Gabriel Figueroa

Gabriel Figueroa Mateos (*April 24 1907 Mexico City – April 27 1997 Mexico City) was a Mexican cinematographer who worked both in Mexican cinema and Hollywood.

His mother died after giving birth to him and his father, unable to cope with the loss of his wife, left Gabriel and his brother Roberto to be cared for by their aunts. He studied painting at the Academia de San Carlos and at the age of 16 he became interested in photography thanks to José Guadalupe Velasco. He later befriended others in the profession such as Gilberto and Raúl Martínez Solares. These three would then move on to cinematography.

Gabriel made his entry in the movie industry in 1932 as a photographer of stills for the film Revolución of Miguel Contreras Torress. He was later one of the 20 cinematographers hired for the Howard Hawks film "Viva Villa!". After a few jobs he obtained a scholarship to study in the United States where he was taught by Gregg Toland his own style of lighting techniques.

Back in Mexico, his first film was Fernando de Fuentes's "Allá en el Rancho Grande" (1936) which would become one of the most popular films in Mexico and Latin America, and gave him his first award at the Venice Film Festival. He filmed more than 200 movies, including "Los olvidados" (directed by Luis Buñuel), and "The Night of the Iguana" (directed by John Huston).

Films in Mexico

Camera operation

* "El vuelo glorioso de Barberán y Collar" (1933)
* "Vámonos con Pancho Villa" (1935)
* "María Elena" (1935)

Cinematography

Black and white

Color

Lights

* "María Elena" (1935)
* "El primo Basilio" (1934)
* "El escándalo" (1934)

till photography

* "Chucho el Roto" (1934)
* "La sangre manda" (1933)
* "La mujer del puerto" (1933)
* "Enemigos" (1933)
* "Profanación" (1933)
* "Juárez y Maximiliano" ("La caída del imperio", 1933)
* "Almas encontradas" (1933)
* "Revolución" ("La sombra de Pancho Villa", 1932)

Films in Hollywood

Camera operation

* "Viva Villa! " (1934)

Cinematography

Black and white

* "The Night of the Iguana" (1964) Academy Award Nomination for Best Cinematography (B&W)
* "Tarzan and the Mermaids" (1947)
* "The Fugitive" (1947)

Color

* "Under the Volcano" (1983)
* "The Border" (1979)
* "The Children of Sanchez" (1977)
* "Interval" (1973)
* "Once a Scoundrel" (1972)
* "Kelly's Heroes" (1970)
* "Two Mules for Sister Sara" (1969)

Awards

* Golden Ariel Award (1987)
* Premio Nacional de las Artes (1971)

External links

* [http://www.gabrielfigueroa.com/intro_ing.html Official site] .
* (es) [http://cinemexicano.mty.itesm.mx/directores/figueroa.html Profile] at the ITESM site of the Cinema of Mexico.
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