Veteran cameraman Lou Barlia, whose film credits include “Superman” and “Steel Magnolias,” died in his home in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 25, after a brief battle with mesothelioma cancer. He was 92.
Born and raised in New York, Barlia started his photography career in his early teens after his father brought home a camera he spotted on the train tracks. During and after his high school years, Barlia worked in a photo studio at the School of Industrial Arts in New York. He was later drafted into the army, where he received the Bronze Star and other citations for his service as a combat cameraman during the Korean War.
In the 1950s and ’60s, Barlia worked on several commercials, documentaries and TV shows before starting his career in feature films in the 1970s. He worked behind the camera for dozens of films between the ’70s and late ’90s, including “Serpico,” “Slap Shot,” “Jaws,” “Love Story,” “The Big Chill,” “Silverado,” “The Accidental Tourist,” “The Four Seasons,” “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” “Moscow on the Hudson,” “Striking Distance,” “Lock Up” and “Without a Trace.”
In 2000, Barlia received a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Camera Operators (SOC) in recognition of his work in the film industry.
Barlia was preceded in death by his ex-wife Betty, with whom he reconciled before her passing, along with his sisters Lilly Mogel, Anne Meranchick and Lorraine Grunor.
He is survived by his sons Kevin and David, their wives Daniela and Karleen, and his three grandchildren Michele, Nicole and Bodie.