Cinematographer Boris Kaufman (1906-1980) is best remembered for his black-and-white films shot in neo-realistic style in tightly controlled situations, although he could also be exquisitely expressive in his use of color. Born in Bialystok, Poland, Kaufman was the brother of noted director/film theoritician Dziga Vertov and cameraman/documentarian Mikhail Kaufman. Boris Kaufman emigrated to France in 1927 and shot all four of director Jean Vigo's films before continuing on to America in 1942.

After working on U.S. propaganda documentaries, Kaufman made a spectacular Hollywood feature-film debut with Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954), for which his gritty black-and-white cinematography won him an Academy Award. He worked with Kazan again on Baby Doll (1956), for which he was once again Oscar®-nominated; and, in one of Kaufman's ventures into color and a wider canvas, Splendor in the Grass (1961).

Kaufman collaborated frequently with director Sidney Lumet, beginning with the courtroom drama 12 Angry Men (1957) and continuing through other such visually powerful black-and-white dramas as The Fugitive Kind (1959), Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962) and The Pawnbroker (1964). Turning again to color, Kaufman created a richly evocative valentine to New York City in George Roy Hill's The World of Henry Orient (1964). His final film was Otto Preminger's Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon (1970), starring Liza Minnelli.

The films in TCM's salute to Boris Kaufman are 12 Angry Men (1957), Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), Baby Doll (1956) and The World of Henry Orient (1964).

by Roger Fristoe