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Stanley Cortez

Stanley Cortez

Cinematographer · Died December 23, 1997, aged 89 · New York, New York, USA

American cinematographer. He worked on over seventy films, including Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter (1955), Nunnally Johnson's The Three Faces of Eve (1957), and Samuel Fuller's Shock Corridor (1963) and The Naked Kiss (1964).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 4, 1908
Died
December 23, 1997 (aged 89)
From
New York, New York, USA
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
39 on MovieCove · 61 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 25% in 30 days

What are Stanley Cortez's films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 6th percentile
: browse their Horror movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
29%
Bonds
23%
Survival
22%
Self
12%
Power
7%
Society
6%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love8 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice8 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds6 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception6 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 10 · Serious 12 · Dark 14

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 19 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 22 · Intense 9

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 20 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 27 · Some laughs 4 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 18 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 13 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
29
Melancholic
13
Dread
9
Romantic
8
Thrilling
7
Other
24

How their films linger

Bittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 4 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet17
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Stanley Cortez's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 39 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Stanley Cortez's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

61 credits, 39 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Damien: Omen II(1978)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Another Man, Another Chance(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Chinatown(1974)

    Additional Photography · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Doomsday Machine(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Do Not Fold, Spindle or Mutilate(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Bridge at Remagen(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • They Saved Hitler's Brain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Cinematographer

  • Blue(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Navy vs. the Night Monsters(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare in the Sun(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Young Dillinger(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Naked Kiss(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Madmen of Mandoras (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Cinematographer

  • Shock Corridor(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Back Street(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Dinosaurus! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • Vice Raid(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Angry Red Planet(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Thunder in the Sun(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Three Faces of Eve(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Top Secret Affair(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Man from Del Rio(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Night of the Hunter(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Black Tuesday(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Apache(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dragon's Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Riders to the Stars(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Diamond Queen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • The Neanderthal Man(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Furia roja (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Stronghold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Fort Defiance(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Admiral Was a Lady(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Underworld Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Man on the Eiffel Tower(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Smart Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Cinematographer

  • Secret Beyond the Door...(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Since You Went Away(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Flesh and Fantasy(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Powers Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • The Magnificent Ambersons(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Eagle Squadron (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Bombay Clipper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • Sealed Lips(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Moonlight in Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Badlands of Dakota (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • A Dangerous Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • The Black Cat(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Meet the Wildcat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • The Leather Pushers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • For Love or Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Risky Business (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Cinematographer

  • Danger on the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • Exposed(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Armored Car (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Four Days Wonder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • A Midsummer Night's Dream(1935)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Lady with a Past(1932)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 58 titles from 1932 to 1978.

Biggest box office

Chinatown (1974)

$29M worldwide

Highest rated

Chinatown (1974)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography54 of 58: 54 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score49thOther crew4 of 58: 4 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s7 · crew1940s17 · crew1950s19 · crew1960s10 · crew1970s5 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Stanley Cortez's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 48th percentile, the median of all 39; across their 36 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 48th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Approval · how many liked their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 36

Midcredits score across 39 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th13
  • Below 25th9

Shape of the crowd

17 of their 39 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser17
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · cinematographer

The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (1966)

67th percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Chinatown (1974)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 67/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Stanley Cortez's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity7 titles6–39 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 36 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 23 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 66 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Stanley Cortez work with?

People who share at least 2 of Stanley Cortez's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Susan Hayward shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles