IEC
#2-3: Courtesy of Thomas Del Ruth
THOMAS DEL RUTH ASC
Born: 1 May 1942, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, CA, USA, as Thomas Anthony Del Ruth, son of film dir Roy Del Ruth [1895-1961] and actress Winnie Lightner [1899-1971].
Education: University of Heidelberg, West Germany [1961-62]; San Fernando Valley State College, Northridge, Los Angeles [now California State University]; University of Southern California [USC] [1964-65].
Career: Started as commercial print ad model and actor in 1965 after discharge from serving as a paratrooper in the US Army. 'After my discharge from the Army, I enrolled in Valley State College. I later transferred to the University of Southern California and took cinema classes while working as a messenger at Walt Disney Studios.' Became c.op in 1973. Became doph in 1978 on the tv-series 'Mrs. Columbo'.
In 1995 he directed ep #10 'Sightings' [ph: Hugo Cortina] of the tv-series 'JAG'.
His son Matthew is a c.asst; son Sean is a camera loader.
Awards: ASC Award nom [1994] for 'The X Files' [pilot]; ASC Award [1995] for 'ER' [pilot and ep 'Day One']; 'Emmy' Award nom [1995] for 'My Brother’s Keeper'; 'Emmy' Award [2000] & ASC Award nom [2000] for 'The West Wing' [pilot dir by Thomas Schlamme]; 'Emmy' Award [2001] & ASC Award [2001] for 'The West Wing' [ep #32 'Noel' dir by Thomas Schlamme]; ASC Award [2002] & 'Emmy' Award nom [2002] for 'The West Wing' [ep #54 'Bartlet for America' dir by Thomas Schlamme]; ASC Award nom [2002] & 'Emmy' Award nom [2003] for 'The West Wing' [ep #78 'Holy Night' dir by Thomas Schlamme]; ASC TV Award nom [2003] & 'Emmy' Award nom [2004] for 'The West Wing' [ep #91 '7A WF 83429' dir by Alex Graves]; ASC TV Award nom [2004] for 'The West Wing' [ep #109 'Gaza' dir by Christopher Misiano]; ASC TV Award nom [2005] for 'Code Breakers'; ASC TV Award nom [2006] & 'Emmy' Award nom [2007] for 'Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip' (pilot); Fallbrook FF 'Lifetime Achievement Award' [2008].
| FILMS | |
|---|---|
|
1979 |
Underground Aces [Robert Butler] c |
|
1980 |
Motel Hell [Kevin Connor] c |
|
1981 |
Death Wish II [Michael Winner] c; cph: Richard H. Kline |
|
1981 |
Hysterical [Chris Bearde] c; addph; ph: Donald M. Morgan |
|
1982 |
Blue Thunder [John Badham] p/c; addph; ph: John Alonzo |
|
1983 |
Get Crazy/Flip Out [Allan Arkush] c |
|
1983 |
Impulse [Graham Baker] c; aph: Frank Holgate |
|
1984 |
Fandango [Kevin Reynolds] c; based on Reynolds' student (USC) short 'Proof' (1980) |
|
1984 |
The Breakfast Club [John Hughes] c; ph Chicago: George Bouillet |
|
1985 |
Quicksilver [Tom Donnelly] c |
|
1985 |
Stand by Me [Rob Reiner] c |
|
1986 |
The Running Man [Paul Michael Glaser (replaced Andrew Davis)] c; addph: Reynaldo Villalobos; spec vfx ph: Rick Fichter |
|
1987 |
Cross My Heart [Armyan Bernstein] c |
|
1987 |
Satisfaction/Girls of Summer/Sweet Little Rock and Roller [Joan Freeman] c |
|
1988 |
Look Who's Talking/Daddy's Home [Amy Heckerling] c |
|
1990 |
Look Who's Talking Too [Amy Heckerling] c; 2uc New York: Alec Hirschfeld; efx ph: Peter Anderson |
|
1990 |
Little Sister/Mister Sister [Jimmy Zeilinger] c |
|
1991 |
Kuffs [Bruce Evans] c |
|
1992 |
The Mighty Ducks/Champions [Stephen Herek] c |
|
1992 |
Amore!/The Last Paesan [Lorenzo Doumani] c |
|
1996 |
Leave It to Beaver [Andy Cadiff] c; addph: Dean Cundey & Robert Brinkmann |
|
1997 |
Kissing a Fool [Doug Ellin] c |
|
1998 |
Knockout [Lorenzo Doumani] p/c/V; cph: Hisham Abed |
|
2009 |
