Tony Gaudio

Born Gaetano Antonio Gaudio in Cosenza, Italy in 1883 to a famous photographic family. The son of one of Italy’s foremost photographic artists, the boy was quite literally brought up in the studio, where he learned at an early age to use the still camera and to develop negatives in the darkroom. His father also gave him a liberal education in lenses, cameras, composition and the manipulation of lights so that when the time came to take up motion photography, the young Tony had a head full of useful information to start with. He is indebted to his art training for his later interest in the camera as a medium of art, as opposed to a mere recording instrument. After attending art school in Rome, he became an assistant to his father and older brother, Rafael (Ralph) Gaudio, a prominent portrait photographer in Italy who later became president of the Society of Photography in Europe, and was nominated as Knight of the Crown in Italy for photographic achievement. in the family photography studio owned by Rafael, "Foto Gaudio", in the historic center of the Calabrian city. == Career ==

Italy Eventually he segued into cinema, starting with several years with the famous Ambrosio Films in Torino New York In 1906 a young Gaudio arrived in the United States, moving to New York City. Tony was employed by Al Simpson to produce "song slides" that could be shown in theaters so patrons could sing along with the music. Twelve hand-colored slides were made for each new popular or near popular song. '' (1922) Over 1,500,000 candle-power were employed to light up this set, the greater part of the light being supplied by the fifteen sunlight arcs. After this collaboration, Gaudio stayed with First National Pictures, joining Norma Talmadge under the management of her husband and producer, Joseph Schenck. He was also a cameraman for Norma’s sister Constance Talmadge directed by Frank Borzage, a long time future collaborator of Gaudio. Arrangements were made whereby he was “farmed out” to other large producers, he having thus photographed John M. Stahl’s Husbands and Lovers, Corrine Griffith’s Déclassée, and Marion Davies in Adam and Eva. For the Corrine Griffith production, the special arrangement was during the vacation of Norma Talmadge. In total, Gaudio photographed 10 Talmadge films from 1922 to 1925 ASC is the professional body his brother had helped create to promote standardization in the industry of cinematography, serving as a body of information for cameramen. With German director William Dieterle, Gaudio photographed eight pictures, most notably The Life of Emile Zola (1937), which one the 1937 Academy Award for Best Picture, and Juarez (1939). Guadio and director Michael Curtiz collaborated six times, notably on The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), and Kid Galahad (1937), another Bette Davis joint which gave him the opportunity to contrast high-key Art Deco scenes with the smoky interiors of the boxing ring..“The Eastman company is responsible for many improvements in photography,” he said, “but I am convinced this stock is not only a distinct advance. It is the best thing Eastman has done for the motion picture industry as a whole.” Also in 1940, Gaudio photographed The Letter, a William Wyler picture that gave Tony his 4th Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White. This was another Bette Davis picture, one that is distinguished by Gaudio's moody cinematography, especially the memorable opening shot, a slow track through a Malaysian rubber plantation that sets the tone for the picture. In 1946 and 1947, Tony worked on 3 more films before his last film, being Swell Guy with Frank Tuttle, That’s My Man with Frank Borzage, and Love From a Stranger with Richard Whorf. Tony Gaudio’s last film was shot in 1949 with Lewis Milestone and Republic Pictures, titled The Red Pony. It was renowned for its mastery of color. == Personal life ==

In 1939, Gaudio was nominated by King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as a Knight of the Crown for his contributions to the art of motion picture photography. Gaudio declined to accept the honor and recognition for his work because it came from a foreign country, despite that country once being his homeland.After the divorce from his first wife, Rosina Gaudio, which caused a scandal at the time, there was an estrangement with his children. After retiring from work in 1949, Gaudio moved to San Francisco with his second wife, Marie Gaudio. He died at his home on August 10, 1951 in Burlingame, California at the age of 66 of a heart attack. and is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California. His brother Eugene Gaudio, also a cinematographer, died in 1920 at the age of 34. Gaudio is survived by his wife, Marie, and two sons- Frank, also a cameraman, and Antonio, a San Francisco Lawyer. == Legacy ==

Tony Gaudio was an active participant in the technical research initiatives of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC). His contributions included the development and implementation of monochromatic film, Mazda lighting, and modern makeup. Gaudio was a revolutionary cinematographer, instituting and influencing many techniques and technologies in the craft. He has pioneered the use of “Dinky Inkies” and “precision lighting”, using spotlights almost to the exclusion of flood-lighting units. In 1922, he invented a viewfinder for the new Mitchell Camera, as well as inventing the camera focusing microscope. Gaudio was never satisfied by artificial night lighting, and looked forward to the entire industry adopting his invention, which inevitably occurred. The story follows Tony Gaudio, little known until a few years ago, born from an initiative to rediscover this artist. The documentary was implemented by the Cineteca della Calabria, which aroused the interest of a group of young authors from Cosenza and their production company "Open Fields". They proposed the idea of a documentary, obtaining the contribution of the Calabria Film Commission and the support of its counterpart Piedmontese institution. Broken Typewriter Productions from Los Angeles, CA is proud to announce their collaboration with Open Fields Productions from Cosenza, Italy for the feature documentary The Lost Legacy of Tony Gaudio. Open Fields’ Alessandro Nucci (director) and his brother Fabrizio Nucci (Producer) are in cooperation with The Margaret Herrick Academy archives and the American Society of Cinematographers. The website, The Tony Gaudio Foundation for The Cinematic Arts, was set up in efforts to fundraise and spread awareness about the documentary. The foundation’s CEO is Gino Gaudio, great nephew of Tony Gaudio, with the CFO being Chester Hipple, Tony Gaudio’s grandson. In a message on the website, it reads: "His name and contributions have been lost to the public. We would like the Gaudio name to live on and be remembered and celebrated from this day forward. “We trust The Lost Legacy of Tony Gaudio documentary will be a beautiful reminder for all film lovers of the important role of the cinematographer in films.”In April, in Gaetano Gaudio’s hometown, the first screening of the trailer of the documentary will be played. "It is the story of the first Italian winner of an Oscar, but it is also the discovery of an innovator in the field of photography; it is, at the same time, the story of the birth of cinema, in Italy and the United States, the discovery of techniques and perspectives; it is the story of the emigration of Italians; and it is also an investigation - punctuated by a fictional part - in search of the statuette won almost 90 years ago and of which traces have been lost."The documentary will feature interviews - combined with images of the works - from some American teachers and scholars and entertainment industry professionals of Italy and the US. These include Patrick Keating and Jonathan Kuntz, or personalities of US cinema, such as the Oscar winner Richard Edlund, special visual effects supervisor of films such as Star Wars, or M. David Mullen, director of photography of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In addition, there will be interviews from the president of the Cineteca della Calabria, Eugenio Attanasio, and from the Calabrian director of photography and Oscar winner for Avatar, Mauro Fiore. The film will also feature interviews from Gaudio’s relatives.“This documentary – explains the director – posed a series of problems from the beginning: very little repertoire, no private photos, perhaps due to a fire that would have destroyed all the albums, and less than 100 public photos. Involving the family was absolutely necessary."After Gaudio's death, all traces of the Oscar were lost, intersecting a line between the emotional story of the grandchildren and the artistic path of the pioneer cinematographer. == Awards and nominations ==