American Cinematographer - December 2016 - 102

In Memoriam
Richard Frank Gunter, ASC - whose
credits as a cinematographer included the
series St. Elsewhere; Dallas; Beverly Hills,
90210; and Wizards of Waverly Place -
died on Aug. 31. He was 65.
Gunter was born on July 28, 1951, in
Los Angeles. His father, Marvin L. Gunter,
worked in the film industry, climbing the
ranks of the camera department and eventually becoming a director of photography.
Rick Gunter made his own first forays into
the business as a child actor; he stopped
performing in his early teens, and his interests then led him into still photography.
After graduating from Hollywood
High School, he attended San Fernando
Valley State College - now known as California State University, Northridge - where
he focused his studies on photography and
psychology. Upon completing his degree,
and with his father's encouragement,
Gunter entered the motion-picture field in
1974, beginning as a 2nd AC and working
with cinematographers including ASC
members Gerald Perry Finnerman and John
A. Alonzo. He soon joined Universal's
camera department, where he worked
alongside such cinematographers as Enzo A.
Martinelli, ASC; Frank R. Hale; John McPherson, ASC; and Joe Biroc, ASC.
With McPherson alone, Gunter
notched credits on such classic series as The
Incredible Hulk, The Gangster Chronicles
and Kojak, and moved up the ranks to 1st
AC and eventually camera operator. In the
latter role, he joined McPherson for the first
season of St. Elsewhere, and he remained
with the show when McPherson moved on
and Marvin Gunter took the reins. In 1987,
when the senior Gunter retired, Rick Gunter
was promoted to director of photography
and saw the show through to its finale in
1988. In his application for membership in
the ASC, Gunter recalled the series fondly,
noting, "I had the opportunity to create
many different moods, from surrealistic to
natural, from dream sequences to hectic
emergency dramas."
After wrapping St. Elsewhere,
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December 2016

Gunter photographed the after-school
special Two Teens and a Baby; telefilms
including Home Fires; and multiple pilots,
including Running Wilde, starring Pierce
Brosnan. For the latter project, Gunter
created a warm look and strove to keep the
camera moving to underscore the show's
suspense. He spent three and a half years
shooting Dallas, after which he joined the
Aaron Spelling-produced Beverly Hills,
90210 in May 1992 for the start of the
series' third season.
While in production on the fourth
season of 90210, Gunter sat down with
journalist and honorary ASC member Bob
Fisher for a wide-ranging interview sponsored by Kodak. Acknowledging an interest
in shooting features, Gunter also pointed
out that his television schedule never
allowed him the time. "I've always said that
if I start a show, I'll finish it," he noted. "I
won't leave in the middle. I respect the
people that hire me to finish a show, and I
honor that." That respect was reciprocated;
when Gunter left 90210 at the end of the
show's eighth season, it was to go on to the
Spelling-produced Love Boat: The Next
Wave.
While working on Love Boat, Gunter
was proposed for active membership in the
ASC by McPherson and fellow Society
members Kees van Oostrum and Robert F.
American Cinematographer

Liu. He was officially made a member on
June 15, 1998. In their letters of recommendation, Liu described Gunter as "a quiet and
talented cinematographer"; McPherson
noted, "I highly respect his integrity and
honesty"; and van Oostrum shared, "I have
gotten to know him as a wonderful cameraman and a great colleague."
Gunter went on to work on series
including Charmed, Grounded for Life, I'm
in the Band, Kickin' It, Jessie and Lab Rats.
He enjoyed a particularly long tenure behind
the camera of Wizards of Waverly Place, and
his contributions were recognized with an
Emmy nomination in 2011 - in the
Outstanding Cinematography, MultiCamera Series category - for his work on
the episode "Dancing With Angels."
On Jan. 1, 2015, Gunter's ASC
membership status was officially changed to
"retired." Years earlier, while speaking with
Fisher, he expressed gratitude toward all the
cinematographers and crew with whom he
had worked while climbing the ranks. "John
McPherson was the most influential,"
Gunter acknowledged. "I learned a lot
about how to treat people from watching
him work.
"You have to convey to a director
and the producers that you know what
you're doing [and] that you can handle what
they want," he added. "When a director
says, 'I want to do it this way,' you say,
'Okay,' and you have to make sure he
believes you. And then the crew - to get
the most out of the crew, you have to treat
them right and listen."
Above all, Gunter repeatedly emphasized his desire to craft natural-looking
images. "You don't want the photography
to dominate the story," he said. "Let it help
tell the story."
Gunter is survived by his wife, Cathy;
three sons, Brian, Cory and Terry; and six
grandchildren.
- Jon D. Witmer
●

Photo by Douglas Kirkland.

Rick F. Gunter, ASC, 1951-2016
American Cinematographer - December 2016

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