BORN TO SHOOT

Under canvas in Africa, behind the lens at Pinewood and centre stage at the Oscars — Billy Williams OBE BSC’s journey was anything but ordinary. 

Born in 1929 to a cinematographer father, Billy Williams OBE BSC grew up surrounded by cameras, lenses and the paraphernalia of filmmaking. 

Leaving school at 14, having failed the 11-plus, his father offered him an apprenticeship, although his mother hoped for something grander, like a job in the City. 

His father mostly shot documentaries and short films and Williams travelled with him making general interest pictures, including a spell living under canvas in east Africa, which he described as ‘a wonderful Boy’s Own adventure!’ 

When he was 18, he spent two years doing National Service as a photographer in the RAF and, once demobbed, got a job with British Transport Films. He stayed for five years as an assistant cameraman, alongside other assistants who went on to become DPs: Bob Paynter BSC and David Watkin BSC. “It was a great learning environment because we were working in all kinds of conditions.” 

He eventually got a break as a cameraman and spent his entire savings on an Arriflex IIC 35mm film camera, then went off to Iraq to make a film sponsored by the Iraq Petroleum Company about the cultural history of Mesopotamia, called Rivers of Time (1955, dir. William Novik). 

When commercial television arrived in the 1950s, Williams joined Television Advertising under the auspices of producer James Garrett. Beginning as an operator and then as the in-house DP, he met a lot of up-and-coming directors, including Ken Russell, who offered him his first feature film, Billion Dollar Brain (1967), with interiors to be shot at Pinewood Studios. Bert Easey BSC, who was then head of the Pinewood camera department, recommended the camera operator David Harcourt Associate BSC for the film, and they went on to work together for the next 12 years. 

Working again with Ken Russell, Williams shot his most notable film, Women in Love (1969), winning Oscar and BAFTA nominations and international acclaim. He moved on to work with John Schlesinger on Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), which earned another BAFTA nomination. 

Whilst working on the John Milius film The Wind and the Lion (1975), he played the role of an English aristocrat who gets shot, after which he commented, “There’s more to acting than you think!” 

On Golden Pond (1981, dir. Mark Rydell) brought Williams his second Oscar nomination and the following year he finally won the Oscar for Gandhi (1982, dir. Richard Attenborough), shared with Ronnie Taylor BSC. Other films include Voyage of the Damned (1976, dir. Stuart Rosenberg), Saturn 3 (1980, dir. Stanley Donen), Dreamchild (1985, dir. Gavin Millar) and The Rainbow (1989, dir. Ken Russell). 

Williams retired in 2000 and then spent his time painting or teaching, often at the National Film and Television School. In 2015, Williams received a BAFTA Special Award given as a tribute to his career. 

He became a member of the BSC in 1967 and served as President between 1975 and 1977. 

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OTHER CREDITS: Zee & Co, The Glass Menagerie, Voyage of the Damned, Eagle’s Wing, The Manhattan Project, Suspect 

SELECTED AWARDS: 

BAFTA Film Award Nomination: The Magus (1968, dir. Guy Green) 

OSCAR & BAFTA Film Award Nominations: Women in Love (1969, dir. Ken Russell) 

BAFTA Film Award Nomination: Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971, dir. John Schlesinger) 

BSC Best Cinematography Nomination: Eagle’s Wing (1979, dir. Anthony Harvey) 

OSCAR & BSC Best Cinematography Nomination: On Golden Pond (1982, dir. Mark Rydell) 

BAFTA Nomination & OSCAR & BSC Best Cinematography Winner: Gandhi (1983, dir. Richard Attenborough), shared with Ronnie Taylor BSC 

Camerimage Lifetime Achievement Award 2000 

ASC International Award 2001 

BSC Lifetime Achievement 2006 

International Cinematographers’ Film Festival Manaki Brothers Golden Camera 300 Lifetime Achievement 2009 

Officer of the Order of the British Empire 2009 

Hungarian Society of Cinematographers ‘Eternity’ Lifetime Achievement Award 2010 

BAFTA Special Award 2015 

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REMEMBERING BILLY WILLIAMS OBE BSC 

“I loved that man, that cinematographer. He was the first established British DP I met in person at my first Camerimage with Celebration in competition. I did not know who he was; I noted his satchel and he bought me a cup of tea. 30 years later he generously moderated my Rush Q&A for the BSC screening. He was strikingly kind to me and was always eternally youthful and generous to all. A great example to all of us. Thank you, Billy.” 

Anthony Dod Mantle ASC BSC DFF 

“I adored him so much and feel so sad. He was so talented and generous and stylish. A beautiful man and so engaged in promoting our society to the end and should be remembered in our society for ever. God bless you my lovely friend and rest in peace.” 

