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Robert Surtees

Robert Surtees

Cinematographer · Died January 5, 1985, aged 78 · Covington, Kentucky, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Robert L. Surtees, A.S.C. (August 9, 1906 – January 5, 1985) was an American cinematographer who won Academy Awards three times, for the films King Solomon's Mines, The Bad and the Beautiful and the 1959 version of Ben Hur. Robert L. Surtees began working in Hollywood as assistant cameraman to Gregg Toland, A.S.C. in the late 1920s, before moving to Germany for several years, eventually returning to Hollywood. He became one of the most accomplished cinematographers in motion pictures. His credits include Ben-Hur (1959), Mutiny on the Bounty (1962), The Graduate (1967), The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970), The Last Picture Show (1971), Summer of '42 (1971), The Sting (1973), A Star is Born (1976) and Same Time, Next Year (1978). His son Bruce was also a cinematographer.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 9, 1906
Died
January 5, 1985 (aged 78)
From
Covington, Kentucky, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
63 on MovieCove · 77 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 19% in 30 days

What are Robert Surtees' films like?

Across their 59 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama21 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy18 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 68th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime 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
Bonds
35%
Morality
24%
Self
16%
Society
8%
Survival
7%
Power
7%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love22 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds14 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty7 titles, browse their movies with this themeComing of age6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 59 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 27 · Serious 14 · Dark 18

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

Grounded 23 · Stylized 27 · Heightened 9

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

Gentle 17 · Charged 28 · Intense 14

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

Steady 30 · Shifting 27 · Whiplash 2

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 31 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 10

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

A split, not a type: Slow burn 30 · Even-paced 27 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 33 · Engaged 24 · 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 20 · Heavy 15

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

Resolved 51 · Open-ended 6 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
33
Melancholic
26
Romantic
20
Warm
18
Joyful
15
Other
49

How their films linger

Feel-good22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy24
  • Bittersweet24
  • Tragic6
  • Ambiguous5

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 Robert Surtees' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 63 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Surtees' 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

77 credits, 63 with a MovieCove page.

  • Bloodbrothers(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Same Time, Next Year(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Turning Point(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Star Is Born(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Hindenburg(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Great Waldo Pepper(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Sting(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Oklahoma Crude(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Lost Horizon(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Other(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Cowboys(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Last Picture Show(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Summer of '42(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Liberation of L.B. Jones(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Two Mules for Sister Sara(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Arrangement(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Charity(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Coogan's Bluff(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Graduate(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Dolittle(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Lost Command(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Chase(1966)

    Additional Photography

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Third Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • The Hallelujah Trail(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Collector(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Satan Bug(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Kisses for My President(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • PT 109(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Mutiny on the Bounty(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Cimarron(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • It Started in Naples(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Ben-Hur(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Law and Jake Wade(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Merry Andrew(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Raintree County(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Les Girls(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Swan(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Tribute to a Bad Man(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Oklahoma!(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Trial(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Valley of the Kings(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Long, Long Trailer(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Escape from Fort Bravo(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Mogambo(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Ride, Vaquero!(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Bad and the Beautiful(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Merry Widow(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Wild North(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Light Touch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Quo Vadis(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Strip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • King Solomon's Mines(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Intruder in the Dust(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • That Midnight Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Big Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • Act of Violence(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Kissing Bandit(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • A Date with Judy(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Big City(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Tenth Avenue Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Cinematographer

  • The Unfinished Dance(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Two Sisters from Boston(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • No Leave, No Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Strange Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Our Vines Have Tender Grapes(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Music for Millions(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Two Girls and a Sailor(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Lost Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Election Daze (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Don't You Believe It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Nursery Rhyme Mysteries (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Heavenly Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • David Harum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Assistant Camera

  • State Fair(1933)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Lady with a Past(1932)

    Assistant Camera

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 76 titles from 1932 to 1978.

Biggest box office

The Sting (1973)

$156M worldwide

Highest rated

The Sting (1973)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography71 of 76: 71 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thOther crew5 of 76: 5 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s4 · crew1940s21 · crew1950s21 · crew1960s16 · crew1970s14 · 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 Robert Surtees' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 63; across their 59 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Reach · how many have seen their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 59

Midcredits score across 63 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th31
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

45 of their 63 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved10
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser45
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed4

Most divisive · cinematographer

Lost Horizon (1973)

75th percentile spread · 32% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

The Sting (1973)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 75/100 in their films, across 56 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 61. 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 Robert Surtees' work okay for kids?

Across up to 15 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore14 titles19–66 · median 49 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity15 titles8–56 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity15 titles0–56 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs14 titles14–61 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense13 titles18–58 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

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 Robert Surtees work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Surtees' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Joe Pasternak shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles