
Alex Thomson
Personal Info
Known for
Camera
Gender
Male
Birthday
1929-01-12
Day of Death
2007-06-14 (78 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Alex Thomson
Biography
Alexander Thomson BSC (12 January 1929 – 14 June 2007) was a British cinematographer.
Born in London, England, he was first offered a job by Bert Easey (1901-1973), who was head of cameras at Denham and Pinewood Studios. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for Excalibur (1981).
His other films included Year of the Dragon (1985), Legend (1985), Labyrinth (1986), 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).
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. In 1998 he shot the Royal Premiered CinemaScope short "The Troop" (dir: Marcus Dillistone) An interview with Alex Thomson appears in a new book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press. Thompson was an avid user of Joe Dunton's custom-built Xtal Xpress lenses, shooting many of his more high-profile projects such as Labyrinth, Legend, The Keep, Year of the Dragon and The Sicilian with them.
He was married to the sculptor Diana Thomson, and they had a daughter. Thomson died on 14 June 2007, at the age of 78, in Chertsey, Surrey.
Acting
(2008)
The Making of Casino Royale, 1967
as Self - Camera Operator Stunt Unit
(2003)
(2002)
Crew
(2004)
Der letzte Flug
Director of Photography
(2003)
Listening
Director of Photography
(2000)
A Shot at Glory
Director of Photography
(2000)
Love's Labour's Lost
Director of Photography, Cinematography
(1996)
Executive Decision
Director of Photography
(1996)
Hamlet
Director of Photography
(1995)
The Scarlet Letter
Director of Photography
(1994)
Black Beauty
Director of Photography
(1993)
Cliffhanger
Camera Operator, Director of Photography
(1993)
Demolition Man
Director of Photography
(1992)
Alien³
Director of Photography
(1990)
Mr. Destiny
Director of Photography
(1990)
The Krays
Director of Photography
(1989)
Leviathan
Director of Photography
(1989)
The Rachel Papers
Director of Photography
(1988)
Track 29
Director of Photography
(1988)
High Spirits
Director of Photography
(1987)
The Sicilian
Director of Photography
(1987)
Date with an Angel
Director of Photography
(1986)
Raw Deal
Director of Photography
(1986)
Labyrinth
Director of Photography
(1986)
Duet for One
Director of Photography
(1985)
Year of the Dragon
Director of Photography
(1985)
Legend
Director of Photography
(1984)
Electric Dreams
Director of Photography
(1983)
Eureka
Director of Photography
(1983)
The Keep
Director of Photography
(1983)
Bullshot
Director of Photography
(1981)
Excalibur
Director of Photography
(1981)
Skokie
Director of Photography
(1980)
The Gold Bug
Director of Photography
(1979)
The Class Of Miss MacMichael
Director of Photography
(1978)
Superman
Additional Photography
(1978)
Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse
Director of Photography
(1978)
The Cat and the Canary
Director of Photography
(1972)
Death Line
Director of Photography
(1972)
Fear Is the Key
Director of Photography
(1972)
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
Director of Photography
(1971)
The Road Builder
Director of Photography
(1970)
I Start Counting
Director of Photography
(1970)
The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer
Director of Photography
(1969)
The Best House in London
Director of Photography
(1968)
The Strange Affair
Director of Photography
(1968)
Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush
Director of Photography
(1966)
Judith
Camera Operator
(1966)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Camera Operator
(1966)
Fahrenheit 451
Camera Operator
(1965)
Doctor Zhivago
Camera Operator
(1965)
Every Day's a Holiday
Camera Operator
(1964)
The Masque of the Red Death
Camera Operator
(1964)
The System
Camera Operator
(1964)
The Caretaker
Camera Operator
(1964)
Nothing But the Best
Camera Operator
(1963)
Dr. Crippen
Camera Operator
(1961)
Girl on Approval
Camera Operator