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Joseph Biroc became one of Hollywood's most adaptable cinematographers, contributing to films across nearly every genre. He began his career in 1918 as a lab assistant at Paragon Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, America's first film capital. He then moved to Paramount's Long Island facility as a camera assistant and by 1927 had relocated to Hollywood. Under contract with RKO, he worked on numerous projects as a second cameraman, often uncredited. One of his early major features was the western Cimarron (1931), where he assisted Edward Cronjager. After apprenticing under George J. Folsey, Biroc became a full-fledged lighting cameraman in 1940, though World War II interrupted his career.
During the war, Biroc rose to captain in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and earned the unique honor of being the first American cameraman to film the liberation of Paris in 1944. Following the war, he collaborated with Joseph Walker as co-director of photography for the enduring holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Throughout the 1950s, Biroc worked on a diverse range of films, from the gritty film noir Cry Danger (1951) to the sci-fi cult favorite Red Planet Mars (1952). He also shot Bwana Devil (1952), the first movie filmed in 3-D. A pivotal moment in his career occurred when he met the distinctive director Robert Aldrich while shooting an episode of the TV series China Smith (1952), which sparked a fruitful partnership spanning sixteen films. Notable among these are the atmospheric thriller Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964), where Biroc used candles, shadows, and silhouettes to evoke mystery and suspense, and the sunlit ensemble drama The Flight of the Phoenix (1965).
Biroc also forged a successful collaboration with producer Irwin Allen, who appointed him head of the Action Unit for the $14 million disaster epic The Towering Inferno (1974), filmed on eight of 20th Century Fox's largest sound stages, with Fred J. Koenekamp leading the First Unit. Tasked with capturing the most dramatic—and hazardous—scenes, Biroc worked alongside legendary special effects artists A.D. Flowers and L.B. Abbott, who was coaxed out of retirement for the project. Employing eight cameras simultaneously to cover multiple angles, Biroc used zoom lenses to suggest movement within confined spaces. Timing was crucial: the LA Fire Department controlled the propane-powered pyrotechnics, limiting peak fire intensity to 20-30 seconds per take. Continuity challenges arose as burned sets were rebuilt over weeks, requiring meticulous coordination to maintain consistency with Fred Koenekamp’s unit. Reflecting on the process, Biroc noted, "it wasn't only a question of everyone and everything having to be in the right place after that long an interval of time, it was also a matter of our being able to pick up on the look and mood created by Fred's unit" (American Cinematographer, Feb. 1975). For his work on The Towering Inferno, Biroc shared the 1974 Academy Award for Best Cinematography with Koenekamp.
In the remainder of the decade, Biroc delivered some of his finest work for television. He brought a strong sense of realism—and earned an Emmy nomination—for the acclaimed political miniseries Washington: Behind Closed Doors (1977), a dramatization of Watergate and the Nixon administration. In stark contrast, he collaborated with Mel Brooks on the landmark comedy western Blazing Saddles (1974) and with Jim Abrahams and David Zucker on the equally hilarious airborne comedy Airplane! (1980). With an impressive total of 159 cinematography credits, Biroc retired in 1986 and was honored two years later with the ASC Lifetime Achievement Award.
