In Memoriam: Robert F. Liu, ASC (1926-2021)
ASC
In Memoriam: Robert F. Liu, ASC (1926-2021)
ASC Staff
January 12, 2021
A two-time Emmy nominee, the Chinese immigrant excelled in a difficult profession,
due to diligence and inspiration from mentors, including James Wong Howe, ASC
and Robert Wise.
Director of photography Robert F. Liu, ASC forged a cross-cultural career at a
time when such international experiences were rare.
He died at the age of 94 on January 11, 2021.
When Liu was a young man, his talent was recognized by Chinese film pioneer
Chuang Kuo Chuen, and he found Stateside mentors in director Robert Wise and
cinematographer James Wong Howe, ASC. Liu went on to earn Emmy nominations for
his work on the hit series Lou Grant and Family Ties.
Liu was born in Shanghai on May 1, 1926. He had six brothers and one sister.
His father, who had been educated in the United States on a YMCA scholarship,
worked as senior clerk at Anderson Clayton, an American firm with offices in
Shanghai. Young Bobby and one of his brothers shared an early interest in
chemistry, and together they turned the family home into a veritable
laboratory, making everything from batteries and soap to enlarging paper.
As a child, Liu enjoyed the exploits of Tom Mix and other legends of the silent
cinema. By the time he reached high school, he had begun experimenting with his
brother’s 8mm Kodak camera. “I was fascinated with moving pictures, but I never
thought I would end up in the business,” he told AC contributor David Heuring
in 2009 when he was honored with the ASC Career Achievement in Television
Award. “I was very fortunate.”
Inspired by Walter Pidgeon’s portrayal of a U.S. ambassador to Mexico in
Holiday in Mexico (1946), Liu set his sights on a career in diplomacy, and he
earned a bachelor’s degree in political science. Upon graduating, however, he
realized that such a career did not align with his principles. “The saying was,
‘An ambassador is an honest man sent abroad to tell lies,’” he noted. “When I
heard that, I decided it wasn’t for me.”
In 1949, Liu made his way to Hong Kong and took his first steps toward a career
in filmmaking. A friend brought him to Great Wall Studio, where he found work
as a boom operator in the sound department. Great Wall was also home to Chuang
Kuo Chuen, who financed, wrote, directed and shot features, and in 1951, when
Chuang was offered a chance to be the director of photography on a film in
Taiwan, Liu worked as his assistant. The two remained close, and in 1957, Liu
married Chuang’s daughter, Ivy.
LIU, Robert F.
Born: 5/1/1926, Shanghai, China
Died: 1/11/2021, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Robert F. Liu’s western – director of photography:
The Secret Empire (TV) - 1979
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