Alex Thomson
- Camera
- January 12, 1929 · London, England, UK
- June 14, 2007
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.
Known for
Filmography
- The Making of Casino Royale, 1967 · Self
- Der letzte Flug · Cinematography
- Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³' · Self
- Listening · Cinematography
- Creating a Myth... the Memories of 'Legend' · Self
- A Shot at Glory · Cinematography
- Love's Labour's Lost · Cinematography
- Hamlet · Cinematography
- Executive Decision · Cinematography
- The Scarlet Letter · Cinematography
- Black Beauty · Cinematography
- Demolition Man · Cinematography
- Cliffhanger · Camera Operator, Cinematography
- Alien³ · Cinematography
- Mr. Destiny · Cinematography
- The Krays · Cinematography
- Wings of Fame · Cinematography
- The Rachel Papers · Cinematography
- Leviathan · Cinematography
- High Spirits · Cinematography
- Track 29 · Cinematography
- Date with an Angel · Cinematography
- The Sicilian · Cinematography, Camera Operator
- Duet for One · Cinematography
- Labyrinth · Cinematography
- Raw Deal · Cinematography
- Legend · Cinematography
- Year of the Dragon · Cinematography, Camera Operator
- Electric Dreams · Cinematography
- The Keep · Cinematography
- Bullshot · Cinematography
- Eureka · Cinematography
- Skokie · Cinematography
- Excalibur · Cinematography
- The Making of Excalibur: Myth into Movie · Self
- The Gold Bug · Cinematography
- