Kenneth Arthur Kelsch (July 8, 1947 – December 11, 2023) was an American cinematographer, teacher, and Vietnam veteran. He was best known for his guerilla filmmaking style and his career-spanning partnership with cult genre director Abel Ferrara, with whom he made more than 15 films.
Ken Kelsch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Kennth Arthur Kelsch July 8, 1947 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | December 11, 2023 (aged 76) Hackettstown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Montclair State College New York University |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1972–2019 |
| Organization | American Society of Cinematographers |
| Known for | Bad Lieutenant, Big Night, The Driller Killer, The Funeral |
| Children | 3 |
| Military career | |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Unit | United States Army Special Forces |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
His films include The Driller Killer (1979), Bad Lieutenant (1992), Dangerous Game (1993), Big Night (1996) and a Rear Window (1998) remake starring a paralyzed Christopher Reeve. On television, he was the director of photography on two seasons of Medium, several TV movies and, with Ferrara, one segment of the anthology series Subway Stories (1997).
In 1996, he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography for his work on The Funeral (1996).
Early life edit
Kenneth Arthur Kelsch was born in Brooklyn on July 8, 1947, and grew up in East Newark and North Arlington, New Jersey.[1] His mother was born in Scotland and his father was born in the Alsace region of France.[2] He was raised Catholic. He took an early interest in photography: he had his own darkroom at 12 years old and his father showed him how to develop black and white photographs. While still in high school, his father died while Kelsch had been attending his first week of seminary and his mother was two weeks pregnant.[3]
He studied photography at Montclair State College and New York University's Film & Television program.[4]
Military life edit
Kelsch attended Rutgers University for a year and enlisted in the army in 1966. As a Green Beret, he was the executive officer of an A-team during the Vietnam War and participated in SLAM (Search, Locate, Annihilate, and Monitor) operations in Laos[2] and CIA led cross-border operations in Cambodia.[4][5]
Film career edit
Upon returning to the States, Kelsch attended Montclair State University and worked for Johnson & Johnson making gaffer tape. He attended film school at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, graduating with an M.F.A. in 1977.[6][1] His cinematography professor was Czech filmmaker Beda Batka.
Actors he filmed include Danny Aiello, Asia Argento, Patricia Arquette, Seymour Cassel, Willem Dafoe, Benicio Del Toro, Drea de Matteo, Gérard Depardieu, Minnie Driver, Edie Falco, Danny Glover, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, Harvey Keitel, Madonna, Vincent Pastore, Chris Penn, Ron Perlman, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Isabella Rosellini, Kyra Sedgwick, Paul Sorvino, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor, Stanley Tucci, Christopher Walken, Sam Waterston and James Woods among others.
Kelsch taught cinematography at Montclair State University, Hofstra and Five Towns College in Long Island.[7]
Personal life and death edit
Kelsch had four children, one of whom died before him.[1] His second wife was his assistant at NYU. On December 11, 2023, he died of COVID-19 and pneumonia at a hospital in Hackettstown, New Jersey, at the age of 76.[2][7]
Filmography edit
Feature films edit
| Year | Title | DP | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Last House on the Left | No | Gaffer | [3] |
| 1979 | Don't Go in the House | No | Actor | |
| 1979 | The Driller Killer | Yes | [2] | |
| 1986 | Spookies | Yes | ||
| 1992 | Bad Lieutenant | Yes | [2] | |
| 1993 | Dangerous Game | Yes | ||
| 1994 | Assault at West Point: The Court-Martial of Johnson Whittaker | Yes | TV movie | |
| Drop Squad | Yes | |||
| 1995 | The Addiction | Yes | ||
| Condition Red | Yes | |||
| Killer: A Journal of Murder | Yes | |||
| 1996 | Big Night | Yes | ||
| The Funeral | Yes | |||
| 1997 | The Blackout | Yes | [2] | |
| Every 9 Seconds | Yes | |||
| 1998 | Montana | Yes | ||
| New Rose Hotel | Yes | [2] | ||
| A Brooklyn State of Mind | Yes | |||
| The Impostors | Yes | |||
| New Rose Hotel | Yes | |||
| Susan's Plan | Yes | |||
| Rear Window | Yes | TV Movie | ||
| 2000 | It Had to Be You | Yes | ||
| Private Lies | Yes | |||
| 2001 | 'R Xmas | Yes | [2] | |
| 2003 | Testosterone | Yes | ||
| Happy End | Yes | |||
| 2005 | Missing in America | Yes | ||
| Before It Had a Name | Yes | |||
| 2008 | Chelsea on the Rocks | Yes | [2] | |
| 100 Feet | Yes | Actor | ||
| Return to Sleepaway Camp | Yes | |||
| 2009 | Desert Flower | Yes | ||
| 2013 | House of Last Things | Yes | ||
| 2011 | 4:44 Last Day on Earth | Yes | [2] | |
| 2014 | Welcome to New York | Yes | [2] | |
| 2016 | The Brooklyn Banker | Yes | ||
| 2019 | The Projectionist | Yes | Doc |
Television edit
| Year | Title | DP | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground | Yes | Segment "Love on the A Train" | |
| 1999 | Now and Again | Yes | ||
| 2000 | The $treet | Yes | ||
| 2002 | Hack | Yes | ||
| 2005-2006 | Medium | Yes |
Music videos
| Year | Title | DP | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | California by Mylène Farmer | Yes | [8] |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Obituary of Kenneth A. Kelsch". Norman Dean Home for Services. Archived from the original on December 20, 2023. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnes, Mike (December 13, 2023). "Ken Kelsch, Cinematographer on 'Bad Lieutenant,' Dies at 76". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Louison, Evan (May 22, 2019). ""Filmmaking is Like Combat — 90% Boredom, 5% Panic and 5% Terror": Ken Kelsch on Four Decades as a Cinematographer". Filmmaker Magazine. Archived from the original on May 26, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Williams, David E. (December 14, 2023). "In Memoriam: Ken Kelsch, ASC (1947-2023) - The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US)". theasc.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
- ^ Carannante, Tom (July 23, 2013). "Ken Kelsch: Director of Photography". Ferro Productions. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
- ^ Mutter, Zoe (April 7, 2021). "Ken Kelsch ASC and Abel Ferrara: a lifelong collaboration". British Cinematographer. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ a b Fuster, Jeremy (December 13, 2023). "Ken Kelsch, 'Bad Lieutenant' Cinematographer, Dies at 76". TheWrap. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ McCrae, Scooter (Summer 2001). "FEST CIRCUIT". Filmmaker Magazine. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
