| John Bailey | |
| Office2: | President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |
| Term Start2: | August 8, 2017 |
| Term End2: | August 7, 2019 |
| Predecessor2: | Cheryl Boone Isaacs |
| Successor2: | David Rubin |
| Birth Date: | 10 August 1942 |
| Birth Place: | Moberly, Missouri, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Cinematographer, film director |
| Birth Name: | John Ira Bailey |
| Alma Mater: | Loyola University (Loyola Marymount University) USC School of Cinematic Arts |
John Ira Bailey (August 10, 1942 – November 10, 2023)[1] was an American cinematographer and film director known for his collaborations with directors Paul Schrader, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Apted, and Ken Kwapis. In August 2017, Bailey was elected president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[2] He was succeeded by casting director David Rubin in August 2019.[3]
John Ira Bailey was born August 10, 1942, in Moberly, Missouri, and raised in Norwalk, California.[4] [5] He attended Pius X High School in Downey, California, and briefly studied chemistry at Santa Clara University before transferring to Loyola University, Los Angeles, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1964.[6] He earned a graduate degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) in 1968.[7]
Bailey spent 11 years apprenticing as a crew member with cinematographers such as Vilmos Zsigmond and Néstor Almendros, working on Two-Lane Blacktop, The Late Show, 3 Women, Winter Kills, and Days of Heaven. He earned his first credit as director of photography for Boulevard Nights, followed by Ordinary People and American Gigolo.
In 1985, Bailey shared the Cannes Film Festival Best Artistic Contribution Award with Eiko Ishioka and Philip Glass for . He was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography for Tough Guys Don't Dance and the Camerimage Golden Frog Award for Best Cinematography for Forever Mine. He was a member of the American Society of Cinematographers and member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1987.[8] He worked on numerous comedy films such as Groundhog Day, As Good as It Gets, and The Producers. He was a veteran documentary cameraman.
Bailey's credits as a director include The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, China Moon, Mariette in Ecstasy, and Via Dolorosa.
Bailey was married to film editor Carol Littleton from 1972. They resided in Los Angeles. He died in his sleep on November 10, 2023, at the age of 81.[9] [10]
Film
Short film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Open Window | Richard Patterson | ||
| 2002 | The Fig Rig | Shari Roman | Documentary short | |
| 2003 | ADM: DOP (Anthony Dod Mantle - Director of Photography) | |||
| 2009 | Looking at Animals | Marc Turtletaub |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Battered | Peter Werner |
| 1980 | City in Fear | Jud Taylor |
| 1989 | Time Flies When You're Alive | Roger Spottiswoode |
| 1996 | Passion | James Lapine |
| 1998 | Always Outnumbered | Michael Apted |
Documentary film
| Year | Title | Director | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Swimming to Cambodia | Jonathan Demme | Concert film | |
| 1990 | Hollywood Mavericks | Florence Dauman Dale Ann Stieber | With Steve Baum, Frederick Elmes, Marc Gérard, Mead Hunt, Todd McClelland, Peter S. Rosen and Steven Wacks | |
| 1991 | A Brief History of Time | Errol Morris | With Stefan Czapsky | |
| 2000 | Michael Jordan to the Max | Don Kempf James D. Stern | With Joe D'Alessandro, David Kessler, James Neihouse and Rodney Taylor | |
| 2001 | NSync: Bigger Than Live | Himself | With Matthew Williams | |
| 2002 | The Kid Stays in the Picture | Nanette Burstein Brett Morgen | ||
| 2003 | Digital Babylon | Shari Roman | ||
| 2004 | Wendy Apple |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | [11] | |||||
| 1988 | ||||||
| 1994 | Television Special | The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe | ||||
| Directing in a Comedy Special | ||||||
| 1999 | Golden Frog Award | Forever Mine | ||||
| 2001 | President's Award | |||||
| 2015 | Lifetime Achievement Award | |||||
| 2018 | Society of Operating Cameramen | Governor's Award | ||||
| 2019 | Camerimage | Lifetime Achievement Award |