Flipped [ Rob Reiner] 35mm (+ D-Cinema)/ c |
| TELEVISION | |
|---|---|
|
1978 |
Mrs. Columbo [ep #3 'A Riddle for Puppets' dir by Edward Abroms & #4 'Caviar with Everything' dir by Don Medford] 13-part series, 1979-80; 1st season, 1979; other ph: Alric Edens, Kenneth Peach Jr. & Isidore Mankofsky |
|
1979 |
Mark, I Love You [Gunnar Hellstrom] tvm |
|
1979 |
The Last Convertible [part #1 dir by Sidney Hayers & part #3 dir by Gus Trikonis] 3-part miniseries; part #2 dir by Jo Swerling Jr. and ph by Edward Rio Rotunno |
|
1979 |
She's Dressed to Kill/Someone's Killing the World's Greatest Models [Gus Trikonis] tvm |
|
1980 |
This House Possessed [William Wiard] tvm |
|
1980 |
Elvis and the Beauty Queen [Gus Trikonis] tvm |
|
1981 |
Help Wanted: Male [William Wiard] tvm |
|
1981 |
The Wonderful World of Phillip Malley [Harry Falk] pilot |
|
1981 |
Million Dollar Infield [Hal Cooper] tvm |
|
1981 |
Simon & Simon [pilot 'Details at Eleven' dir by Corey Allen] 156-part series, 1981-88; 1st season, 1981-82; other ph: Lloyd Ahern II, Vincent Martinelli & Bradford May |
|
1982 |
Paper Dolls [Edward Zwick] tvm |
|
1982 |
In Love with an Older Woman [Jack Bender] tvm; addph: Charles Correll |
|
1982 |
Who Will Love My Children? [John Erman] tvm |
|
1982 |
Intimate Agony/Doctor in Paradise [Paul Wendkos] tvm |
|
1982 |
Simon & Simon [ep #26 (2hr movie) 'Pirate's Key' dir by Corey Allen] 2nd season, 1982-83; see 1981 |
|
1983 |
Something About Amelia [Randa Haines] tvm; cph: Edward R. Brown |
|
1983 |
Best Kept Secrets/Under Suspicion [Jerrold Freedman] tvm |
|
1985 |
Code of Vengeance/Dalton [Rick Rosenthal] pilot; cph: Duke Callaghan; for NBC-tv |
|
1986 |
Blind Justice/The Whole Truth [Rod Holcomb] tvm |
|
1986 |
Who Is Julia? [Walter Grauman] tvm |
|
1986 |
Outlaws [ep #1 'Outlaws' dir by Peter Werner] 12-part series, 1986-87 |
|
198? |
The King and Me [?] ? |
|
1987 |
Spies [ep #1 'The Game's Not Over, 'Til the Fat Lady Sings' dir by Rod Holcomb] 6-part series; for CBS-tv |
|
1988 |
Ladykillers [Robert M. Lewis] tvm |
|
1988 |
Dream Breakers/The O'Connors/In Evil's Grasp [Stuart Millar] tvm |
|
1989 |
Wolf [various] 12-part series, 1989-90; + co-prod |
|
1991 |
T Bone n Weasel [Lewis Teague] tvm |
|
1992 |
Barbarians at the Gate [Glenn Jordan] tvm; cph: Nic Knowland |
|
1993 |
The X Files/The X-Files [pilot dir by Robert Mandel] 202-part series, 1993-2002; 1st season, 1993-94; other ph: John S. Bartley |
|
1993 |
Donato and Daughter/Dead to Rights/Under Threat [Rod Holcomb] tvm |
|
1993 |
Shattered Image [Fritz Kiersch] tvm |
|
1993 |
House of Secrets/Conspiracy of Terror [Mimi Leder] tvm |
|
1993 |
Royce [Rod Holcomb] tvm; 2uc: János Kende |
|
1993 |
Next Door [Tony Bill] tvm; 2uc: Levie Isaacks; filmed 1993-94 |
|
1994 |
ER [pilot (2hrs) '24 Hours' dir by Rod Holcomb, ep #2 'Day One' dir by Mimi Leder & #3 'Going Home' dir by Mark Tinker] 331-part series, 1994-2009; 1st season, 1994-95; other ph: Richard C. Thorpe; video title of pilot: 'ER: The Series Premiere' |
|
1994 |
My Brother's Keeper [Glenn Jordan] tvm |
|
1994 |
[Truman Capote's] One Christmas [Tony Bill] tvm |
|
1995 |
Abandoned and Deceived/ACES: The Gerry Jensen Story [Joseph Dougherty] tvm |
|
1995 |
JAG [pilot (2-hour tvm & 2-part 'A New Life' for syndication) 'JAG' dir by Donald P. Bellisario (DPB), ep #3 'Shadow' dir by DPB, #4 'Desert Son' dir by Joe Napolitano, #5 'Déjà Vu' dir by Doug Lefler, #6 'Pilot Error' dir by Les Landau & #8 'Brig Break' dir by Jim Johnston] 227-part series, 1995-2005; 1st season, 1995-96; other ph: Hugo Cortina |
