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Floyd Crosby

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Floyd Crosby
Born
Floyd Delafield Crosby

December 12, 1899
West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
DiedSeptember 30, 1985(1985-09-30) (aged 85)
Ojai, California, United States
OccupationCinematographer
Spouse
Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead
​
​
(m. 1930; div. 1960)​
Betty Cormack Andrews
​
​
(m. 1960)​
Children2, including David Crosby
Relatives

Floyd Delafield Crosby, ASC (December 12, 1899 – September 30, 1985)[1] was an American cinematographer. He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 1931 for Tabu: A Story of the South Seas, his debut film, before going on to shoot over 120 productions in a career spanning over 40 years. Crosby worked with such directors as Fred Zinnemann. Beginning in the 1950's, he was the regular cinematographer for Roger Corman, totaling 21 films together.

Crosby was also the father of singer-songwriter David Crosby.

Early life

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Floyd Delafield Crosby was born and raised in West Philadelphia, the son of Julia Floyd (née Delafield) and Frederick Van Schoonhoven Crosby.[2] Through his maternal grandmother, he was descended from the prominent Van Rensselaer family.[3] His maternal grandfather was Dr. Francis Delafield.[4] His maternal uncle was Edward Henry Delafield (1880–1955).[5]

Crosby worked at the New York Stock Exchange, before enrolling in the New York Institute of Photography.[6]

Career

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In 1927, he was hired by marine biologist William Beebe as a cameraman for his expedition to Haiti.[6] The expedition would establish Crosby as a top documentary cameraman,[6] befriending Robert J. Flaherty. In 1929, Flaherty hired Crosby to shoot the ethnographic film Tabu: A Story of the South Seas, directed by F. W. Murnau. It was Crosby's first photography credit on a feature film, and earned him Best Cinematography at the 4th Academy Awards.

Crosby subsequently filmed the Bedaux expedition in 1934, and shot other documentaries for the likes of Pare Lorentz and Joris Ivens.[6] He served as a cinematographer for the U.S. Army Air Corps film wing, and made flight training films in World War II. He left the Air Corps in 1946.[citation needed] His disinterest in studio politics dissuaded him from working on traditional feature films, and he remained a somewhat fringe figure until 1951, when Robert Rossen hired him to shoot The Brave Bulls.[6] The following year, he shot High Noon (1952) for director Fred Zinnemann, which went on to win four Academy Awards. Crosby won a Golden Globe Award for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White).

In the following years, Crosby worked primarily with B-movie director Roger Corman. Beginning with Five Guns West (1955), the two worked on a total of 21 films between 1955 and 1967. Crosby also shot many other films for Corman's American International Pictures. Some sources claimed Crosby was relegated to working on B-movies because he had been blacklisted, though Corman denied this, stating Crosby's simply disliked traditional studio politics.[6]

In 1973, he participated in an oral history sponsored by the American Film Institute, part of which dealt with his work on Tabu: A Story of the South Seas.[7]

Personal life

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On December 11, 1930,[4] he married Aliph Van Cortlandt Whitehead. She was the daughter of John Brinton Whitehead.[3] Together, they had two children:

Crosby divorced in 1960 and married Betty Cormack Andrews in the same year. He retired in 1972 to Ojai, California.[2]

Death

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Crosby died in Ojai at the age of 85, in 1985.

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "Floyd Crosby | Biography, Movie Highlights and Photos". AllMovie. Archived from the original on June 29, 2019. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Floyd Crosby". www.cinematographers.nl. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved November 20, 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Aliph Whitehead To Wed F.D. Crosby; New York Girl's Engagement Is Announced by Her Parents. She Is In Junior League Her Fiance Is a Grandson of the Late Dr. and Mrs. Francis C. Delafield". The New York Times. December 5, 1930. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Aliph Whitehead Weds F.D. Crosby; Dr. Darlington Officiates at Ceremony in Chapel of Church of the Heavenly Rest. Few Witness Ceremony John B. Whitehead Gives His Daughter in Marriage—Wedding Trip to South America". The New York Times. December 12, 1930. Archived from the original on June 28, 2019. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  5. ^ "Mrs. F. V. S. Crosby, Widow Of Financier". The New York Times. March 28, 1952. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "FLOYD CROSBY". Internet Encyclopedia of Cinematographers. March 30, 2021. Archived from the original on March 30, 2021. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  7. ^ https://archive.org/details/TapeIISideOneTapeIISideTwo2BRepaired92617 [dead link]
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