Born: 2 July 1898, Brooklyn, N.Y., USA, as George Joseph Folsey.

Died: 1 November 1988, Santa Monica, Calif., USA.

Career: Entered the film industry in 1913 as an office boy at the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in New York City. Around 1914 he was offered the position of c.asst working with H. Lyman Broening. At the age of 19, he became 2nd cameraman [shooting a second  negative for overseas release]. When the first doph left, dir Kenneth Webb asked him to finish shooting 'Her Bridal Night', starring Alice Brady. Brady was satisfied and offered him a contract to photograph her future pictures. Became contract doph for Associated First National and worked in their East and West Coast studios. From 1929-32 he ph several films in the Paramount Astoria Studios in Long Island. Joined MGM in Hollywood.

Was member of the ASC since 1927. Was president of the ASC in 1956-57. His son George Jr. [1939-] is a film editor & producer.

Appeared in the doc's 'You Can't Fool a Camera' [1941; 11m; ph: Jackson Rose], 'Hollywood [: A Celebration of the American Silent Film]' [1980, Kevin Brownlow & David Gill; 13-part tv-series] & 'The Marx Brothers In a Nutshell' [1982, Richard Patterson].

Awards: 'Oscar' AA nom [1932-33] for 'Reunion in Vienna'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1934] for 'Operator 13'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1936] for 'The Gorgeous Hussy'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1943; color] for 'Thousands Cheer'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1944; b&w] for 'The White Cliffs of Dover'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1944; color] for 'Meet Me in St. Louis'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1946; b&w] for 'The Green Years'; ; 'Oscar' AA nom [1947; b&w] for 'Green Dolphin Street'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1952; color] for 'Million Dollar Mermaid'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1953; color] for 'All the Brothers Were Valiant'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1954; b&w] for 'Executive Suite'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1954; color] for 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'; 'George' Award [1957] for 'The Letter'; 'Oscar' AA nom [1963; b&w] for 'The Balcony'; 'Emmy' Award [1968-69] for 'Here's Peggy Fleming'; ASC Lifetime Achievement Award [1988].

Folsey had a career that was a model example of the class-A craftsman who stuck to one studio. Unfortunately the studio was MGM, a place never known for adventurous photography. Nevertheless, he did succeed more often than most (in collaboration with, e.g. Borzage and Minnelli) to achieve a satisfying divergence from the toneless norm. [Markku Salmi in 'Film Dope', #16, February 1979.]

1919        Her Bridal Night [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 5 reels; cph: Jacques Montéran; prod Select Pictures Corporation; started as

                    c.asst, but took over from J. Montéran, who was called to France on business

1919        The Fear Market [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 5 reels; prod Realart Pictures Corporation (RPC)

1920        Sinners [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1920        The Stolen Kiss [Kenneth Webb] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1920        The Frisky Mrs. Johnson [Edward Dillon] b&w; 5 reels; prod Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (FPLC)

1920        The Education of Elizabeth [Edward Dillon] b&w; 5 reels; prod FPLC

1921        The Price of Possession [Hugh Ford] b&w; 5 reels; prod Famous Players-Lasky British Producers

1921        Sheltered Daughters [Edward Dillon] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1921        A Heart to Let [Edward Dillon] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1921        Room and Board [Alan Crosland] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1921        The Case of Becky [Chester M. Franklin] b&w; 6 reels; prod RPC

1922        Nancy From Nowhere [Chester M. Franklin] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1922        A Game Chicken [Chester M. Franklin] b&w; 5 reels; prod RPC

