JACK PRIESTLEY

Born: 27 July 1926, New York City, N.Y., USA, as John S. Priestley.

Died: 26 May 1993, Los Angeles, Calif., USA.

Career: Most of his early motion picture work was done on the East Coast.

Ph commercials.

Was a member of the IATSE Local 644 [New York] and the ASC [since 1977].

His brother Tom A. Priestley Sr. [1918-93] was a newsreel ph & doc filmmaker. His nephew Tom Priestley Jr. is a doph.

Awards: 'Emmy' Award [1961-62] for 'Naked City'; 'Emmy' Award [1962-63] for 'Naked City'; 'Emmy' Award nom [1963-64] for 'East Side/West Side'; ASC TV Award nom [1987] for 'Rage of Angels: The Story Continues' [part II]; 'Emmy' Award nom [1991] for 'The Trials of Rosie O'Neill' [ep #1 'Starting Over' dir by Ron Lagomarsino]; ASC TV Award [1991] for 'The Trials of Rosie O'Neill' [ep 'This Can't Be Love'].

[Left] - "Across 110th Street"

'Across 110th Street' [1972]: Producer Fouad Said found out during principal photography that the first production model of the much anticipated Arriflex 35BL had just arrived in New York. Said persuaded Volker Bahnemann, Vice President of ARRI in America, to let his 'Across 110th Street' crew be the first to try out the 35BL, for a week. The camera immediately revolutionized what they were able to achieve on the streets of Harlem. It was self-blimped, weighed only 15 kg [compared to 35-50 kg for a blimped camera] and held its dual-compartment coaxial magazine on the rear of the camera body for perfectly shoulder-balanced handheld shooting.

"It's a real winner", affirmed DoP Jack Priestly at the time. "It's as quiet as a church mouse and has great flexibility, especially as it weighs only 15 kg. I don't know what I would have done in a lot of spots without it - especially in those small rooms where we often had to shoot. You put it on your shoulder and walk around, bend down, sit down, hold it in your lap - everything. I think it's going to help the film industry tremendously."

One week with the 35BL proved it to be such a valuable tool that Said negotiated keeping the camera for the last four weeks of filming. It allowed the crew to shoot sync-sound in the most cramped and inaccessible of locations.

Utilizing the 35BL in conjunction with one or two other Arriflex IIC cameras in these small locations often meant having to use longer lenses, in order to keep the operators out of each others' viewfinders. This, coupled with the low light levels and fog/diffusion filtration combo, meant focus headaches in scenes depicting fast-moving action such as fist fights and gun battles. Fortunately, mentioned Priestly, "we had a first assistant named Fred Schuler who is really excellent at following focus and he kept it all pretty sharp." [From the ARRI website.]

FILMS
1965	A Man Called Adam [Leo Penn] b&w
1966	The Teenager [?] ?
1967	No Way to Treat a Lady [Jack Smight] c
1968	The Subject Was Roses [Ulu Grosbard] c
1968	Stiletto [Bernard L. Kowalski] c
1970	Where's Poppa?/Going Ape [Carl Reiner] b&w-c
1971	Born to Win/Addict [Ivan Passer] c; cph: Richard Kratina
1972	The Circus [Greg Dinallo] tao70/c; short/10m
1972	Across 110th Street [Barry Shear] c; marks the prod debut of the Arriflex 35BL camera; see above
1973	About Time [Ed deMartin] tao/c; short/20m; 2uc: Charles Groesbeek
1973	The Taking of Pelham One Two Three [Joseph Sargent] p/c; 2uc; ph: Owen Roizman
1974	The Midnight Man [Burt Lancaster & Roland Kibbee] c
1976	Rockshow/Wings Over America [Paul McCartney (uncred)] c; concert film/105m, 134m & 141m; addph: Gordon Bennett; filmed May/June (USA); released 1980; restored 2013; also version for CBS-tv as 'Wings Over the World' (1978)
1977	The Wiz [Sidney Lumet] 35mm (+ 70bu)/c; 2uc; ph: Oswald Morris
1980	The First Deadly Sin [Brian G. Hutton] c
1980	First Monday in October [Ronald Neame] p/c; co-2uc Washington; ph: Fred Koenekamp
1983	Beat Street [Stan Lathan (replaced Andrew Davis)] c; co-addph; ph: Tom Priestley Jr.
1985	The Man with One Red Shoe [Stan Dragoti] p/c; 2uc; ph: Richard H. Kline
1986	Baby Boom [Charles Shyer] c; 2uc East Coast; ph: William A. Fraker
1988	Chances Are [Emile Ardolino] c; ph Washington DC (+ 2ud); ph: William A. Fraker
1989	Back to the Future Part II [Robert Zemeckis] c; addph; ph: Dean Cundey

