Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, 1933-2007
Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 10:17 pm
Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, 1933-2007 | from the asc
Internationally acclaimed cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, died on July 22 at his home in Beverly Hills. He is survived by his wife, Audrey; daughters, Julianna and Nadia; and granddaughter, Mia.
Kovacs’ body of work included the films Easy Rider; That Cold Day in the Park; Five Easy Pieces; Shampoo; What’s Up, Doc?; The King of Marvin Gardens; Paper Moon; New York, New York; Frances; Ghostbusters; Mask; and Miss Congeniality.
Kovacs was born on May 14, 1933, on a farm about 60 miles outside of Budapest, Hungary. His mother was friends with a woman who ran a makeshift cinema in a nearby school on weekends. When Kovacs was 11, his mother arranged for him to distribute flyers advertising the films; his pay was a front row seat at the cinema. Kovacs traced his passion for movies back to that experience.
When he was 16, his parents sent him to school in Budapest with instructions to study hard and become a lawyer or a doctor. He frequently skipped classes to watch movies at a local cinema. In 1952, he was accepted at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest, where he developed an interest in cinematography. On Saturdays, when no communist officials were around, Kovacs’ teachers allowed students to watch American films from the archives. He remembered being enthralled by Citizen Kane, even though he didn’t understand English at the time.
Internationally acclaimed cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs, ASC, died on July 22 at his home in Beverly Hills. He is survived by his wife, Audrey; daughters, Julianna and Nadia; and granddaughter, Mia.
Kovacs’ body of work included the films Easy Rider; That Cold Day in the Park; Five Easy Pieces; Shampoo; What’s Up, Doc?; The King of Marvin Gardens; Paper Moon; New York, New York; Frances; Ghostbusters; Mask; and Miss Congeniality.
Kovacs was born on May 14, 1933, on a farm about 60 miles outside of Budapest, Hungary. His mother was friends with a woman who ran a makeshift cinema in a nearby school on weekends. When Kovacs was 11, his mother arranged for him to distribute flyers advertising the films; his pay was a front row seat at the cinema. Kovacs traced his passion for movies back to that experience.
When he was 16, his parents sent him to school in Budapest with instructions to study hard and become a lawyer or a doctor. He frequently skipped classes to watch movies at a local cinema. In 1952, he was accepted at the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest, where he developed an interest in cinematography. On Saturdays, when no communist officials were around, Kovacs’ teachers allowed students to watch American films from the archives. He remembered being enthralled by Citizen Kane, even though he didn’t understand English at the time.