Burnett Guffey
Cinematographer · Died May 30, 1983, aged 78 · Del Rio, Tennessee, USA
While still a teenager, the future Academy Award-winning lensman began as an assistant cameraman in 1923 on John Ford's 1924 western saga The Iron Horse. He was then hired by the Famous Players-Lasky Studios in 1927, became a camera operator in 1928 and worked there until 1943. Guffey was hired as a Director of Photography by Columbia Pictures in 1944. In 1957-58 he served as president of the American Society of Cinematographers (A.S.C.) for a year, and had been a long standing member. According to film critic Spencer Selby, Guffey was a prolific film noir cinematographer, shooting 20 of them, including In a Lonely Place (1950).
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Biography from TMDB.
- May 26, 1905
- May 30, 1983 (aged 78)
- Del Rio, Tennessee, USA
- Cinematographer
- 47 on MovieCove · 90 credits in all
What are Burnett Guffey's films like?
Across their 43 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.
Genres
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
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 3 · Wry 1 · Earnest 38
A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 12 · Dark 23
A split, not a type: Grounded 23 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 5
Gentle 4 · Charged 21 · Intense 18
Steady 13 · Shifting 25 · Whiplash 5
A split, not a type: Straight-faced 29 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 5
Slow burn 18 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 0
Casual 13 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 2
Easy watch 11 · Affecting 21 · Heavy 11
Resolved 28 · Open-ended 13 · Ambiguous 2
Moods and endings
- Happy15
- Bittersweet15
- Tragic6
- Ambiguous7
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 Burnett Guffey's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 21 of their 47 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).
- In a Lonely Place (1950) · cinematographer · free
- Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) · cinematographer · free
- King Rat (1965) · cinematographer · free
- All the King's Men (1949) · cinematographer · free
- You Only Live Once (1937) · assistant camera · free
- How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967) · cinematographer · free
- The Iron Horse (1924) · additional photography · free
- The Reckless Moment (1949) · cinematographer · free
- Hell to Eternity (1960) · cinematographer · free
- Homicidal (1961) · cinematographer · free
- Good Neighbor Sam (1964) · cinematographer · free
- Gidget (1959) · cinematographer · free
- +4 more
Subscription and free streaming for Burnett Guffey'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
90 credits, 47 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
The Steagle(1971)
Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
The Great White Hope(1970)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films
Halls of Anger(1970)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
The Madwoman of Chaillot(1969)
Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Some Kind of a Nut(1969)
Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films
The Learning Tree(1969)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Where It's At (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Split(1968)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
The Ambushers(1967)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Bonnie and Clyde(1967)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Silencers(1966)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
King Rat(1965)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films
Good Neighbor Sam(1964)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Flight from Ashiya(1964)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Kid Galahad(1962)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Birdman of Alcatraz(1962)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Mr. Sardonicus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Homicidal(1961)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
Cry for Happy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Hell to Eternity(1960)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The Mountain Road (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Edge of Eternity(1959)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
They Came to Cordura(1959)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Gidget(1959)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Dogface (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)
Me and the Colonel(1958)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Screaming Mimi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
The True Story of Lynn Stuart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)
Decision at Sundown(1957)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films
The Brothers Rico (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
The Strange One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Not One Shall Die (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)
Nightfall(1956)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Storm Center (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Harder They Fall(1956)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
Battle Stations (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
Three Stripes in the Sun(1955)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Count Three and Pray(1955)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Tight Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Violent Men(1955)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Private Hell 36 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
Human Desire(1954)
Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
The Bamboo Prison (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
From Here to Eternity(1953)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
The Last Posse(1953)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Assignment: Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
The Sniper(1952)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Scandal Sheet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)
The Family Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)
Two of a Kind(1951)
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Sirocco(1951)
Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Emergency Wedding (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
Convicted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
In a Lonely Place(1950)
Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Father Is a Bachelor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)
The Reckless Moment(1949)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
And Baby Makes Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)
All the King's Men(1949)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Undercover Man(1949)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Knock on Any Door(1949)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
The Gallant Blade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
The Sign of the Ram (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
To the Ends of the Earth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)
Framed(1947)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Johnny O'Clock (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)
So Dark the Night(1946)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Gallant Journey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Night Editor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
A Bird in the Head (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
The Notorious Lone Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Meet Me on Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
My Name Is Julia Ross(1945)
Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films
Blonde from Brooklyn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Eve Knew Her Apples (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
I Love a Mystery (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Eadie Was a Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Tahiti Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Kansas City Kitty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
The Soul of a Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
Sailor's Holiday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)
You Only Live Once(1937)
Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films
The Informer(1935)
Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
The Conquerors (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)
Love Over Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)
The Yankee Clipper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)
The Iron Horse(1924)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Courtship of Miles Standish (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)
Career shape
A full career of 90 titles from 1923 to 1971.