John de Borman BSC AFC  

“I first met a Mr B Williams around 1958/9 for an interview at TVA in London where he was their in-house DP. Turned up dressed to impress in trilby hat, flashers raincoat and rolled up brolly. I got the two-week job as clapper loader. From then until now, I, like all in our industry, knew Billy as the finest cinematographer and gentleman. Over all the years he never changed… kind to all. RIP Billy.” 

Robin Vidgeon BSC 

“What a wonderful obituary Phil has penned honouring the life and achievements of Billy Williams OBE BSC. Reading it is to hold a mirror up to the path of enthusiasm for the craft of cinema that so many have shared and driven by. The reference to having failed the eleven plus, sent a shiver to anyone whose first years were potentially blighted by the judgement that such an iniquitous exam represented, and how wrong it was in so many instances, as with Billy who went on to achieve so many qualities in his work and personality. So the echoes are manifest – so too did I fail my eleven plus and spent time under canvas in east Africa and shot many documentaries before embracing the opportunity to photograph a first feature for the cinema. Billy left a trail of warmth, talent and goodwill throughout his lifetime. 

Michael Fox BSC 

“My own relationship with Billy Williams goes back to the very first film he shot San Ferry Anne. I did one more movie with him and then went through periods of not seeing him. I would always cherish the times spent working for him because I passionately wanted to become a cinematographer I watched him like a hawk. 

You were learning from a wonderful craftsman and one of the first things he did when starting his feature career at Pinewood was to request no rails with lights around the set he wanted natural light and being the artist that he was he got it. 

He was a tough boss, however what started for me as a hard-working relationship ended as one of mutual affection. After my 17 years of assisting I became a cinematographer and one weekend my wife Jan and I went to the National theatre. Billy was there with Anne his wife. He took me to one side and told me how much he liked the work he had seen of mine. I needed that so much, the master stamping his approval meant so very much to me because I held him in such huge respect. Billy didn’t have to say anything, the fact that he did exhibited how caring and gracious he was. 

His movies, especially the Oscar-nominated ones, live on as a wonderful testimony to a standard of cinematography of the highest standard. Women In Love is a feast of variety in lighting and mood capture and should be made a requirement of viewing for anyone who aspires to the greatest vocation you could possibly enjoy. Look at On Golden Pond and revel at the quality of light at all times making certain that his actors are perfectly taken care of. His Oscar was won for Ghandi, a script that he told me was the best one he ever read.  

Billy was a gentleman. Once he knew he was at the end of his life he called his friends to tell them and yes, I got the call and I was able to chat to him and of course thank him for all the years of the Billy Williams teaching and his masterclass at the National Film and Television School. 

When I informed Oliver Stapleton BSC, my partner at the NFTS of Billy’s passing, he said we must continue the Billy Williams masterclass and we are going to make sure it stays firmly in the curriculum. 

One of the last things I said to Billy was I worked for you, but I learned from you. 

 Stuart Harris BSC 

“One of the most cherished experiences of my time at the NFTS was attending Billy Williams’ legendary masterclasses. The knowledge, insight, and wisdom he shared were truly invaluable—gifts that continue to guide and inspire me to this day. I feel deeply privileged to have had Billy as a foundational and formative influence on my journey as a cinematographer. His impact on my life and work is lasting and profound.” 

Nanu Segal BSC 

“I still remember the first time I met Billy. I had only recently started at the NFTS when he ran a lighting workshop with a small group of us for a couple of weeks. As if he was in a film, he drove in to the school’s car park in his Porsche 911 cabriolet wearing a wool flat cap and brown leather driving gloves and got out of the car with his characteristic big smile. He greeted us, and before long we were sat in the theatre watching Women in Love. I was blown away by the imagery.    Later we each had to light the local church in Beaconsfield and shoot, on film, a scene in a country cottage under Billy’s close supervision. We were all sweating under his gaze. He interrogated our decisions as we were positioning the camera and lights. 

 With incredible generosity, Billy watched the projected rushes with us in the theatre and reflected on whether our decisions had paid off. His thoughts and advice are still with me to this day – I remember him asking is this the right lens to capture the emotion in this scene?    

I owe a lot to Billy.” 

David Katznelson BSC DFF 

“Billy was an incredible teacher, he taught us about fill light in a way that changed my whole approach to lighting. Truly a master of his craft, he was so generous with his teachings, and often on set I hear him in my ear – reminding me to question the position and purpose of the fill.” 

Suzie Lavelle BSC ISC 

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This piece was adapted from the book Preserving the Vision, compiled and edited by Phil Méheux BSC and James Friend ASC BSC.