Michael Ballhaus (1935-2017)

Birthplace:
Berlin, Germany

Born:
August 5, 1935

Died:
April 11, 2017

Michael Ballhaus, A.S.C. (August 5, 1935 – April 12, 2017) was a German cinematographer who collaborated with directors such as Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Martin Scorsese, Mike Nichols, James L. Brooks, and Wolfgang Petersen. He was a member of both the Academy of Arts, Berlin, and the American Society of Cinematographers.

Additional information:

The Search Form


Additional Photography:
1981  Lili Marleen

Cinematography:
1971  Sand
1981  Lili Marleen

Director:
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1981  Lili Marleen
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin

Director of Photography:
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2013  3096 Days

Editor:
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2013  3096 Days

Executive Producer:
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  The Thirteenth Floor
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2013  3096 Days

Producer:
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  The Thirteenth Floor
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2013  3096 Days

Still Photographer:
1955  Lola Montès
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  The Thirteenth Floor
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2013  3096 Days

Thanks:
1955  Lola Montès
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  The Thirteenth Floor
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2010  Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire: Looking Ahead to Today
2013  3096 Days

Writer:
1955  Lola Montès
1961  Die Kassette
1961  Dreamland of Desire
1966  Abschied
1968  Gold für Montevasall
1969  Der Kidnapper
1969  Several Times Daily
1969  Your Caresses
1970  We Two
1971  Beware of a Holy Whore
1971  Fassbinder Produces: Film No. 8
1971  Sand
1971  Whity
1972  Adele Spitzeder
1972  Der Held
1972  The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant
1972  Tödlicher Poker
1973  The Sinful Bed
1974  From the Family of Reptiles
1974  Made in Germany and USA
1974  Martha
1974  The Island
1975  Cold Blood
1975  Fox and His Friends
1975  Mother Küsters Goes to Heaven
1976  Chetan, Indian Boy
1976  Dorothea Merz
1976  I Only Want You to Love Me
1976  Satan’s Brew
1976  Summer Guests
1977  Adolf and Marlene
1977  Auf dem Chimborazo
1977  Chinese Roulette
1977  Curd Jürgens - Der Filmstar, der vom Theater kam
1977  Portrait of Valeska Gert
1977  The Stationmaster’s Wife
1977  Women in New York
1978  Der Gehilfe
1978  Despair
1978  Germany in Autumn
1978  Venedig - Die Insel der Glückseligen am Rande des Untergangs
1979  Bourbon Street Blues
1979  Die erste Polka
1979  The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979  Trilogie des Wiedersehens
1980  Big and Little
1980  The Uprising
1981  Lili Marleen
1981  Looping
1981  Malou
1981  Today We're Playing Boss
1982  Dear Mr. Wonderful
1982  Der Auslöser
1982  The Magic Mountain
1983  Baby It's You
1983  Edith's Diary
1983  Sheer Madness
1984  Heartbreakers
1984  Old Enough
1984  Reckless
1984  The Autograph
1985  After Hours
1985  Death of a Salesman
1986  The Color of Money
1986  Under the Cherry Moon
1987  Broadcast News
1987  The Glass Menagerie
1988  Baja Oklahoma
1988  Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
1988  The House on Carroll Street
1988  The Last Temptation of Christ
1988  Working Girl
1989  The Fabulous Baker Boys
1990  GoodFellas
1990  Madonna: The Immaculate Collection
1990  Postcards from the Edge
1991  Guilty by Suspicion
1991  What About Bob?
1992  Bram Stoker's Dracula
1992  The Mambo Kings
1993  The Age of Innocence
1994  I'll Do Anything
1994  Quiz Show
1995  Outbreak
1996  Sleepers
1997  Air Force One
1998  Primary Colors
1999  The Thirteenth Floor
1999  Wild Wild West
2000  Gone Underground
2000  The Legend of Bagger Vance
2000  What Planet Are You From?
2002  Gangs of New York
2003  Something's Gotta Give
2003  Uptown Girls
2006  The Departed
2009  In Berlin
2009  Max Raabe: Heute Nacht Oder Nie - Live in Berlin
2010  Rainer Werner Fassbinder's World on a Wire: Looking Ahead to Today
2013  3096 Days

Director of Photography:
1973  World on a Wire
1976  Die Alpensaga
1984  The Magic Mountain

About the Movie Section

Most data and links to images for the Movies section come from TheMovieDB (TMDB).

Additional data for Film Titles come from The Open Movie Database (OMDb).

At least one plug-in comes from IMDb.

Data are -- hey, it's a plural -- subject to the limitations of their sources. (For example, TMDB search results currently max out at 20.) I am limiting myself to free data sources for now. (No, a "free trial" is not free.)

While much of the above data are retrieved directly from outside APIs and other such sources, data from American Film Institute (AFI) and British Film Institute (BFI) were manually entered the old fashioned way into a MySQL database. Re BFI I took the following liberties:

  • I added "runners up" to Top 10 lists, treating them as ties where applicable and numbering them accordingly at the bottom of each list.
  • Regarding those polls wherein "franchise" movies were submitted as one project until BFI's policy changed to regard them separately, I treated them as ties and renumbered the affected lists accordingly (e.g. the Godfather films).

Regarding profile removals and data corrections:

  • If you would like your profile removed from this site, please contact the source of this data directly, TheMovieDB. My assumption is: once it's gone from their site, it should soon be gone from this site.
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  • For additional corrections and profile removals, please e-mail The Open Movie Database (OMDb).

Filtering is applied here to film projects flagged as "adult" by TheMovieDB. Pending "popular demand" I am contemplating a login and profile system with preferences (such as whether to allow adult images to appear) and permissions (such as data entry).

Whereas the overall purpose of this website is to serve as a personal demo/portfolio/workshop of web and data skills, this Movies section is not meant to compete with or substitute for far more definitive movie websites.

Whether or not he still clings to an award which he won in 1986 as a film critic for his college's newspaper, Jeffrey Hartmann is not responsible for the texts of overviews and biographies supplied by external data sources.