1922        Slim Shoulders [Alan Crosland] b&w; 6 reels; prod Tilford Cinema Studios

1922        What's Wrong with the Women? [Roy William Neill] b&w; prod Daniel Carson Goodman Corporation

1922        M.A.R.S./The Man From Mars [Roy William Neill] Teleview/b&w; prod ?

1922        Radio-Mania [Roy William Neill] Teleview/b&w; re-edited version of 'M.A.R.S.'; prod ?

1923        The Bright Shawl [John S. Robertson] b&w; prod Inspiration Pictures (IP); made in Cuba

1923        The Fighting Blade [John S. Robertson] b&w; prod IP

1923        Twenty-One [John S. Robertson] b&w; prod IP

1924        The Enchanted Cottage [John S. Robertson] b&w; prod IP

1924        Born Rich [William Nigh] b&w; prod Garrick Pictures

1925        The Necessary Evil [George Archainbaud] b&w; prod First National Pictures, Inc. (FN)

1925        The Half-Way Girl [John Francis Dillon] b&w; prod FN

1925        Scarlet Saint [George Archainbaud] b&w; prod FN

1926        Too Much Money [John Francis Dillon] b&w; prod FN

1926        The Savage [Fred Newmeyer] b&w; prod FN

1926        Ladies at Play/Loose Ankles [Alfred E. Green] b&w; prod FN

1927        Orchids and Ermine [Alfred Santell] b&w; prod John McCormick Prods (JMP)

1927        See You In Jail [Joseph Henabery] b&w; 6 reels; prod Ray Rockett Prods

1927        Naughty But Nice [Millard Webb] b&w; prod JMP

1927        American Beauty/The Beautiful Fraud [Richard Wallace] b&w; prod FN

1927        No Place to Go/Her Primitive Mate [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w; prod Henry Hobart Prods

1927        Her Wild Oat [Marshall Neilan] b&w; prod FN

1928        Lady Be Good [Richard Wallace] b&w; prod FN

1928        The Butter and Egg Man/Actress and Angel [Richard Wallace] b&w; prod FN

1928        The Hole in the Wall [Robert Florey] b&w

1929        Pusher-in-the-Face [Robert Florey] b&w; 3 reels; prod Paramount Pictures

1929        The Letter [Jean de Limur] b&w; 6 reels; prod Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation (PFLC); silent & sound versions

1929        Gentlemen of the Press [Millard Webb] b&w

1929        The Cocoanuts [Robert Florey & (song & dance numbers) Joseph Santley] b&w

1929        Night Club [Robert Florey] b&w; 3 reels; prod Paramount Pictures

1929        Applause/Every Day Is Sunday [Rouben Mamoulian] b&w; prod PFLC; silent & sound versions

1929        The Battle of Paris/The Gay Lady [Robert Florey] b&w

1929        Glorifying the American Girl/Glorifying the Show Girl [Millard Webb & (revue dir) John W. Harkrider] b&w with

                    color seq; prod PFLC; silent & sound versions

1929        The Laughing Lady [Victor Schertzinger] b&w; prod PFLC; silent & sound versions

1930        The Big Pond [Hobart Henley] b&w

1930        La grande mare [Hobart Henley] b&w; French version of 'The Big Pond'

1930        Animal Crackers [Victor Heerman] b&w

1930        Dangerous Nan McGrew [Malcolm St. Clair] b&w

1930        Laughter [Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast] b&w

1930        The Royal Family of Broadway/Theatre Royal [George Cukor & Cyril Gardner] b&w

1930        Stolen Heaven [George Abbott] b&w

1930        Honor Among Lovers [Dorothy Arzner] b&w

1931        The Smiling Lieutenant [Ernst Lubitsch] b&w

1931        Secrets of a Secretary [George Abbott] b&w

1931        My Sin [George Abbott] b&w

1931        The Cheat [George Abbott] b&w

1932        The Wiser Sex [Berthold Viertel] b&w; uncred cph: Joseph Ruttenberg

1932        The Misleading Lady [Stuart Walker] b&w; filmed at the Paramount Studio in Astoria, Long Island; studio was closed

