William Cronjager

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William Cronjager
Born(1930-03-28)March 28, 1930
Queens, New York
DiedMay 25, 1995(1995-05-25) (aged 65)
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, United States
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1957-1988

William Cronjager was an American cinematographer who worked primarily in the television medium. The son, nephew and grandson of famous cinematographers, he began his career as an assistant cameraman, assisting on the 1957 film Oh, Men! Oh, Women! . In the 1960s he moved to the small screen, where he did the bulk of his work over the next two decades, beginning as the director of photography (DP) for the final three seasons (1967-1969) of the television melodrama, Peyton Place . While working as the DP for the first two seasons of the hit television drama Hill Street Blues , he won an Emmy for the premier episode, "Hill Street Station".

Contents

Early life

Cronjager was born on March 28, 1930 in Queens, New York. He came from a long line of famous cinematographers: His father was Henry Cronjager Jr, who like his son worked primarily in the television industry; his uncle was the 7-time Oscar-nominated Edward Cronjager; his great-uncle was Jules Cronjager, who was the cinematographer on over 100 films from the mid-1910s through the early 1930s; and his grandfather was Henry Cronjager, a pioneering cinematographer who was known for his use of shadows, which would become a staple of the later German expressionist film movement. [1]

Career

Cronjager began working in film in the late 1950s. Working as an assistant cameraman or 2nd assistant cameraman, he began on the 1957 comedy, Oh, Men! Oh, Women! . He also worked on the notable films, South Pacific (1958), The Hustler (1961), and Rio Conchos (1964). Beginning with taking over the photography on Peyton Place in 1967, he would work consistently in television through his retirement in 1988. Following Peyton Place, he would move to Bracken's World in 1969, staying with that series until it ended in 1970.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Cronjager was the original director of photography on the television series Columbo and Hart to Hart . [1] He also continued to work on the big screen during this decade. In 1974 he was the cinematographer on the Charles Martin low-budget comedy, How to Seduce a Woman . [2] His only other, and final, work on the big screen was on another low budget picture, 1976's Vigilante Force . [3] During the 1970s, he worked on several notable television series. He took over the camera helm for the second series of the western, Alias Smith and Jones in 1971, and was frequent DP on Columbo .

In 1980, Cronjager was selected as the director of photography for the new police drama, Hill Street Blues. For the initial episode, titled "Hill Street Station", Cronjager chose to shoot approximately 90% of the show utilizing hand-held cameras. [4] His work garnered him a Primetime Emmy, for Outstanding Cinematography in a Series. [5]

Even though Cronjager had no involvement in the original Cannon television series from 1971–76, when the series was resurrected in 1980 as a television film, the film's director, Corey Allen, selected Cronjager to shoot the picture. The TV film was titled The Return of Frank Cannon , and Allen was impressed with Cronjager's work on Hill Street Blues. For one scene in the film, it was necessary to light a six-acre set for a nighttime shoot. It took Cronjager and his crew seven and a half hours setting up the scene's lighting, which took up 6000 feet of cable and used about 3,000 amps. In the final product, the scene took up approximately 5 seconds of air time. [4]

Cronjager's last project was the 1988 television film, Broken Angel (tv film) , starring William Shatner and Susan Blakely. [1]

Filmography

YearTitleMediumPositionNotes
1957 Oh, Men! Oh, Women! FilmAssistant cameraman
1957 Kiss Them for Me FilmAssistant cameraman
1958 South Pacific Film2nd Assistant cameraman
1959 The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker FilmAssistant cameraman
1961 The Hustler FilmAssistant cameraman
1964 Rio Conchos Film2nd Assistant cameraman
1967–69 Peyton Place TVDirector of Photography3 seasons, 132 episodes
1969–70 Bracken's World TVDirector of Photography2 seasons, 27 episodes
1971 The Partners TVDirector of Photography1 episodes
1971–72 Alias Smith and Jones TVDirector of Photography17 episodes
1972 Run, Cougar, Run FilmDirector of Photography
1972–73 McCloud TVDirector of Photography5 episodes
1973–76 Columbo TVDirector of Photography10 episodes
1974 How to Seduce a Woman FilmDirector of Photography
1975 Baretta TVDirector of Photography2 episodes
1976 Dynasty TV filmDirector of Photography
1976 The Flight of the Grey Wolf TV filmDirector of Photography
1976 Vigilante Force FilmDirector of Photography
1977 Man from Atlantis TVDirector of Photography1 episode - pilot
1977 Westside Medical TVDirector of Photography1 episode
1977 Delta County, U.S.A. TV filmDirector of Photography
1977 Killer on Board TV filmDirector of Photography
1978 Deadman's Curve TV filmDirector of Photography
1978 Child of Glass TV filmDirector of Photography
1978 Secrets of Three Hungry Wives TV filmDirector of Photography
1979 Turnabout TVDirector of Photography1 episode - pilot
1979 B. J. and the Bear TVDirector of Photography1 episode
1979 The Seeding of Sarah Burns TV filmDirector of Photography
1979 The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo TVDirector of Photography1 episode
1979–80 The Dukes of Hazzard TVDirector of Photography4 episode
1980 The Return of Frank Cannon TV filmDirector of Photography
1980–82 Hill Street Blues TVDirector of Photography27 episodes
1980 The Secret War of Jackie's Girls TV filmDirector of Photography
1981 Born to Be Sold TV filmDirector of Photography
1983 Bring 'Em Back Alive TVDirector of Photography4 episodes
1983–84 Hart to Hart TVDirector of Photography10 episodes
1984 Partners in Crime TVDirector of Photography10 episodes
1985 Miami Vice TVDirector of Photography1 episode
1985 J.O.E. and the Colonel TV filmDirector of Photography
1988Alone in the Neon JungleTV filmDirector of Photography
1988 Broken Angel TV filmDirector of Photography

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "William H. Cronjager biography". AllMovie. Archived from the original on November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  2. ↑ "How to Seduce a Woman: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Vigilante Force: Detail View". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Photographing "The Return of Frank Cannon"-A Unique Television Film". American Cinematographer. 62 (3). March 1981. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Hill Street Blues, Awards and Nominations". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
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