Billy Williams

Director Of Photography

About

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Birth Place

Walthamstow, England, GB

Born

June 03, 1929

Biography

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Cinematographer who established himself in the 1960s with his work on two Ken Russell films, "Billion Dollar Brain" (1967) and "Women in Love" (1969). Outstanding credits include his understated photography on John Schlesinger's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1971), his sweeping panoramic views in "The Wind and the Lion" (1974), his autumnal work on Mark Rydell's "On Golden Pond" (1981) and the...

Filmography

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Happy Feet (2006)

An American Vampire Story (1999)

The Game (1990)

Spartacus (1960)

Indian Uprising (1952)

Photos & Videos

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Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Day Of Prayer And Fasting

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Notes

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Williams served as president of the British Society of Cinematographers.

"I think that I had a certain sense of adventure about my work, I didn't feel restricted about the way things had been done by my predecessors, who were studio cinematographers with many years of experience working on sets. . . . I didn't feel myself restricted by too many conventions. I was prepared to have a go. And that's where commercials were invaluable because I had done a lot of fooling around and practicing, if you like, there. So when I came on to features I was quite well prepared technically but not in a conventional sense."--Williams quoted in "Masters of Light: Conversations With Contemporary Photographers" by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato (CA: University of California Press, 1984)

Biography

Cinematographer who established himself in the 1960s with his work on two Ken Russell films, "Billion Dollar Brain" (1967) and "Women in Love" (1969). Outstanding credits include his understated photography on John Schlesinger's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (1971), his sweeping panoramic views in "The Wind and the Lion" (1974), his autumnal work on Mark Rydell's "On Golden Pond" (1981) and the Oscar-winning "Gandhi" (1982). He is the son of British director of photography Billie Williams.

Filmography

Cast (Feature Film)

Happy Feet (2006)

An American Vampire Story (1999)

The Game (1990)

Spartacus (1960)

Indian Uprising (1952)

Lightning Guns (1950)

Sarge Goes to College (1947)

Smoky River Serenade (1947)

The Blue Mountain Mystery (1922)

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Ljuset Haller Mig Sallskap (2000)

Cinematographer

Driftwood (1996)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Shadow of the Wolf (1993)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Women & Men: Stories of Seduction (1990)

Director Of Photography ("Dusk Before Fireworks")

The Rainbow (1989)

Director Of Photography

Diamond's Edge (1988)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

The Manhattan Project (1986)

Director Of Photography

Ordeal By Innocence (1985)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Dreamchild (1985)

Director Of Photography

The Survivors (1983)

Director Of Photography

Director Of Photography

Monsignor (1982)

Director Of Photography

On Golden Pond (1981)

Director Of Photography

Saturn 3 (1980)

Director Of Photography

Going in Style (1979)

Director Of Photography

Boardwalk (1979)

Director Of Photography

The Silent Partner (1978)

Director Of Photography

Eagle's Wing (1978)

Cinematographer

The Devil's Advocate (1977)

Voyage Of The Damned (1976)

Director Of Photography

The Glass Menagerie (1973)

Director Of Photography

Night Watch (1973)

Cinematographer

The Exorcist (1973)

Director Of Photography

X Y & Zee (1972)

Director of Photography

Kid Blue (1972)

Director Of Photography

Pope Joan (1972)

Director Of Photography

Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)

Director of Photography

Director of Photography

The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970)

Lighting Camera

Women in Love (1970)

Director of Photography

Two Gentlemen Sharing (1969)

Director of Photography

The Magus (1968)

Director of Photography

30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia (1968)

Director of Photography

Billion Dollar Brain (1967)

Director of Photography

Editing (Feature Film)

Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1985)

Editor ("When The Rain Begins To Fall")

Music (Feature Film)

Dr. T and the Women (2000)

Visual Effects (Feature Film)

Tuskegee Airmen (1995)

Effects Coordinator

Sound (Feature Film)

American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007)

Adr/Dialogue Editor

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Shadow of the Wolf (1993)

Dp/Cinematographer

Women & Men: Stories of Seduction (1990)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Exorcist (1973)

Dp/Cinematographer

The Buccaneer (1959)

Cinematography (Special)

Just Like a Woman (1968)

Director of Photography

Editing (Special)

Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember (1984)

Life Events

1966

First film as director of photography, "San Ferry Ann"

1973

Photographed US TV-movie "The Glass Menagerie" which also marked the TV acting debut of Katharine Hepburn

1973

First US film, "Kid Blue"

1981

Shot "On Golden Pond" starrig Hepburn and Henry Fonda

Videos

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Day Of Prayer And Fasting Spring, 1919, Jinnah (Alyque Padamsee) introduces Ben Kingsley (title character) to fellow Muslim leader Patel (Saeed Jaffrey) and friends, Nehru (Roshan Seth) joining, in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, 1982.

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Edward Fox as British General Dyer, leading director Richard Attenborough's heavily researched recreation of the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar, India, April 1919, in Gandhi, 1982.

