Lucien Ballard

Lucien Ballard was a famous cinematographer best known for his work with the legendary Sam Peckinpah. Ballard was a master in widescreen mise-en-scene and together with Peckinpah brought slow-mo shots into the repertoire of western film iconography. They first worked together on Peckinpah’s trend-setting TV series The Westerner (1960), which only lasted half-a-season, but brought about an early incarnation of the anti-hero to the TV western. Ballard went on to shoot the classic Randolph Scott-Joel McCrea western Ride the High Country (1962). But it’s the collaboration, on the iconic film The Wild Bunch (1969) that elevated Peckinpah into the pantheon of great directors and made Ballard well-known outside the small circle of professional cinematographers. In 1970, he was honored by the National Society of Film Critics with its "Best Cinematography" for the superb widescreen framing in The Wild Bunch. Ballard also shot The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), The Getaway (1972), and the terrific Junior Bonner (1972) for Peckinpah, becoming the principle collaborator with the emotionally troubled, alcoholic director during the period of his greatness. In Junior Bonner, Ballard's poignant images illustrate the decline of the modern west from the rise of commercialism.

Early in his career Ballard was married to Merle Oberon and invented a special camera mounted key light which help light her “good side.” (She had extensive facial scarring from an automobile accident.) The “Obie” light is still used extensively by DP’s. Ballard learned the craft of cinematography working with the brilliant director Josef von Sternberg and the legendary Citizen Kane cinematographer Gregg Toland. Ballard and Von Sternberg were cited by the 1935 Venice Film Festival award for “Best Cinematography" for The Devil is a Woman, though officially, Ballard received his first credit for cinematography on B.P. Schulberg's production of Feodor Dostoiyevski's Crime and Punishment (1935), which also was directed by Von Sternberg.

Ballard’s work in the 50s and 60s was astounding. He shot many great films for director Henry Hathaway such as The Sons of Katie Elder (1965), Nevada Smith (1966), and the oscar-winning True Grit (1969). Ballard also worked with director Budd Boetticher shooting the The Magnificent Matador (1955), The Killer Is Loose (1956), the pilot episode for television's Maverick (1957), and the Randolph Scott western Buchanan Rides Alone (1958).

Sadly, Lucien Ballard never received an academy award for the beautifully crafted archetypal images he gave to the western genre. He died in 1988 at age 80 from an auto accident near his ranch. -Biography by Blondie