Gene Polito
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September 13, 1918
Frances Polito
Gene Polito | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eugene Emmanuel Polito September 13, 1918 |
| Died | November 28, 2010 (aged 92) |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Parent(s) | Sol Polito Frances Polito |
Eugene Emmanuel Polito (September 13, 1918 – November 28, 2010)[1] was an American cinematographer,[2] mechanical engineer and academic. His numerous film and television credits included Futureworld, Up in Smoke and Lost in Space.[2]
Polito was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1918, the son of cinematographer Sol Polito and his wife, Frances Polito.[3] Polito was just eight months old when his family moved to Los Angeles in 1919 so his father, Sol Polito, could continue working at Warner Brothers Studios.[3]
Polito graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles.[3] He attended Loyola University (now Loyola Marymount University), before earning his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California.[3] Polito was employed as an engineer for aerospace manufacturer, Douglas Aircraft Company, during World War II.[3]
Polito began his career as a cinematographer towards the end of World War II.[3] His career ultimately spanned more than forty years and included hundreds of film and television productions.[3] A member of the American Society of Cinematographers, Polito is credited with the invention of the "Polito Bracket," which film studio photographers now use as a mounting accessory for Reflectors and Bead Board.[3] Polito became a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts when he was 62 years old.[3]
