with Harry Tugend
Actors
- Alan LaddShared titles: Guns of the Timberland (1960), The Man in the Net (1959), The Badlanders (1958), The Big Land (1957), A Cry in the Night (1956), Santiago (1956), Hell on Frisco Bay (1955), Saskatchewan (1954), The Iron Mistress (1952), Thunder in the East (1952), Appointment with Danger (1950), Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1949) and 2 moreSee newest 12 of 14 shared titles with Alan Ladd

- William DemarestShared titles: Hell on Frisco Bay (1955), Night Has a Thousand Eyes (1948), On Our Merry Way (1948), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943), Sullivan's Travels (1941)See all 6 shared titles with William Demarest

- Anthony CarusoShared titles: The Badlanders (1958), The Big Land (1957), A Cry in the Night (1956), Fort Algiers (1953), The Iron Mistress (1952)See all 5 shared titles with Anthony Caruso

- Shirley TempleShared titles: Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), Curly Top (1935), Our Little Girl (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 5 shared titles with Shirley Temple

Composers
- David ButtolphShared titles: Guns of the Timberland (1960), The Big Land (1957), A Cry in the Night (1956), Santiago (1956), This Gun for Hire (1942), The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935), Mr. Skitch (1933)See all 7 shared titles with David Buttolph

- Cyril J. MockridgeShared titles: Many Rivers to Cross (1955), Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 5 shared titles with Cyril J. Mockridge
- Hugo FriedhoferShared titles: The San Francisco Story (1952), Thunder in the East (1952), Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1949), Curly Top (1935)See all 4 shared titles with Hugo Friedhofer

- Franz WaxmanShared titles: A Place in the Sun (1951), Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939), A Christmas Carol (1938)See all 4 shared titles with Franz Waxman

Producers
- Buddy G. DeSylvaShared titles: Double Indemnity (1944), Going My Way (1944), Hail the Conquering Hero (1944), Five Graves to Cairo (1943), The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1943), This Gun for Hire (1942), Captain January (1936), Poor Little Rich Girl (1936), The Littlest Rebel (1935)See all 9 shared titles with Buddy G. DeSylva
- George C. BertholonShared titles: Guns of the Timberland (1960), The Big Land (1957), A Cry in the Night (1956), Hell on Frisco Bay (1955)See all 4 shared titles with George C. Bertholon
- Winfield R. SheehanShared titles: Curly Top (1935), The Farmer Takes a Wife (1935), Marie Galante (1934), Cavalcade (1933)See all 4 shared titles with Winfield R. Sheehan

- Richard MaibaumShared titles: Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1949), The Great Gatsby (1949), The Big Clock (1948)See all 3 shared titles with Richard Maibaum

Mixed roles
- Frederick StephaniShared titles: Fort Algiers (1953), Love Is a Headache (1938)See all 2 shared titles with Frederick Stephani

- Leslie FentonShared titles: On Our Merry Way (1948), Marie Galante (1934)See all 2 shared titles with Leslie Fenton




