Eugene Emmanuel Polito (September 13, 1918 – November 28, 2010) was an American cinematographer,^[1] mechanical engineer and academic. His numerous film and television credits included Futureworld, Up in Smoke and Lost in Space.^[1]

Biography

Polito was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1918, the son of cinematographer Sol Polito and his wife, Frances Polito.^[2] Polito was just eight months old when his family moved to Los Angeles in 1919 so his father, Sol Polito, could continue working at Warner Brothers Studios.^[2]

Polito graduated from Loyola High School in Los Angeles.^[2] He attended Loyola University (now Loyola Marymount University), before earning his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California.^[2] Polito was employed as an engineer for aerospace manufacturer, Douglas Aircraft Company, during World War II.^[2]

Polito began his career as a cinematographer towards the end of World War II.^[2] His career ultimately spanned more than forty years and included hundreds of film and television productions.^[2] A member of the American Society of Cinematographers, Polito is credited with the invention of the "Polito Bracket," which film studio photographers now use as a mounting accessory for Reflectors and Bead Board.^[2] Polito became a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts when he was 62 years old.^[2]

Death

Polito died at his home in Irvine, California, on November 28, 2010, aged 92, following a three-year battle with esophageal cancer.^[2] He was survived by his wife, Lucy, to whom he had been married for 66 years, as well as nine children, a brother and nine great-grandchildren.^[2]