Alex Thomson (cinematographer)
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Alex Thomson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 12 January 1929 London, England |
| Died | 14 June 2007 (aged 78) |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Years active | 1947–2004 |
| Spouse | Diana Thomson |
| Children | 1 |
| President of the British Society of Cinematographers | |
| In office 1980–1982 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Huke |
| Succeeded by | Tony Imi |
Alexander Thomson BSC (12 January 1929 – 14 June 2007[1]) was an English cinematographer, active from the late-1960s through the early-2000s. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography[2] for his work on John Boorman's Excalibur (1981).
Thomson also won British Society of Cinematographers Awards for Legend (1985) and Hamlet (1996), and received the Society's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. He served as President of the Society from 1980 to 1982.[3] The BSC posthumously described him as "a cinematographer's cinematographer."[4]
Thomson was born and raised in the Kingsbury district of London. His father was a tailor, whose clients included Anthony Havelock-Allan.[3] As a teenager, Thomson was offered a job by Bert Easey, who was head of cameras at Denham and Pinewood Studios, and he entered the film industry as a clapper boy.
Career
After beginning his film career in the late 1940s, he went on to serve as a camera operator under cinematographer Nicolas Roeg on twelve films between 1961 and 1966. He made his debut as a cinematographer on 1967's Ervinka, by Israeli director Ephraim Kishon. He subsequently shot films for directors like Clive Donner and Robert Fuest.
Thomson was the original director of photography for Jesus Christ Superstar (1973). However, during the first week of principal photography, he was seriously injured after falling from a camera crane, and had to be replaced.[1][3] A full recovery took several years, during which time he shot second unit for Oswald Morris on The Man Who Would Be King and the The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, and additional photography on Superman.
In 1980, Thomson was brought in to shoot John Boorman's Excalibur, after the original cinematographer quit.[5][6] Thomson's work on the Arthurian fantasy epic subsequently earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.
His subsequent films included The Keep (1983), Legend (1985), Labyrinth (1986), Leviathan (1989), The Krays (1990), Alien 3 (1992), Cliffhanger (1993), Demolition Man (1993), Executive Decision (1996) and two of Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare adaptations, Hamlet (1996) and Love's Labour's Lost (2000). He shot two films for director Michael Cimino, Year of the Dragon (1985) and The Sicilian (1987).
He re-teamed with Roeg to shoot his directorial efforts Eureka (1983) and Track 29 (1988). In 1998 he shot the Royal Premiered short "The Troop" (dir: Marcus Dillistone).
Thomson was the 16th President of the British Society of Cinematographers, serving from 1980 to 1982.[7]
He is featured in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press.[8]
Style and techniques
Thomson was an avid user of Joe Dunton's custom-built Xtal Xpress anamorphic lenses, shooting many of his more high-profile projects with them.[9]
Personal life and death
He was married to the sculptor Diana Thomson, and they had a daughter, Chyna.[10]
Thomson died on 14 June 2007, at the age of 78, in Chertsey, Surrey.[1]
Filmography
Film
Short film
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | LHR | Mike Fox |
| 1981 | The Last of Linda Cleer | Bob Mahoney |
| 1998 | The Man Who Couldn't Open Doors | Paul Arden |
| 1999 | The Troop | Marcus Dillistone |
| 2003 | Listening | Kenneth Branagh |
| 2004 | Der letzte Flug | Roger Moench |
TV movies
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | The Going Up of David Lev | James F. Collier |
| 1981 | Skokie | Herbert Wise |
TV series
| Year | Title | Director | Episode |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | ABC Weekend Special | Robert Fuest | "The Gold Bug" |