                    after this film was finished

1932        The Big Broadcast [Frank Tuttle] b&w

1932        The Animal Kingdom/A Woman in His House [Edward H. Griffith & (uncred add scenes) George Cukor] b&w; ph add

                    scenes: Henry Gerrard

1932        Men Must Fight [Edgar Selwyn] b&w

1933        Reunion in Vienna [Sidney Franklin] b&w

1933        Storm at Daybreak [Richard Boleslawski] b&w

1933        Stage Mother [Charles Brabin] b&w

1933        Going Hollywood/Cinderella's Fella [Raoul Walsh] b&w

1933        Men in White [Richard Boleslawski] b&w

1934        Operator 13/Spy 13 [Richard Boleslawski] b&w

1934        Chained [Clarence Brown] b&w

1934        Forsaking All Others [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w; cph: Gregg Toland

1934        Reckless [Victor Fleming] b&w

1935        Age of Indiscretion [Edward Ludwig] b&w; uncred cph; ph: Ernest Haller

1935        Page Miss Glory [Mervyn LeRoy] b&w

1935        I Live My Life [W.S. Van Dyke] b&w; uncred cph: William Daniels

1935        Kind Lady/House of Menace [George B. Seitz] b&w

1936        Hearts Divided [Frank Borzage] b&w

1936        The Great Ziegfeld [Robert Z. Leonard] b&w; cph Ziegfeld Roof numbers; ph: Oliver T. Marsh

1936        The Gorgeous Hussy [Clarence Brown] b&w

1936        Parnell [John M. Stahl] b&w; uncred cph; ph Karl Freund (replaced GF)

1936        The Last of Mrs. Cheyney [Richard Boleslawski; (uncred) Dorothy Arzner & George Fitzmaurice] b&w

1937        The Bride Wore Red [Dorothy Arzner] b&w

1937        Mannequin [Frank Borzage] b&w

1937        Arsène Lupin Returns [George Fitzmaurice] b&w

1938        Marie Antoinette [W.S. Van Dyke II (replaced Sidney Franklin)] b&w (sepia); co-uncred cph; ph: William Daniels

1938        Hold That Kiss [Edwin L. Marin] b&w

1938        The Shining Hour [Frank Borzage] b&w

1938        Fast and Loose [Edwin L. Marin] b&w

1939        Society Lawyer [Edwin L. Marin] b&w

1939        Lady of the Tropics [Jack Conway] b&w; uncred cph: Norbert Brodine

1939        Fast and Furious [Busby Berkeley] b&w; uncred cph; ph: Ray June

1939        Remember? [Norman Z. McLeod] b&w; uncred cph: Ray June

1940        Two Girls on Broadway/Choose Your Partner [S. Sylvan Simon] b&w

1940        Third Finger, Left Hand [Robert Z. Leonard] b&w

1940        Gallant Sons [George B. Seitz] b&w; uncred cph (replaced SW, who fell ill); ph: Sidney Wagner (SW)

1940        Come Live with Me [Clarence Brown] b&w; cph: Charles Lawton Jr.

1940        Free and Easy [George Sidney & (uncred retakes) Edward Buzzell] b&w; 56m; cph: Charles Lawton Jr.

1940        The Trial of Mary Dugan [Norman Z. McLeod] b&w

1941        Rage in Heaven [W.S. Van Dyke II (replaced Robert B. Sinclair, who fell ill) & (uncred retakes) Richard Thorpe] b&w;

                    uncred cph; ph: Oliver T. Marsh

1941        Lady Be Good [Norman Z. McLeod (replaced Busby Berkeley, who was 'demoted' to dance dir)] b&w; cph: Oliver T. Marsh

1941        Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day/Mary Names the Day [Harold S. Bucquet] b&w; 8th film in 15-part 'Dr. Kildare/Dr.

                    Gillespie'-series (MGM, 1938-47)

1941        Married Bachelor [Edward Buzzell & (uncred) Norman Taurog] b&w

1941        Panama Hattie [Norman Z. McLeod] b&w; uncred cph: Sidney Wagner; filmed July-October 1941 & April-May 1942 (add

                    scenes & retakes dir by Roy Del Ruth & Vincente Minnelli)

1941        Rio Rita [S. Sylvan Simon] b&w

1942        Grand Central Murder [S. Sylvan Simon] b&w

1942        Seven Sweethearts/Tulip Time [Frank Borzage] b&w

1942        Andy Hardy's Double Life [George B. Seitz] b&w; cph: John Mescall; 13th film in 16-part 'Andy Hardy'-series (MGM,

                    1937-46 & 1958)

1942        Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant [Willis Goldbeck] b&w; 11th film in 'Dr. Kildare/Dr. Gillespie'-series (MGM, 1938-47)

1942        Three Hearts for Julia [Richard Thorpe] b&w

1942        Thousands Cheer [George Sidney] c

1943        A Guy Named Joe [Victor Fleming] b&w; cph: Karl Freund

1943        The White Cliffs of Dover [Clarence Brown] b&w

1943        Meet Me in St. Louis [Vincente Minnelli] c; ph 'The Trolley Song' seq: Harold Rosson

1944        Ziegfeld Follies [of 1944 (preview, 1944)] [of 1946 (road show premiere, 1945)] [Vincente Minnelli (replaced George

                    Sidney) & (uncred) Roy Del Ruth & Norman Taurog (add scenes & retakes, 1945)] c; cph: Charles Rosher (finale

                    'There's Beauty Everywhere'), Ray June & Sidney Wagner; puppet seq ph: William Ferrari; filmed March-August 1944 &

                    January 1945

1944        The Clock/Under the Clock [Vincente Minnelli (replaced Fred Zinnemann who started the film in August)] b&w;

                    background shooting New York: Harold Lipstein

1945        The Harvey Girls [George Sidney] c

1945        The Green Years [Victor Saville] b&w

1945        Till the Clouds Roll By [Richard Whorf (dram seq; replaced Henry Koster, who replaced Busby Berkeley), Robert Alton

                    (mus numbers), Vincente Minnelli (uncred Judy Garland numbers - October-November 1945) & George Sidney (uncred

                    finale)] c; cph: Harry Stradling Sr. (scenes dir by R. Whorf - March-May 1946)

1946        The Secret Heart [Robert Z. Leonard] b&w

1946        Green Dolphin Street [Victor Saville] b&w

1947        If Winter Comes [Victor Saville] b&w

1947        State of the Union/The World and His Wife [Frank Capra] b&w; sfx ph: A. Arnold Gillespie

1948        Take Me Out to the Ball Game/Everybody's Cheering [Busby Berkeley; mus numbers dir by Gene Kelly & Stanley

                    Donen)] c

1948        The Great Sinner [Robert Siodmak] b&w

1949        Malaya/East of the Rising Sun [Richard Thorpe] b&w

1949        Adam's Rib [George Cukor] b&w; sfx ph: A. Arnold Gillespie

1949        The Big Hangover [Norman Krasna] b&w

1950        A Life of Her Own [George Cukor] b&w; 150m & 108m

1950        Vengeance Valley [Richard Thorpe] c

1950        Mr. Imperium/You Belong to My Heart [Don Hartman] c; add mus seq shot in January 1951

1950        Night Into Morning [Fletcher Markle] b&w

1951        The Law and the Lady [Edwin Knopf] b&w

1951        Shadow in the Sky [Fred M. Wilcox] b&w

1951        The Man with a Cloak [Fletcher Markle] b&w

1951        Lovely to Look At [Mervyn LeRoy & (uncred fashion show seq) Vincente Minnelli] c

1952        Million Dollar Mermaid/The One Piece Bathing Suit [Mervyn LeRoy] c

1952        The Band Wagon [Vincente Minnelli] c; started the film, but was blamed for delays and replaced by Harry Jackson

1953        All the Brothers Were Valiant [Richard Thorpe] c

1953        Tennessee Champ [Fred M. Wilcox] c

1953        Executive Suite [Robert Wise] b&w

1953        Men of the Fighting Lady/Panther Squadron [Andrew Marton] c

1953        Seven Brides for Seven Brothers [Stanley Donen] cs & 70bu/c

1954        Deep in My Heart [Stanley Donen] c

1954        Hit the Deck [Roy Rowland] cs/c

1954        The Cobweb [Vincente Minnelli] cs/c

1955        Forbidden Planet [Fred M. Wilcox] cs/c

1955        The Battle of Gettysburg [Herman Hoffman] cs/c; doc/30m

1956        The Fastest Gun Alive [Russell Rouse] b&w

1956        These Wilder Years [Roy Rowland] b&w

1956        The Power and the Prize [Henry Koster] cs/b&w

1957        The Seventh Sin [Ronald Neame & (uncred; finished film) Vincente Minnelli] started film, but fell ill; replaced by Ray June

1956        House of Numbers [Russell Rouse] cs/b&w

1957        Tip on a Dead Jockey/Time for Action [Richard Thorpe] cs/b&w

1957        Saddle the Wind [Robert Parrish & (uncred) John Sturges] cs/c

1957        The High Cost of Loving [José Ferrer] cs/b&w

1958        Imitation General [George Marshall] cs/b&w

1958        Torpedo Run [Joseph Pevney] c; presented as a CinemaScope prod, but shot with Panavision lenses

1958        Count Your Blessings [Jean Negulesco] cs/c; cph: Milton Krasner

1959        Cash McCall [Joseph Pevney] c

1959        I Passed for White [Fred M. Wilcox] b&w

1961        Anatomy of an Accident [LeRoy Prinz] 16mm/c; doc/26m

1962        Protection for People [Frederick Stephani] ?; doc/?m

1962        The Balcony [Joseph Strick] b&w

1970        Glass Houses [Alexander Singer] c

1975        That's Entertainment, Part II [Gene Kelly] p/c; ph new seq; + archive footage

1963        The Fugitive [various] 120-part series, 1963-67; other ph: Lloyd Ahern, Carl Guthrie, Fred Mandl, a.o.

1968        Here's Peggy Fleming [Bob Banner] special for NBC-tv

1915        The Incorrigible Dukane [James Durkin] ph: William F. Wagner; + small part

1916        Snow White [J. Searle Dawley] ph: H. Lyman Broening

1918        Uncle Tom's Cabin [J. Searle Dawley] ph: H. Lyman Broening