Don Peterman

Donald William "Don" Peterman, ASC was the cinematographer who earned an Academy Award nomination for his cinematography on. He had previously earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on the popular 1983 musical film Flashdance, starring future guest actor Michael Nouri.

Peterman began his Hollywood career as a film loader for Hal Roach Studios and later became an animation cameraman and optical printer operator for company. For the 1966 science fiction film The Bubble, he worked as camera operator for Charles F. Wheeler, who would become an additional photographer on. The Bubble also featured Vic Perrin and Marvin Chomsky as associate producer and art director.

Since he started working as a cinematographer in the 1970s, Peterman has compiled 26 feature film credits. Among those credits are number of films from director : Splash (1984, featuring Bill Smitrovich and Charles Macauley), Cocoon (1985, featuring Herta Ware and music by James Horner), Gung Ho (1986, featuring Patti Yasutake), and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000, with music by James Horner). Howard's brother, Star Trek veteran Clint Howard, had roles in all of these films. Peterman also photographed two films for : Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987, featuring Richard Herd, Michael McKean) and She's Having a Baby (1988, featuring Larry Hankin). Bill Erwin and William Windom had roles in both of these films; Kirstie Alley and Wil Wheaton had cameos as themselves in the latter.

In the 1990s, Peterman directed photography for director on three films: Addams Family Values (1993, starring Christopher Lloyd and Carel Struycken and featuring Ian Abercrombie), Get Shorty (1995, featuring John Cothran, Jr.), and Men in Black (1997, featuring Steve Rankin, Carel Struycken, Ken Thorley, and Sean Whalen). He also worked on two films for : Speechless (1994, featuring Brad Blaisdell, Willie Garson, Richard McGonagle and Richard Poe), and Mighty Joe Young (1998, featuring Scarlett Pomers, Lawrence Pressman, Richard Riehle, and Tracey Walter, with a screenplay by Mark Rosenthal and Lawrence Konner and music by James Horner). While working on Mighty Joe Young in July 1997, Peterman was injured when a camera platform carrying camera operator Ray De La Motte fell on top of him, causing production to be halted for two days. Peterman reportedly suffered a broken arm and hip, together with minor head injuries in the accident, while De La Motte received minor chest and back injuries. The incident effectively ended Peterman's career, as he only worked on one further film, the 2000 live-action adaptation of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and found the production such an ordeal that he had to hand over many of his duties to his son Keith Peterman, who had previously been a camera operator on and.

Peterman's other credits include When a Stranger Calls (1979), Young Doctors in Love (1982, featuring Ed Begley, Jr., Charlie Brill, Hamilton Camp, Deborah Lacey, Michael McKean, and Saul Rubinek), Kiss Me Goodbye (1982, featuring Paul Dooley and Michael Ensign), Best Defense (1984, featuring Paul Comi, Darryl Henriques and Gene Dynarski), She's Out of Control (1989, starring Catherine Hicks, Derek McGrath, and Wallace Shawn), Point Break (1991, starring Lori Petty and featuring Jack Kehler), and 's Mr. Saturday Night (1992, featuring Tim Russ).

Peterman passed away of complications from a form of leukemia at his home in Palos Verdes Estates on 5 February 2011. He was 79 years old.