George Folsey


George Joseph Folsey, A.S.C., was an American cinematographer who worked on 162 films from 1914 to his retirement in 1976.

Biography

Born in 1898 in Brooklyn, Folsey began his film career at the age of 14, when he was hired by Jesse Louis Lasky to work as an office boy in his newly formed Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in New York City. Folsey earned his first screen credit for His Bridal Night in 1919. Leading lady Alice Brady was so satisfied with the way he photographed her she offered him a contract to shoot all her films. He worked for both Associated First National and Paramount Astoria Studios, then moved to Hollywood and worked for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where he spent the bulk of his career.
Folsey's many credits include The Letter, The Cocoanuts, Animal Crackers, The Great Ziegfeld, A Guy Named Joe, The White Cliffs of Dover, Meet Me in St. Louis, The Clock, The Harvey Girls, Adam's Rib, A Life of Her Own, Million Dollar Mermaid, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Cobweb, Cash McCall, and The Balcony. For television, he served as director of photography for various episodes of the series The Fugitive and a special starring figure skater Peggy Fleming, for which he won an Emmy Award for Best Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming.
Folsey was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography 13 times but never won. Eight months before his death, he was honored with the first Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the American Society of Cinematographers, for which he served as president in 1956–1957.
Folsey's son George Jr. was a director/producer/editor.
Folsey died in Santa Monica, California.

Filmography

His Bridal Night The Fear Market Sinners The Stolen Kiss The Frisky Mrs. Johnson The Price of Possession Sheltered Daughters A Heart to Let Room and Board The Case of Becky Nancy from Nowhere A Game Chicken Slim Shoulders What's Wrong with the Women? The Man from M.A.R.S. The Bright Shawl The Fighting Blade Twenty-One The Enchanted Cottage Born Rich The Necessary Evil The Half-Way Girl Scarlet Saint Too Much Money The Savage Ladies at Play Orchids and Ermine See You in Jail Naughty but Nice American Beauty No Place to Go Her Wild Oat Lady Be Good The Butter and Egg Man The Letter The Hole in the Wall Gentlemen of the Press The Cocoanuts Applause The Battle of Paris Glorifying the American Girl The Laughing Lady The Big Pond Dangerous Nan McGrew Animal Crackers Laughter The Royal Family of Broadway Stolen Heaven Honor Among Lovers The Smiling Lieutenant Secrets of a Secretary My Sin The Cheat The Wiser Sex The Misleading Lady The Big Broadcast The Animal Kingdom Men Must Fight Reunion in Vienna Storm at Daybreak Stage Mother Going Hollywood Men in White Operator 13 Chained Forsaking All Others Reckless Page Miss Glory I Live My Life Kind Lady The Great Ziegfeld Hearts Divided The Gorgeous Hussy The Last of Mrs. Cheyney The Bride Wore Red Mannequin Arsene Lupin Returns Hold That Kiss The Shining Hour Fast and Loose Society Lawyer Lady of the Tropics Remember? Two Girls on Broadway Third Finger, Left Hand Come Live with Me The Trial of Mary Dugan Free and Easy Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day Lady Be Good Married Bachelor Rio Rita Grand Central Murder Panama Hattie Andy Hardy's Double Life Seven Sweethearts Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant Three Hearts for Julia Thousands Cheer A Guy Named Joe The White Cliffs of Dover Meet Me in St. Louis The Clock Ziegfeld Follies The Harvey Girls The Green Years Till the Clouds Roll By The Secret Heart Green Dolphin Street If Winter Comes State of the Union Take Me Out to the Ball Game The Great Sinner Adam's Rib Malaya The Big Hangover A Life of Her Own Vengeance Valley Mr. Imperium Night into Morning The Law and the Lady The Man with a Cloak Shadow in the Sky Lovely to Look At Million Dollar Mermaid All the Brothers Were Valiant Executive Suite Tennessee Champ Men of the Fighting Lady Seven Brides for Seven Brothers Deep in My Heart Hit the Deck The Cobweb Forbidden Planet The Fastest Gun Alive These Wilder Years The Power and the Prize House of Numbers Tip on a Dead Jockey Saddle the Wind The High Cost of Loving Imitation General Torpedo Run Count Your Blessings Cash McCall I Passed for White The Balcony Glass Houses