John Ira Bailey (August 10, 1942 – November 10, 2023) was an American cinematographer, film director, and former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Early life John Ira Bailey was born August 10, 1942, in Moberly, Missouri, and raised in Norwalk, California. 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.Featured Alumni, Loyola Marymount University He earned a graduate degree from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) in 1968.Notable Alumni, USC School of Cinematic Arts

Career 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 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. 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. 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.

Personal life and death 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.

Filmography

Cinematographer Film Year Title Director Notes 1972 Premonition Alan Rudolph 1974 End of August Gary Young 1975 LegacyKaren Arthur 1978 The Mafu Cage 1979 Boulevard Nights Michael Pressman1980 American Gigolo Paul Schrader Ordinary People Robert Redford1981 Honky Tonk Freeway John Schlesinger Continental Divide Michael Apted1982 Cat People Paul Schrader That Championship Season Jason Miller1983 Without a Trace Stanley R. Jaffe The Big Chill Lawrence Kasdan1984 Racing with the Moon Richard Benjamin The Pope of Greenwich Village Stuart Rosenberg1985 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters Paul Schrader Silverado Lawrence Kasdan1986 Crossroads Walter Hill Brighton Beach Memoirs Gene Saks1987 Light of Day Paul Schrader Tough Guys Don't Dance Norman Mailer Uncredited1988 Vibes Ken Kwapis The Accidental Tourist Lawrence Kasdan 1990 My Blue Heaven Herbert Ross 1991 The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Himself1993 Groundhog Day Harold Ramis In the Line of Fire Wolfgang Petersen 1994 Nobody's Fool Robert Benton 1996 Extreme Measures Michael Apted 1997 As Good as It Gets James L. Brooks 1998 Living Out Loud Richard LaGravenese1999 The Out-of-Towners Sam Weisman Forever Mine Paul Schrader For Love of the Game Sam Raimi 2000 Via Dolorosa Himself2001 Antitrust Peter Howitt The Anniversary Party Jennifer Jason LeighAlan Cumming 2002 Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Callie Khouri 2003 How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days Donald Petrie 2004 Incident at Loch Ness Zak Penn Also actor (As "Crew of Herzog in Wonderland")2005 The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Ken Kwapis Must Love Dogs Gary David Goldberg The Producers Susan Stroman With Charles Minsky 2006 The Architect Matthew Tauber2007 The Death and Life of Bobby Z John Herzfeld Uncredited License to Wed Ken Kwapis2008 Mad Money Callie Khouri Over Her Dead Body Jeff Lowell2009 The Greatest Shana Feste Brief Interviews with Hideous Men John Krasinski He's Just Not That into You Ken Kwapis2010 When in Rome Mark Steven Johnson Ramona and Beezus Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum Country Strong Shana Feste 2012 Big Miracle Ken Kwapis2013 The Way, Way Back Nat FaxonJim Rash A.C.O.D. Stu Zicherman Snake and Mongoose Wayne Holloway2014 The Angriest Man in Brooklyn Phil Alden Robinson The Forger Philip Martin 2015 A Walk in the Woods Ken Kwapis 2016 Burn Your Maps Jordan Roberts 2017 How to Be a Latin Lover Ken Marino 2018 An Actor Prepares Steve Clark 2019 Phil Greg Kinnear 2022 10 Tricks Richard Pagano

Short film Year Title Director Notes 1972 Open Window Richard Patterson 2002 The Fig RigShari RomanDocumentary 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 DaumanDale 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 KempfJames 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 BursteinBrett Morgen 2003 Digital Babylon Shari Roman 2004 The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing Wendy Apple

Director The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1991) China Moon (1994) Via Dolorosa (2000) (stage play) NSync: Bigger Than Live (2001) (Documentary film) Mariette in Ecstasy (2019)

Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1985 Cannes Film Festival Best Artistic Contribution Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters 1988 Independent Spirit Award Best Cinematography Tough Guys Don't Dance 1994 CableACE Award Television Special The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe Directing in a Comedy Special 1999 Camerimage Golden Frog Award Forever Mine 2001 Society of Operating Cameramen President's Award 2015 American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award 2018 Society of Operating Cameramen Governor's Award 2019 Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award

References

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