PROFILE: A.S.C.

LEONARD SOUTH, A.S.C.

Within a four-week period earlier this year, Leonard South won elections as a governor of the American Society of Cinematographers and as special governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

It's a measure of the respect held for South by his peers in the film and television world. They admire the work and the integrity - of the cinematographer who became known in the industry as "Hitch's man."

Over a 25-year span, he has photographed most of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, either as director of photography, assistant cameraman or camera operator.

This transpired through a prior association with noted Hollywood cinematographer Robert (Bob) Burks, who he worked with in the late 1940s at Warners' special effects camera department.

"You'd have to say that Bob Burks and Alfred Hitchcock have been the1 guiding lights in my entire career," the tanned, relaxed-looking South told me in an interview. "Without either one of them, things might have been very different."

Burks (who died in 1968) won an assignment in 1950 as director of photography on a Jane Wyman film, "A KISS IN THE DARK", which Delmer Daves directed. Burks took South with him, as his camera assistant.

Two years later, again at Warners, the camera twosome of Burks and South went to work on their first Hitchcock movie. "STRANGERS ON A TRAIN".

"We both worked so well with Hitch, that he used us on practically all of his pictures after that," recalled South.

The lens firm of Burks and South photographed "DIAL M FOR MURDER", "REAR WINDOW", "NORTH BY NORTHWEST", and "TO CATCH A THIEF". On the latter picture, South won promotion to camera operator.

"We did every one of Hitch's movies during that period, except 'PSYCHO'," he recalled.

During this time, Len also worked as operator on two Clark Gable films, for the Perlberg-Seaton company.

Understandably, South regards Hitchcock as a moviemaker par excellence. "He's one of the most amazing men in the...