TELEVISION
1960	Route 66 [ep #1 'Black November' dir by Philip Leacock] 116-part adventure series, 1960-64 (CBS-tv); 1st season, 1960-61; 2uc (+ c.op); ph: Ernesto Caparros
1960	Naked City [ep #40 'A Death of Princes' dir by John Brahm (JB), #41 'The Pedigree Sheet' dir by JB, #42 'A Succession of Heartbeats' dir by Paul Wendkos (PW), #43 'Down the Long Night' dir by PW, #44 'To Walk in Silence' dir by Roger Kay, #46 'Debt of Honor' dir by Tay Garnett (TG) & #55 'Button in the Haystack' dir by TG] 138-part police series/b&w, 1958-59 (30m) & 1960-63 (60m) (ABC-tv); 2nd season, 1960-61 (32 ep); 2uc (+ c.op); ph: Ernesto Caparros

TELEVISION

1960

Route 66 [ep #1 'Black November' dir by Philip Leacock] 116-part adventure series, 1960-64 (CBS-tv); 1st season, 1960-61; 2uc (+ c.op); ph: Ernesto Caparros

1960

Naked City [ep #40 'A Death of Princes' dir by John Brahm (JB), #41 'The Pedigree Sheet' dir by JB, #42 'A Succession of Heartbeats' dir by Paul Wendkos (PW), #43 'Down the Long Night' dir by PW, #44 'To Walk in Silence' dir by Roger Kay, #46 'Debt of Honor' dir by Tay Garnett (TG) & #55 'Button in the Haystack' dir by TG] 138-part police series/b&w, 1958-59 (30m) & 1960-63 (60m) (ABC-tv); 2nd season, 1960-61 (32 ep); 2uc (+ c.op); ph: Ernesto Caparros

1960	Naked City [24 ep dir by various] 2nd season, 1960-61 (32 ep); see above
1961	Naked City [31 ep dir by various] 3rd season, 1961-62 (33 ep); see 1960
1962	Naked City [27 ep dir by various] 4th season, 1962-63 (34 ep); see 1960
1963	East Side/West Side [various] 26-part drama series/b&w, 1963-64 (CBS-tv)
1964	Mr. Broadway [various] 13-part drama series/b&w (CBS-tv)
1964	For the People [various] 13-part police series/b&w, 1965 (CBS-tv)
1965	Seaway/On the Seaway [ep #2 'Last Voyage' dir by Daniel Petrie, #6 '34th Man' dir by George McCowan, #8 'Bonhomme Richard' dir by Irving Lerner & #? 'A Medal for Mirko' dir by Abraham Polonsky] 30-part adventure series/b&w & c (2 ep), 1965-66 (syndicated); other ph: Gayne Rescher (+ cph ep 'A Medal for Mirko'), John Gunn, Reginald H. Morris, a.o.
1965	Ages of Man [Paul Bogart] 2-part special (solo recital with John Gielgud)/b&w; for CBS-tv (1966)
1967	The Extremist [?] pilot
1967	N.Y.P.D. [pilot 'Shakedown' dir by Daniel Petrie] 49-part police series, 1967-69 (ABC-tv)
1970	McCloud [various] pilot + 45-part police series, 1970-77 (NBC-tv)
1971	Cutter [Richard Irving] pilot (90m); for NBC-tv
1971	Crawlspace [John Newland (replaced Buzz Kulik during filming)] tvm; 2uc; ph: Urs Furrer
1972	Madigan [ep #4 'The Lisbon Beat' dir by Boris Sagal & #6 'The Park Avenue Beat' dir by Alex March] 6-part police series, 1972-73 (NBC-tv)
1973	Kojak [various] pilot + 118-part police series, 1973-78 (CBS-tv)
1973	The Snoop Sisters [various] 4-part detective series, 1973-74 (NBC-tv); other ph: Harry L. Wolf; followed the tvm 'The Snoop Sisters/Female Instinct' (1972, Leonard Stern; ph: Harry L. Wolf)
1974	Columbo [ep #28 'By Dawn's Early Light' dir by Harvey Hart] 2 pilots (1968 & 1971) + 43-part police series, 1971-78 (NBC-tv); 4th season, 1974-75
1974	Strike Force/Crackdown [Barry Shear] pilot/73m; cph: Sol Negrin; for NBC-tv
1975	The Silence [Joseph Hardy] tvm
1975	The Art of Crime/Roman Grey: The Fine Art of Crime [Richard Irving] pilot/90m; cph: Bernie Abramson; for NBC-tv
1975	Movin' On [19 ep dir by various] pilot + 44-part adventure series, 1974-76 (NBC-tv); 2nd season (22 ep), 1975-76; other ph: William H. Steiner & Robert B. Hauser
1976	Seventh Avenue [Richard Irving (parts 1 + 2) & Russ Mayberry (part 3)] 3-part miniseries
1976	The Andros Targets [pilot 'The Killing of a Porno Queen' dir by Bob Sweeney] 13-part newspaper drama series, 1977 (CBS-tv)
1977	The Rubber Gun Squad [Hy Averback] pilot; for NBC-tv ('Comedy Time')
1977	Contract on Cherry Street/Stakeout on Cherry Street [William A. Graham] tvm
1978	You Can't Go Home Again [Ralph Nelson] tvm
1979	The Neighborhood [Lee H. Katzin] pilot; aired in April 1982 on NBC-tv
1980	Family Reunion [Fielder Cook] 2-part tvm (1981)
1983	[Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer:] More Than Murder [Gary Nelson] 2nd pilot; ph New York; ph: James Crabe; followed by series, 1984-85
1984	Lady Blue [Gary Nelson] pilot; followed by series, 1985-86; for ABC-tv
1984	Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer [ep #12 'Too Young to Die' dir by Russ Mayberry] 2 pilots + 24-part private detective series, 1984-85 (CBS-tv); 2nd season (14 ep), 1984-85; followed by 'The New Mike Hammer' (22 ep, 1986-87)
1985	Lady Blue [ep #2 'Death Valley Day' dir by Virgil Vogel] 12-part crime drama series, 1985-86 (ABC-tv)
1986	Rage of Angels: The Story Continues [Paul Wendkos] 2-part tvm; process ph: Bill Hansard Sr.; sequel to 'Rage of Angels' (1983, Buzz Kulik; ph: Ron Lautore, Jorge Stahl & Michel Kelber)
1987	Cagney & Lacey [20 ep dir by various] pilot (1981) + 125-part police series, 1982-88 (CBS-tv) + 4 tvm's, 1994-96; 7th season, 1987-88
1988	A Man Called Hawk [6 ep dir by various] 13-part series, 1989; spin off from 'Spenser: For Hire' (1985-88)
1989	Columbo [ep #7 'Agenda for Murder' dir by Patrick McGoohan, #8 'Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo' dir by Vincent McEveety, #9 'Uneasy Lies the Crown' dir by Alan J. Levi & #10 'Murder in Malibu' dir by Walter Grauman] 10-part series, 1989-90; 2nd season, 1989-90
1990	The Trials of Rosie O'Neill [ep #1 'Starting Over' dir by Ron Lagomarsino & #15 'The Reunion' dir by Nancy Malone] 34-part legal drama series, 1990-92 (CBS-tv); 1st season, 1990-91
1991	The Hit Man [Gary Nelson] pilot; for ABC-tv
1991	The Trials of Rosie O'Neill [ep #29 'Lady Luck' dir by James Frawley, #30 'The Other Woman' dir by Reza Badiyi & #31 'Heartbreak Hotel' dir by Nancy Malone] 2nd season, 1991-92; see 1990
1992	FBI: The Untold Stories [ep 'The Miller Extortion' dir by Bruce Seth Green] 53-part (?) police drama anthology series, 1991-93 (ABC-tv)

MISCELLANEOUS
1951	This Is Cinerama [Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack (uncred prologue), Michael Todd Jr. (superv European seq), Gunther von Fritsch (Vienna) & Robert Flaherty (seg not included)] c.asst; ph: Harry Squire; 1st Cinerama presentation
1954	Cinerama Holiday [Robert Bendick & Philippe De Lacy] co-c.op; ph: Joseph C. Brun & Harry Squire; 2nd Cinerama presentation
1954	Moby Dick [John Huston] ?; ph: Oswald Morris
1955	Seven Wonders of the World [Tay Garnett, Paul Mantz, Andrew Marton, Ted Tetzlaff & Walter Thompson] c.op; ph: Harry Squire; 3rd Cinerama presentation
1957	Search for Paradise/Search for Shangri-La [Otto Lang] co-c.op; ph: Harry Squire; 4th Cinerama presentation
1958	Naked City [37 ep dir by various] c.op; ph: J. Burgi Contner; 1st season, 1958-59 (39 ep); see Television (1960)

1959	The Brain That Wouldn't Die/The Head That Wouldn't Die [Joseph Green] c.op; ph: Stephen Hajnal; released in 1962
1960	Route 66 [ep #1 'Black November' dir by Philip Leacock] c.op (+ 2uc); ph: Ernesto Caparros; see Television (1960)
1960	Naked City [ep #40 'A Death of Princes' dir by John Brahm (JB), #41 'The Pedigree Sheet' dir by JB, #42 'A Succession of Heartbeats' dir by Paul Wendkos (PW), #43 'Down the Long Night' dir by PW, #44 'To Walk in Silence' dir by Roger Kay, #46 'Debt of Honor' dir by Tay Garnett (TG) & #55 'Button in the Haystack' dir by TG] c.op (+ 2uc); ph: Ernesto Caparros; 2nd season, 1960-61; see Television (1960)
1970	Such Good Friends [Otto Preminger] c.op; ph: Gayne Rescher
1975	Movin' On [dir ep #31 'Please Don't Talk to the Driver' & #41 'A Home Is Not a House'] ph: William H. Steiner (#31) & Robert B. Hauser (#41); 2nd season, 1975-76; see Television (1975)