Alex Phillips
Personal Info
Known for
Camera
Gender
Male
Birthday
1901-01-11
Day of Death
1977-06-14 (76 years old)
Place of Birth
Renfrew, Ontario, Canada
Alex Phillips
Biography
Alex Phillips (January 11, 1901 Renfrew, Ontario – June 14, 1977) was a Canadian-born Mexican cinematographer and the father of Alex Phillips, Jr., also a cinematographer.
In his youth, his family moved to Russia, but he returned to Canada because of his dislike with the czarist government. He enlisted in the Canadian Army where he met Mary Pickford who introduced him to Hollywood since he expressed his interest in becoming an actor.
He auditioned with Fox and Paramount Pictures but was unable to obtain a role. He later approached Christie Comedies where he was advised to look for more stable positions in the movie industry and started his career in cinematography and film editing. He received an opportunity when an assistant fell sick and was able to travel to France with the Canadian Official Photography. After Christie Comedies went bankrupt, he was hired by Samuel Goldwyn while he attended evening classes. He received the opportunity of working with Barnes, Edison and Meyer, and learned techniques such as graduations, tridimensional vision and the sense of potential balance. Phillips then began experimenting with lights and camera movements.
He moved to Mexico in 1931 and worked with directors such as Arcady Boytler, Roberto Gavaldón, Julio Bracho and Luis Buñuel. He worked on some of the earliest Mexican movies such as the silent film Santa (1931) where his worked was considered expressionist. He worked in more than 250 movies in Mexico and 150 in the United States including La mujer del puerto (1934), Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe (1952 with Luis Buñuel), La Red (1953 with Emilio Fernández). His last film was El castillo de la pureza (1972 with Arturo Ripstein).
Acting
(1998)
Alex Phillips: The magic between light and shadow
as self (archive)
(1969)
Crew
(1992)
Golpe de suerte
Cinematography
(1983)
Dos de abajo
Cinematography
(1975)
The Birthday of the Dog
Director of Photography
(1973)
Castle of Purity
Director of Photography
(1972)
The Night of a Thousand Cats
Director of Photography
(1971)
Dead Aim
Director of Photography
(1971)
The Moderate Doctor
Director of Photography
(1971)
Ya se quien eres (te he estado observando)
Camera Department Manager
(1970)
Remolino de pasiones
Director of Photography
(1969)
Andante
Cinematography
(1969)
Memories of the Future
Director of Photography
(1968)
There are not Crosses in the Sea
Director of Photography
(1968)
Despedida de casada
Director of Photography
(1967)
La guerrillera de Villa
Director of Photography
(1967)
Damiana and the Men
Director of Photography
(1967)
La soldadera
Director of Photography
(1967)
Estrategia matrimonio
Director of Photography
(1966)
Alazán y enamorado
Director of Photography
(1966)
Juan Colorado
Director of Photography
(1966)
Time to Die
Director of Photography
(1965)
Black Wind
Director of Photography
(1965)
The Distant Wind
Cinematography
(1963)
Of Love and Desire
Director of Photography
(1962)
Little Town
Director of Photography
(1962)
Geronimo
Director of Photography
(1962)
The Shame of the Sabine Women
Director of Photography
(1962)
La rabia por dentro
Director of Photography
(1961)
Rumbo a Brasilia
Director of Photography
(1961)
The Happy Musketeers
Cinematography
(1960)
For the Love of Mike
Director of Photography
(1959)
The Wonderful Country
Director of Photography
(1959)
Sube y baja
Director of Photography
(1959)
Little Red Riding Hood
Director of Photography
(1958)
Villa!!
