Bite Size Oscar History: Best Cinematography at the Oscars
For the next four weeks, we’ll shine a light on past winners for Best Cinematography, Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
The 98th Academy Awards is almost here and it’s time to celebrate. For the next four weeks, we’ll shine a light on past winners for Best Cinematography, Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
First up is Best Cinematography. For several years, 1939-1966, this category was divided into black-and-white and color pictures. In 1967, the year that they became one again, Burnett Guffey (In a Lonely Place, From Here to Eternity) took home the gold statuette for Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway starrer Bonnie and Clyde. Directed by Arthur Penn (The Miracle Worker, Little Big Man), the ultra-violent film scored ten nominations and had two wins, Best Cinematography and Best Supporting Actress for Estelle Parsons as shrewish Blanche Barrow. The R-rated flick was a box office smash, accumulating over $50 million at the domestic box office that year.
Join us here at Script as we celebrate the magic of the movies weekly until the Oscars airs on March 15, 2026.
Sonya Alexander started off her career training to be a talent agent. She eventually realized she was meant to be on the creative end and has been writing ever since. As a freelance writer she’s written screenplays, covered film, television, music and video games and done academic writing. She’s also been a script reader for over twenty years. She's a member of the African American Film Critics Association and currently resides in Los Angeles.
