KOVACS, Laszlo 1933(?)–
(Leslie Kovacks, Leslie Kovacs, Art Radford)

PERSONAL

Given name is sometimes spelled "Lazlo"; born May 14, 1933 (some sources cite 1932), near Budapest, Hungary; immigrated to the United States, 1957, naturalized citizen, 1963; son of Imre and Juliana Kovacs; married Audrey A. Vaught, March 18, 1984. Education: State Academy for Theatre and Film Art, Budapest, Hungary, M.A., 1956; also studied with Gyorgy Illes.

Addresses: Agent —Shari Shankewitz, Innovative Artists, 1505 10th St., Santa Monica, CA 90401.

Career: Cinematographer. Worked as freelance photographer, camera assistant, camera operator, and director of photography for documentaries, medical, training, and educational films, feature films, and television commercials, often with Vilmos Zsigmond; also worked as still photographer; worked for a television laboratory. Lecturer in film, including appearance at 6th International Masterclass, Budapest, Hungary, 2001.

Member: American Society of Cinematographers, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Hungarian Society of Cinematographers.

Awards, Honors: Golden Laurel Award nominations, best cinematographer, Producers Guild of America, 1970, for Easy Rider, and 1971, for Five Easy Pieces; Lifetime Achievement Award, Camerimage, 1998; Excellence in Cinematography Award, Hawaii International Film Festival, 1998; Lifetime Achievement Award, WorldFest Flagstaff, 1999; Hollywood Discovery Award, outstanding achievement in cinematography, 2001; Lifetime Achievement Award, American Society of Cinematographers, 2002.

CREDITS

Film Cinematographer:

The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed–up Zombies!!? (also known as Diabolical Dr. Voodoo, The Incredibly Mixed Up Zombie, The Incredibly Strange Creature: Or Why I Stopped Living and Became a Mixed–up Zombie, and The Teenage Psycho Meets Bloody Mary ), 1963.

Holiday in Silk (documentary), 1963.

Kiss Me Quick! (also known as Dr. Breedlove and Dr. Breedlove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love ), 1964.

Mark of the Gun, 1965.

The Notorious Daughter of Fanny Hill, 1966.

(As Art Radford) A Smell of Honey, a Swallow of Brine, 1966.

(As Leslie Kovacks) Mondo Mod (documentary), 1967.

(As Leslie Kovacs) Hell's Angels on Wheels, U.S. Films, 1967.

A Man Called Dagger, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1967.

(As Leslie Kovacs) Blood of Dracula's Castle (also known as Castle of Dracula and Dracula's Castle ), Paragon, 1967.

Single Room Furnished, Crown, 1968.

Psych–Out (also known as Love Children ), American International Pictures, 1968.

The Savage Seven, American International Pictures, 1968.

Targets (also known as Before I Die ), Paramount, 1968.

(As Leslie Kovacs) Mantis in Lace (also known as Lila and Lila: Mantis in Lace ), 1968.

Easy Rider, Columbia, 1969.

That Cold Day in the Park, Commonwealth, 1969.

The Marriage of a Young Stockbroker, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1969.

Getting Straight, Columbia, 1970.

Alex in Wonderland, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1970.

Five Easy Pieces, Columbia, 1970.

Rebel Rousers (also known as Limbo and The Wild Rider ), Four Star, 1970.

Hell's Bloody Devils (also known as The Fakers, Operation M., Smashing the Crime Syndicate, and Swastika Savages ), 1970.

The American Dreamer (documentary), 1970.

The Last Movie (also known as Chinchero ), Universal, 1971.

(Uncredited) Dusty and Sweets McGee (documentary), Warner Bros., 1971.

A Day with the Boys (short film), 1971.

Directed by John Ford (short documentary film), 1971.

A Reflection of Fear (also known as Autumn Child and Labyrinth ), 1971.

What's Up, Doc?, Warner Bros., 1972.

Pocket Money, National General, 1972.

The King of Marvin Gardens, Columbia, 1972.

Steelyard Blues (also known as The Final Crash ), Warner Bros., 1973.

Slither, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 1973.

Paper Moon, Paramount, 1973.

Huckleberry Finn (also known as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn: A Musical Adaptation ), United Artists, 1974.