Director of Photography
(1958)
School for Buglars
Director of Photography
(1958)
Sierra Baron
Director of Photography
(1958)
Music of Always
Director of Photography
(1958)
La odalisca No. 13
Director of Photography
(1958)
The Last of the Fast Guns
Director of Photography
(1958)
Ten Days To Tulara
Director of Photography
(1957)
El diario de mi madre
Director of Photography
(1957)
Tizoc
Director of Photography
(1956)
Playa prohibida
Director of Photography
(1956)
Adam and Eve
Director of Photography
(1955)
María la Voz
Director of Photography
(1954)
Robinson Crusoe
Director of Photography
(1954)
Untouched
Director of Photography
(1953)
Quiero vivir
Director of Photography
(1953)
Mujeres que trabajan
Director of Photography
(1953)
Adventure in Rio
Director of Photography
(1953)
The Proud and the Beautiful
Director of Photography
(1953)
The Net
Director of Photography
(1953)
Reportaje
Director of Photography
(1952)
The Absentee
Director of Photography
(1952)
Forgotten Faces
Director of Photography
(1952)
Mexican Bus Ride
Director of Photography
(1952)
Mujeres sacrificadas
Director of Photography
(1951)
Sensualidad
Director of Photography
(1951)
In the Palm of Your Hand
Director of Photography
(1951)
Desired
Director of Photography
(1951)
Stolen Heaven
Director of Photography
(1950)
The Love Nest
Director of Photography
(1950)
Aventurera
Director of Photography
(1950)
Doña Diabla
Director of Photography
(1950)
Perdida
Director of Photography
(1950)
My Dear Captain
Director of Photography
(1949)
El dolor de los hijos
Cinematography
(1949)
Coqueta
Director of Photography
(1948)
The Well-paid
Director of Photography
(1948)
Cortesana
Director of Photography
(1948)
May God Forgive Me
Director of Photography
(1948)
Revancha
Director of Photography
(1947)
The Kneeling Goddess
Director of Photography
(1946)
Everybody’s Woman
Director of Photography
(1946)
The Other
Director of Photography
(1946)
Pepita Jimenez
Director of Photography
(1946)
María Magdalena, pecadora de Magdala
Director of Photography
(1945)
Tuya en cuerpo y alma
Director of Photography
(1945)
Twilight
Director of Photography
(1945)
The White Monk
Cinematography
(1944)
Amok
Director of Photography
(1944)
Gran Hotel
Director of Photography
(1944)
Miguel Strogoff
Cinematography
(1943)
Doña Bárbara
Director of Photography
(1941)
Ay, Jalisco, Don't Give Up!
Director of Photography
(1941)
El secreto del sacerdote
Director of Photography
(1940)
Viviré otra vez
Director of Photography
(1940)
Madre a la fuerza
Director of Photography
(1940)
Hombre o demonio
Director of Photography
(1939)
The Mad Empress
Director of Photography
(1938)
La golondrina
Director of Photography
(1938)
Ojos tapatios
Director of Photography
(1938)
La zandunga
Director of Photography
(1937)
Nobody's Wife
Cinematography
(1937)
Ave sin rumbo
Director of Photography
(1937)
La paloma
Director of Photography
(1937)
Suprema ley
Director of Photography
(1936)
Celos
Director of Photography
(1936)
The Macabre Trunk
Director of Photography
(1935)
Luponini (El terror de Chicago)
Director of Photography
(1935)
The Dressel Family
Director of Photography
(1935)
Hoy comienza la vida
Director
(1934)
Soulless Women
Director of Photography
(1934)
Enemigos
Director of Photography
(1934)
Juarez and Maximilian
Director of Photography
(1934)
The Woman of the Port
Director of Photography
(1934)
Cruz Diablo
Director of Photography
(1934)
Who Killed Eve?
Director of Photography
(1933)
El tigre de Yautepec
Director of Photography
(1933)
Shadow of Pancho Villa
Director of Photography
(1932)
Una vida por otra
Director of Photography
(1932)
Eagles Across the Sun
Director of Photography
(1932)
Santa
Director of Photography
(1932)
Hand to Hand
Director of Photography
(1926)
Up in Mabel's Room
Director of Photography
(1926)
The Nervous Wreck
Director of Photography
(1925)
Madame Behave
Cinematography
(1925)
Seven Days
Cinematography
(1924)
Grandpa's Girl
Director of Photography
(1924)
Ride 'Em Cowboy
Director of Photography
(1924)
Hold Your Breath
Director of Photography
(1924)
Reno or Bust
Director of Photography
(1923)
A Perfect 36
Director of Photography