Cinematographer Gayne Rescher Remembered as Icon to Filmmakers
Rescher, who began his career in motion pictures in the mid-1950s, worked on feature films for the next forty years with many of the world’s leading directors such as Otto Preminger, Elia Kazan, Paul Newman and Peter Yates, among many others, and with dozens of stars including Katharine Hepburn, Joanne Woodward, Elizabeth Taylor, Walter Matthau, James Earl Jones, Dustin Hoffman, Peter Falk, and Ernest Borgnine. In televison he was cinematographer for more than 50 mini-series and TV movies and series, featuring such stars as Geraldine Page, Jason Robards, Fred MacMurray, Tony Curtis, Lee Remick, James Garner and Kim Novak. Rescher received three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Cinematography (in 1980 for Moviola, in 1989 for Shooter, and in 1991 for Lucky/Chances. He also earned five Emmy nominations and won two Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Awards from the American Society of Cinematographers, in 1990 for Single Women Married Men and in 1991 for Lucky/Chances. Known during his long career for his virtuosity and style—especially his skill in lighting attractive women—Rescher was among the first to use soft light to key actors. In his article On Photographing Beautiful Women, he wrote, “Never hesitate to ask one of our beautiful actresses to stand in for themselves, particularly at the beginning of a picture. They understand and appreciate that you are doing your best for them.” Rescher is recalled fondly by many with whom he worked for his easy sociability and humor, as well as for his extensive cinematic expertise. As one longtime colleague and friend, director Lou Antonio, puts it: "Some mindless mogulette would say to me, ‘Let’s get a hot young cameraman.’ ‘No,’ I’d say. ‘I want a hot older cameraman. Get me Gayne Rescher.’ With his goofiness and easy expertise he always blessed my days, and my films." Richard Crudo, vice president of The American Society of Cinematograpers said, “As A cinematographer, Gayne was in a class of his own. His body of work shows us that he was both an artist and an innovator. He is and will remain a genuine icon to filmmakers the world over.” Gayne Rescher was born in New York City in 1925 to silent film star Jean Tolley and prominent cinematographer Jay Rescher, who was instrumental in founding the first union to include cinematographers, New York Local 644. The family eventually moved to Manhasset, Long Island, where Gayne attended school and was accepted at MIT, intending to major in Aeronautical Engineering. After only one semester, when he turned 18, he was called to duty in World War II and became a fighter pilot. He flew 56 missions over Germany, during which time he was shot down once but managed to escape to his airfield in France. He received a Presidential Citation, an Air Medal and the Purple Heart. He is survived by his wife, Gail Ferguson, and three daughters from his first marriage, entrepreneur/director Gaye Rescher Ribble, actress DeeDee Rescher Ball and Pre-School Director Deborah Jean Rescher Miller. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Sam and Sarah Balkin. |
Emmy Award-winning cinematographer Gayne Rescher died on February 29th in Gig Harbor, Washington, following a long illness. He was 83.