For Pete's Sake (also known as July Pork Bellies ), Columbia, 1974.

Freebie and the Bean, Warner Bros., 1974.

Shampoo, Columbia, 1975.

Baby Blue Marine, Columbia, 1975.

At Long Last Love, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1975.

Nickelodeon, Columbia, 1976.

Harry and Walter Go to New York, Columbia, 1976.

New York, New York, United Artists, 1977.

(With others) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (also known as CE3K, The Close Encounter of the Third Kind, and Watch the Skies ), Columbia, 1977.

F.I.S.T., United Artists, 1978.

(With others) The Last Waltz, United Artists, 1978.

Paradise Alley, Universal, 1978.

The Rose, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1979.

Heart Beat, Warner Bros., 1979.

Butch and Sundance: The Early Days, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1979.

The Runner Stumbles, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1979.

Inside Moves, Associated, 1980.

Blow Out, Filmways, 1981.

The Legend of the Lone Ranger, EMI, 1981.

Frances, Universal, 1982.

The Toy, Columbia, 1982.

Crackers, Universal, 1984.

Ghostbusters, Universal, 1984.

Mask (also known as Peter Bogdanovich's Mask ), Universal, 1985.

Legal Eagles, Universal, 1986.

Little Nikita (also known as The Sleepers ), Columbia, 1988.

Say Anything…, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1989.

Shattered (also known as Plastic Nightmare ), Metro– Goldwyn–Mayer/Pathe, 1991.

Radio Flyer, Columbia, 1992.

Sliver, Paramount, 1993.

Ruby Cairo (also known as Deception and The Missing Link: Ruby Cairo ), Miramax, 1993.

Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Warner Bros., 1993.

Living History: Stanley Cortez, ASC (documentary), 1993.

The Scout, Twentieth Century–Fox, 1994.

The Next Karate Kid, Columbia, 1994.

Copycat (also known as Copykill ), Warner Bros., 1995.

Multiplicity, Columbia, 1996.

My Best Friend's Wedding, TriStar, 1997.

Jack Frost (also known as Frost ), Warner Bros., 1998.

Return to Me, Metro–Goldwyn–Mayer, 2000.

Ljuset haaller mig saellskap (documentary; also known as Light Keeps Me Company ), First Run Features, 2000.

Miss Congeniality (also known as Miss Undercover ), Warner Bros., 2001.

Two Weeks Notice, Warner Bros., 2002.

13 Going on 30, Sony Pictures Releasing, 2004.

Film Director:

(With Vilmos Zsigmond) Lullaby (short film), 1963.

Napfenyes Oszakar (documentary), 1997.

Director (with Zsigmond) of Blue of the Sky (short film); also directed the documentaries Kik azok a zoldek and Oncsod.

Film Appearances:

(Uncredited) The idiot, The Nasty Rabbit (also known as Spies A–Go–Go ), Fairway, 1965.

The American Dreamer, 1971.

Fekete rozsa, 1979.

Visions of Light: The Art of Cinematography (also known as Visions of Light ), Kino International, 1993.

Ljuset haaller mig saellskap (documentary; also known as Light Keeps Me Company ), First Run Features, 2000.

Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (documentary), Cactus Three, 2003.

Also appeared in the film Nyitott Ablak.

Television Cinematographer; Series:

National Geographic Specials, between 1964 and 1975.

Time–Life Specials: The March of Time, 1965–1966.

Television Cinematographer; Other:

Hungarn in Flammen (special; also known as Revolt in Hungary ), CBS, 1957.

Making of the President 1968 (special), 1969.

Family (pilot for The Best Years ), 1976.

Television Appearances:

Himself, I Love New York, 2002.

RECORDINGS

Videos:

Easy Rider: Shaking the Cage (also known as Shaking the Cage ), Columbia TriStar Home Video, 1999.

WRITINGS

Periodicals:

Contributor of articles to periodicals, including American Cinematographer, American Film, Dialogue on Film, Ecran Fantastique, Filmkultura, and Filmmakers Newsletter.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Schaefer, Dennis and Larry Salvato, Masters of Light: Conversations with Contemporary Cinematographers, 1984.

Zone, Ray, editor, New Wave King: The Cinematography of Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, American Society of Cinematographer Press, 2002.