|
1995 |
Courthouse [pilot dir by Ron Lagomarsino] 9-part series, 1995; other ph: Tim Suhrstedt & Michael Gershman |
|
1996 |
Chasing the Dragon [Ian Sander] tvm |
|
1996 |
[Danielle Steel's] Full Circle [Bethany Rooney] tvm |
|
1996 |
Asteroid [Bradford May] 2-part tvm; cph: David Hennings |
|
1996 |
When the Cradle Falls [Paul Schneider] tvm |
|
1997 |
The Underworld [Rod Holcomb] pilot; for NBC-tv |
|
1997 |
It Came from the Sky [Jack Bender] tvm |
|
1998 |
Charmed [ep #1 'Something Wicca This Way Comes' dir by John T. Kretchmer + 6 ep dir by various] 178-part series, 1998-2006; 1st season, 1998-99; other ph: Michael Negrin, Geoffrey Schaaf & Rick Gunter |
|
1999 |
Down Will Come Baby [Gregory Goodell] tvm |
|
1999 |
The West Wing [pilot dir by Thomas Schlamme + 19 ep dir by various] 154-part series, 1999-2006; 1st season, 1999-2000 (22 ep); other ph: Rick Bota (ep #21-22); the pilot was shot on 16mm, but the series switched to 35mm after being picked up |
|
2000 |
The West Wing [all (22) ep dir by various] 2nd season, 2000-01 (22 ep); see 1999 |
|
2001 |
The West Wing [special 'Isaac and Ishmael' dir by Christopher Misiano + 20 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 2001-02 (21 ep + special); other ph: James Glennon (ep #54 'H.Con-172'); see 1999 |
|
2002 |
The West Wing [22 ep dir by various] 4th season, 2002-03 (23 ep); other ph: Anette Haellmigk (#78 'The Long Goodbye'); see 1999 |
|
2003 |
The West Wing [all (22) ep dir by various] 5th season, 2003-04 (22 ep); ep #106 'Access' (d: Alex Graves) was filmed with HDcam; see 1999 |
|
2004 |
The West Wing [ep #111 'NSF Thurmont' dir by Alex Graves] 6th season, 2004-05 (22 ep); other ph: Michael Mayers, Dean Cundey, Philip Holahan & Anette Haellmigk; see 1999 |
|
2004 |
Heartless/Lethal Seduction [Robert Markowitz] tvm |
|
2005 |
The Book of Daniel [pilot 'Temptation' dir by James Frawley] 8-part (4 unaired) series, 2006; other ph: John Beymer |
|
2005 |
Code Breakers [Rod Holcomb] tvm; for ESPN-tv |
|
2006 |
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip [pilot dir by Thomas Schlamme + 13 ep dir by various] 22-part series, 2006-07; other ph: Dennis Hall |
| FILMS & TELEVISION AS CAMERA ASSISTANT/OPERATOR | |
|---|---|
|
1964 |
Peyton Place [various; 514-part tv-series, 1964-69] c.asst; ph: Dale Deverman, a.o. |
|
1965 |
Batman [various; 120-part tv-series, 1966-68] c.asst; ph: Sam Leavitt, Ralph Woolsey, a.o. |
|
1965 |
The Sand Pebbles [Robert Wise] c.asst; ph: Joseph MacDonald |
|
1966 |
Tobruk [Arthur Hiller; 2ud: Joseph Kane] c.asst 2u; 2uc: ?; ph: Russell Harlan |
|
1966 |
Divorce American Style [Bud Yorkin] c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1966 |
Doctor Dolittle [Richard Fleischer] c.asst; ph: Robert Surtees |
|
1967 |
Valley of the Dolls [Mark Robson] c.asst; ph: William H. Daniels |
|
1967 |
Planet of the Apes [Franklin J. Schaffner] c.asst; ph: Leon Shamroy |
|
1967 |
The Sweet Ride [Harvey Hart] c.asst; ph: Robert B. Hauser |
|
1968 |
The Detective [Gordon Douglas] c.asst; ph: Joseph F. Biroc |
|
1968 |
Bandolero! [Andrew V. McLaglen] c.asst; ph: William H. Clothier |
|
1968 |
The Boston Strangler [Richard Fleischer] c.asst; Richard H. Kline |
|
1968 |
The Secret Life of an American Wife [George Axelrod] c.asst; ph: Leon Shamroy |
|
1968 |
Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here [Abraham Polonsky] co-c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1968 |