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) I Thought You'd Be Bigger South Africa circa 1913, priest Charles Freer Andrews (Ian Charleson) introduces himself to Indian lawyer Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), whereupon they meet thug Colin (Daniel Day-Lewis, not a historical figure) in Gandhi, 1982.

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) Conscience Of All Mankind Opening scenes, the death of the title character (Ben Kingsley) in Delhi, Harsh Nayyar as assassin, then the funeral, Shane Rimmer as the commentator, generally recognized as the largest movie scene ever filmed, with over 300,000 extras, from Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, 1982.

Night Watch (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Why Don't You Stay Forever? Joining the first scene for Laurence Harvey as John, who’s in finance, husband of Londoner Ellen (Elizabeth Taylor), together entertaining friend Sarah (Billie Whitelaw), having discussed their odd neighbor, making plans for the evening, then departures by director Brian G. Hutton, in Night Watch, 1973.

Night Watch (1973) -- (Movie Clip) Wait Until She Rings Houseguest (Billie Whitelaw) instructs the maid to let her hostess Ellen (Elizabeth Taylor), who believes she witnessed a murder last night, sleep in, and while the neighbor does some suspicious digging, she meets either her boyfriend, or possibly Ellen’s husband, in Night Watch, 1973.

Night Watch (1973) -- (Movie Clip) I'd Like To Report A Murder Londoner Ellen (Elizabeth Taylor) is having trouble sleeping, and we’ve seen signs of some lingering emotional trauma, and her husband John (Laurence Harvey) is struggling to accommodate her, then there’s big trouble in the spooky house next door, early in Night Watch, 1973.

Going In Style (1979) -- (Movie Clip) I Never Forget To Flush Writer-director Martin Brest finds his three leads on a park bench in Brooklyn, Art Carney as Al, Lee Strasberg as Willie and George Burns as Joe, opening the whimsical geriatric crime-comedy Going In Style, 1979.

Going In Style (1979) -- (Movie Clip) A Bank's A Bank Brooklyn pensioners Joe (George Burns), Al (Art Carney) and Willie (Lee Strasberg) on a rare excursion to Manhattan, shopping for a bank to rob, in director Martin Brest’s debut film, Going In Style, 1979.

Gandhi (1982) -- (Movie Clip) We Will Light A Fire First wife Kasturba (Rohini Hattangady) then the title character (Ben Kingsley), addressing a crowd during his Indian "non-cooperation" movement, circa 1921, in Richard Attenborough's Gandhi, 1982.

Wind And The Lion, The (1975) -- (Movie Clip) I'll Send The Atlantic Squadron Brian Keith as Teddy Roosevelt has the bully down, John Huston as Secretary Of State John Hay reads from a dispatch, then counsels the president about the kidnapping of Americans in Morocco, writer-director John Milius taking substantial liberties with history, in The Wind And The Lion, 1975.

Billion Dollar Brain (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Now Is The Winter Ex-spy turned private eye Harry Palmer (Michael Caine), has taken a job over the phone which sends him to the West London air terminal to pick up a package which seems to contain eggs, then to Helsinki, in director Ken Russell’s first studio feature, from the Len Deighton novel, Billion Dollar Brain, 1967.

Gandhi (1982) -- (Original Trailer) Eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture went to Gandhi (1982), the true story of the man who freed India from colonial rule through non-violent protest.

X, Y & Zee - (British Trailer) A possessive woman (Elizabeth Taylor) fights to end her husband's affair with a younger woman in X, Y & Zee (1972), co-starring Michael Caine and Susannah York.

On Golden Pond - (Original Trailer) Best Actor and Best Actress awards went to Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn for On Golden Pond (1980).

Wind and the Lion, The -- (Original Trailer) An Arab chieftain triggers an international incident when he kidnaps an American widow in The Wind and the Lion (1975) starring Sean Connery & Candice Bergen.

Billion Dollar Brain - (Original Trailer) Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) must stop a U.S. general from launching an invasion of Russia with a supercomputer in Billion Dollar Brain (1967).

Family

Billie Williams

Father

Cinematographer.

Bibliography

Notes

Williams served as president of the British Society of Cinematographers.

"I think that I had a certain sense of adventure about my work, I didn't feel restricted about the way things had been done by my predecessors, who were studio cinematographers with many years of experience working on sets. . . . I didn't feel myself restricted by too many conventions. I was prepared to have a go. And that's where commercials were invaluable because I had done a lot of fooling around and practicing, if you like, there. So when I came on to features I was quite well prepared technically but not in a conventional sense."--Williams quoted in "Masters of Light: Conversations With Contemporary Photographers" by Dennis Schaefer and Larry Salvato (CA: University of California Press, 1984)

In addition to "Gandhi" (for which he won an Oscar), Williams was also nominated for Best Cinematography Oscars in 1970 for "Women in Love" and 1981 for "On Golden Pond".

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