Wayne Manor
03-20-2007, 11:53 PM
"Freddie Francis, the legendary British cinematographer who won Academy Awards for "Sons and Lovers" in 1961 and "Glory" in 1989, died March 17 in west London. He was 89 years old.
Although he received his greatest acclaim as a cinematographer, with numerous nominations and prizes for his work on films such as "The Straight Story," "Elephant Man," "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "Cape Fear," he also had a successful career as a director of horror movies in the 1960s and 1970s for cult British studios Hammer and Amicus.
Francis was born Dec. 22, 1917 in Islington, London. Starting out as a stills photographer, he entered the film business as a clapper boy, camera loader and focus puller. After the Second World War, when he gained experienced with army film units, he worked as a camera operator on classic British films including "The Elusive Pimpernel," "The Small Back Room," "Gone to Earth," "Tales of Hoffmann," "Beat the Devil" and "Moby Dick."
He made his debut as a cinematographer with "A Hill in Korea" in 1956, moving on to shoot the new wave of realist working-class dramas, such as "Room at the Top" and "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning."
He stopped working as a cinematographer in the mid-60s when his directing career started to take off with genre pics such as "Nightmare," "Hysteria," "The Evil of Frankenstein" and "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave." He returned to cinematography in 1980 with David Lynch's "The Elephant Man," working subsequently with Lynch on "Dune" in 1984 and "Straight Story" in 1999, his last ever movie. His last film as a director was "The Dark Tower" in 1986.
He won the lifetime achievement award from the British Society of Cinematographers in 1997, and the International Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 1998. He was nominated for four BAFTAs but never won.
He had just completed his autobiography, co-written by Tony Dalton, when he fell ill with a stroke late in 2006.
He is survived by his first wife Gladys and their son Kevin Francis, a film producer, and by his second wife Pamela Mann and their children Susanna and Gareth."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961465.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
Although he received his greatest acclaim as a cinematographer, with numerous nominations and prizes for his work on films such as "The Straight Story," "Elephant Man," "The French Lieutenant's Woman" and "Cape Fear," he also had a successful career as a director of horror movies in the 1960s and 1970s for cult British studios Hammer and Amicus.
Francis was born Dec. 22, 1917 in Islington, London. Starting out as a stills photographer, he entered the film business as a clapper boy, camera loader and focus puller. After the Second World War, when he gained experienced with army film units, he worked as a camera operator on classic British films including "The Elusive Pimpernel," "The Small Back Room," "Gone to Earth," "Tales of Hoffmann," "Beat the Devil" and "Moby Dick."
He made his debut as a cinematographer with "A Hill in Korea" in 1956, moving on to shoot the new wave of realist working-class dramas, such as "Room at the Top" and "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning."
He stopped working as a cinematographer in the mid-60s when his directing career started to take off with genre pics such as "Nightmare," "Hysteria," "The Evil of Frankenstein" and "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave." He returned to cinematography in 1980 with David Lynch's "The Elephant Man," working subsequently with Lynch on "Dune" in 1984 and "Straight Story" in 1999, his last ever movie. His last film as a director was "The Dark Tower" in 1986.
He won the lifetime achievement award from the British Society of Cinematographers in 1997, and the International Award from the American Society of Cinematographers in 1998. He was nominated for four BAFTAs but never won.
He had just completed his autobiography, co-written by Tony Dalton, when he fell ill with a stroke late in 2006.
He is survived by his first wife Gladys and their son Kevin Francis, a film producer, and by his second wife Pamela Mann and their children Susanna and Gareth."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961465.html?categoryid=13&cs=1