Billy Williams (cinematographer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Billy Williams
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| Born |
William Desmond Williams
3 June 1929 Walthamstow, London, England
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| Died | 20 May 2025 (aged 95) |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
William Desmond Williams (born June 3, 1929 – died May 20, 2025) was a talented British cinematographer. A cinematographer is the person in charge of how a movie looks on screen. They decide on the lighting, camera angles, and how scenes are filmed. Billy Williams helped create many famous movies. These include Women in Love (1969), On Golden Pond (1981), and Gandhi (1982). He even won an Academy Award for his work on Gandhi.
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Early Life and Learning the Ropes
Billy Williams was born in Walthamstow, London, in 1929. His father was also a cinematographer, which meant he worked with cameras for films. Billy left school when he was 14 years old. He had not passed an important test called the 11 plus.
After leaving school, his father offered him a chance to learn the family business. Billy became an apprentice cameraman, working with his father for four years. This was how he started his journey in filmmaking.
Starting a Career in Film
When Billy was 18, he joined the RAF (Royal Air Force). He worked there as a photographer for two years. After leaving the RAF, he got a job at British Transport Films (BTF). For five years, he worked as an assistant cameraman, filming all kinds of transportation.
Later, Billy used all his savings to buy his own film camera. It was an Arriflex IIC 35mm camera. He then traveled to Iraq to film for the Iraq Petroleum Company. He spent several years making documentaries. He hoped that one day he would get to work on feature films.
Working in Television and First Feature Films
In the 1950s, Billy Williams started working in the television advertising industry. He began as an operator and then became the main director of photography (DP) for a company. He worked with famous directors like John Schlesinger and Ken Russell.
Ken Russell gave Billy his first chance to work on a feature film. This movie was Billion Dollar Brain (1967). Before that, in 1965, Billy had already filmed his first feature as a director of photography, called San Ferry Ann. This was unusual because he skipped some of the usual steps, like being a focus puller first.
Award-Winning Film Projects
Billy Williams worked with Ken Russell again on a very important film, Women in Love (1969). This movie was highly praised and earned nominations for an Oscar and a BAFTA award. After that, he worked with John Schlesinger on Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), which also received a BAFTA nomination.
Billy even appeared in a few movies himself! In The Wind and the Lion (1975), he played a British nobleman. He also appeared with the singer and actress Cher in the 1987 movie Suspect.
His hard work paid off when he received his second Oscar nomination for On Golden Pond (1981). The very next year, he finally won an Oscar for Gandhi (1982). He shared this award with Ronnie Taylor.
Billy Williams also worked on many other films, including:
- Voyage of the Damned (1976)
- Saturn 3 (1980)
- Dreamchild (1985)
- The Rainbow (1989)
Retirement and Recognition
Billy Williams retired from filmmaking on New Year's Day in 1996. After retiring, he enjoyed traveling and leading workshops about film. In 2009, he was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This is a special award from the British government. Billy Williams is also featured in a book called Conversations with Cinematographers.
Billy Williams passed away on May 20, 2025, at the age of 95.
Selected Films Billy Williams Worked On
Here is a list of some of the films where Billy Williams was the cinematographer:
- 1965: San Ferry Ann
- 1967: Billion Dollar Brain
- 1968: 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia
- 1968: The Magus
- 1969: Women in Love
- 1970: Tam-Lin
- 1971: Sunday Bloody Sunday
- 1972: Pope Joan
- 1973: The Glass Menagerie
- 1973: The Exorcist (only the opening scenes)
- 1975: The Wind and the Lion
- 1976: Voyage of the Damned
- 1977: The ... Advocate
- 1978: The Silent Partner
- 1979: Going in Style
- 1981: On Golden Pond
- 1982: Gandhi
- 1983: The Survivors
- 1984: Ordeal by Innocence
- 1985: Dreamchild
- 1987: Suspect
- 1989: The Rainbow
- 1990: Stella
- 1992: Shadow of the Wolf