Biggest box office
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Highest rated
In a Lonely Place (1950)
Most popular right now
The Harder They Fall (1956)
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 Burnett Guffey's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 47; across their 43 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up21
- 50th to 74th14
- 25th to 49th7
- Below 25th5
Shape of the crowd
30 of their 47 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved6
- Crowd Pleaser30
- Broadly Agreed3
- Mixed8
Reviewers score the cinematography 69/100 in their films, across 39 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 55. 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 Burnett Guffey's work okay for kids?
Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.
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 Burnett Guffey work with?
People who share at least 2 of Burnett Guffey's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Duning shares the most, 8.
Directors
- Phil KarlsonShared titles: The Silencers (1966), Kid Galahad (1962), Hell to Eternity (1960)See all 3 shared titles with Phil Karlson
- Joseph H. LewisShared titles: The Undercover Man (1949), So Dark the Night (1946), My Name Is Julia Ross (1945)See all 3 shared titles with Joseph H. Lewis
- Robert RossenShared titles: They Came to Cordura (1959), All the King's Men (1949), The Undercover Man (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Robert Rossen
- Bryan ForbesShared titles: The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), King Rat (1965)See all 2 shared titles with Bryan Forbes
Writers
- Donald HamiltonShared titles: The Ambushers (1967), The Silencers (1966), The Violent Men (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Donald Hamilton
- Daniel TaradashShared titles: From Here to Eternity (1953), Knock on Any Door (1949)See all 2 shared titles with Daniel Taradash
Actors
- Humphrey BogartShared titles: The Harder They Fall (1956), Sirocco (1951), In a Lonely Place (1950), Knock on Any Door (1949)See all 4 shared titles with Humphrey Bogart
- Glenn FordShared titles: The Violent Men (1955), Human Desire (1954), The Undercover Man (1949), Framed (1947)See all 4 shared titles with Glenn Ford
- Arthur O'ConnellShared titles: Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970), The Silencers (1966), Gidget (1959)See all 3 shared titles with Arthur O'Connell
- Brian KeithShared titles: Suppose They Gave a War and Nobody Came (1970), Nightfall (1956), The Violent Men (1955)See all 3 shared titles with Brian Keith
Composers and editors
- George DuningShared titles: Let No Man Write My Epitaph (1960), Me and the Colonel (1958), Nightfall (1956), Count Three and Pray (1955), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955), From Here to Eternity (1953), Two of a Kind (1951), The Undercover Man (1949)See all 8 shared titles with George Duning
- William A. LyonShared titles: Gidget (1959), They Came to Cordura (1959), Me and the Colonel (1958), Nightfall (1956), Count Three and Pray (1955), From Here to Eternity (1953)See all 6 shared titles with William A. Lyon
- Charles NelsonShared titles: The Silencers (1966), Good Neighbor Sam (1964), Me and the Colonel (1958), Three Stripes in the Sun (1955), Two of a Kind (1951)See all 5 shared titles with Charles Nelson
- Jerome ThomsShared titles: Edge of Eternity (1959), The Harder They Fall (1956), The Violent Men (1955), So Dark the Night (1946)See all 4 shared titles with Jerome Thoms
Producers
- Lewis J. RachmilShared titles: Gidget (1959), The Violent Men (1955), Human Desire (1954), From Here to Eternity (1953)See all 4 shared titles with Lewis J. Rachmil
- Walter MirischShared titles: Halls of Anger (1970), Some Kind of a Nut (1969), Kid Galahad (1962)See all 3 shared titles with Walter Mirisch
- Ted RichmondShared titles: Nightfall (1956), Count Three and Pray (1955), So Dark the Night (1946)See all 3 shared titles with Ted Richmond
- Robert LordShared titles: Sirocco (1951), In a Lonely Place (1950), Knock on Any Door (1949)See all 3 shared titles with Robert Lord