Justine [George Cukor (replaced Joseph Strick)] c.asst; ph: Leon Shamroy |
|
1968 |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid [George Roy Hill] c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1968 |
Tora! Tora! Tora! [Richard Fleischer, a.o.] c.asst 2u; 2uc: David & Michael Butler; ph: Charles F. Wheeler |
|
1969 |
The Happy Ending [Richard Brooks] c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1969 |
Patton [Franklin Schaffner] co-c.asst; ph: Fred Koenekamp |
|
1969 |
Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge [Michael Sarne] c.asst; ph: Richard Moore |
|
1970 |
Brewster McCloud [Robert Altman] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1970 |
The Wild Country [Robert Totten] 2nd c.asst; ph: Frank Phillips |
|
1971 |
Fat City [John Huston] c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1971 |
Play It As It Lays [Frank Perry] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1972 |
Electra Glide in Blue [James William Guercio] c.asst; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1972 |
Birds of Prey [William A. Graham; tvm] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1972 |
Cry for Me, Billy/Apache Massacre/Count Your Bullets/Face to the Wind/The Long Tomorrow/Naked Revenge [William A. Graham] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1973 |
Zandy's Bride/For Better, for Worse [Jan Troell] c.asst; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1973 |
Coonskin/Bustin' Out/Streetfight [Ralph Bakshi] c.op; ph: William Fraker |
|
1973 |
The Day of the Locust [John Schlesinger] co-c.op; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1973 |
Aloha, Bobby and Rose [Floyd Mutrux] c.op; ph: William Fraker |
|
1974 |
Melvin Purvis: G-Man/The Legend of Machine Gun Kelly [Dan Curtis; tvm] c.op; ph: Jacques R. Marquette |
|
1974 |
The Front Page [Billy Wilder] c.op; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1974 |
Smile [Michael Ritchie] c.op; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1974 |
The Great Waldo Pepper [George Roy Hill] c.op; ph: Robert Surtees |
|
1975 |
Sparkle [Sam O'Steen] c.op; ph: Bruce Surtees |
|
1975 |
The Duchess and the Dirtwater Fox [Melvin Frank] c.op; ph: Joseph F. Biroc |
|
1975 |
Gable and Lombard [Sidney Furie] c.op; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1975 |
The Outlaw Josey Wales [Clint Eastwood (replaced Philip Kaufman)] co-c.op; ph: Bruce Surtees |
|
1976 |
The Shootist [Don Siegel] c.op; ph: Bruce Surtees |
|
1976 |
Rolling Thunder [John Flynn] c.op; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1976 |
The Enforcer/Moving Target [James Fargo] co-c.op; ph: Charles W. Short |
|
1976 |
Three Warriors [Kieth Merrill] co-c.op; ph: Bruce Surtees |
|
1976 |
Citizens Band/Handle with Care [Jonathan Demme] c.op; ph: Jordan Cronenweth |
|
1976 |
Raid on Entebbe [Irvin Kershner; tvm] co-c.op; ph: Bill Butler |
|
1977 |
Testimony of Two Men [Leo Penn & Larry Yust; tv-miniseries] c.op; ph: Jim Dickson & Isidore Mankofsky |
|
1977 |
Big Wednesday/Summer of Innocence [John Milius] co-c.op; ph: Bruce Surtees |
|
1977 |
It Happened One Christmas [Donald Wrye; tvm] c.op; ph: Conrad L. Hall |
|
1977 |
[Arthur Hailey's] Wheels [Jerry London; tv-miniseries] c.op; ph: Jacques R. Marquette |
|
1978 |
Hawaii Five-0 [5 ep dir by various; 284-part tv-series, 1968-80; 11th season, 1978-79] c.op; ph: Jacques Marquette |
|
1978 |
Crash/Crash of Flight 401 [Barry Shear; tvm] c.op; ph: Jacques Marquette & (Florida seq) James Pergola |
