George Spiro Dibie, ASC was a pioneering Palestinian-American cinematographer renowned for his extensive work in television sitcoms. Born in Jerusalem in 1931, he earned a scholarship to study film at Los Angeles City College and the Pasadena Playhouse. Entering Hollywood as an electrician on Cleopatra (1963; Leon Shamroy, ASC), he soon developed a working relationship with one of the all-time greats, James Wong Howe, ASC. His big break came in 1975 as lighting consultant on ABC’s Barney Miller. As a director of photography, he went on to shoot over 1,500 hours of primetime sitcoms, winning five Emmys in the process.
In addition, from 1984-2004 Dibie served as president of the International Cinematographers Guild (Local 600). While still active as a DP during that period, he ran Dibie-Dash Productions (an educational film company) and shot every Warner Bros. multi-camera pilot for a decade as well as several made-for-TV movies. Capping off an amazing career, in 2008 he received the ASC Career Achievement in Television Award.
Dibie passed away in 2022 after a long illness. I was deeply saddened by that; he was a dear friend. To say the least, he was one-of-a-kind…an unforgettable character. Talented, generous, funny, profane (in the best sense of the term) but most important of all, a good man. He loved and cared for his family with an inspiring passion. I could tell a hundred stories of times spent with him; maybe one day I’ll print some of them here.
Many of those moments came rushing back the other day when I opened the lid of a long-ignored filter case. Stuck inside was a plastic bag holding a swatch of coarse black netting…the infamous Dibie net that he used over the lens on many of the shows he photographed. He had been promising me a sample for the longest time, but always seemed to forget to bring it when we met. His accompanying note attests to that, and I was thrilled to rediscover it.
I haven’t used any of his special diffusion yet but will shoot some tests with it soon. When I knew him, George was the type of man who really enjoyed a good laugh. I’m sure that wherever he is right now, he’ll be very pleased at that prospect.
One of The Greatest!!!! We are all better people for knowing him.
What a cool story. I’m sure you were very surprised and happy. The note gave me the chills. Great memory!
Thanks, Richard.
George was a giant amongst us.
He was a friend to me, even sitting in on my membership meeting at the ASC.
Not only was he a talented cinematographer, but was a teacher as well.
I had the honor of being invited to participate in his numerous educational outreach seminars at the clubhouse.
If he didn’t remember your name at union gatherings, he would call you “Sexy”.
His memorial service was SRO, a testament to his love that is our business.
On the back of his memorial program was printed George’s Famous Hummos Recipe .
I have made this numerous times, and can tell you its the best that I have ever tasted.
*** This makes ALOT, so feel free to cut in half as needed.***
I N G R E D I E N T S
2 cans o f Garbanzo Beans 1 5 oz or 1 6 o z can(s)
6 cloves of fresh garfic (medium size – 3 per cloves per can
6 Large tablespoons of Tahine (in a jar – stir contents VERY WEL You should not see oil in the Tahini
j a r . and if you d o – that means you did not stir wel)
½ t e a s p o o n Salt
Cumin – Ground (fine) –To be used as garnish before serving
Paprika – Ground (fine) DO NOT USE ROASTED PAPRIKA– use as garnish as cumin
Lemon Juice – fill empty can to half freshly squeezed OR from bottle is perfect to
Olive oil – To be used as gamish before serving
PREPARATION
1 . Open the 2 cans –Dump their liquid -RINSE garbanzo beans for a long time. (SECRET: YOU MUST
WASH THE GARBONZO VERY WELL to get rid of al the preservative water which does not taste
g o o d . THIS IS THE SECRET TO HAVING A GOOD HUMMOS.
2 in a Cuisinart – blend the ½ tsp of salt with the 6 cloves of garlic. make sure the garlic is wel
grinded (a new word)
3 . AD the Garbanzo beans from the 2 cans
ADD the Lemon juice (1/2 can measure)
AD the Tahini (6 tbsp) – MAKE SURE YOU MIX THE TAHINI VERY WELL UNTIL YOU SEE NO OIL
BUT HEAVY content.
4. MIX very very wel in CUSINART
5. When done empty Hummos in semi deep dish (T” or round flat)
6 . Sprinkle the a) Cumin b) Paprika c) pour the OIL VERY LITTLE—(just a touch) over Hummos which
is garnished with Cumin and Paprika. (Being ½ Greek I like to use virgin Greek oil OR Italian is also
great.
7 . EAT and Enjoy
HELPFUL HINTS
Ask your guests to eat from the sides —NOT from the middle – T
George was a mentor, to this day I’m not sure why he took a liking to a kid with a NABET card from Miami. But he supported my move from camera to lighting and sponsored my membership in (the now defunct) ASLD. I am grateful every day for his support and friendship and I miss him, he was one of a kind…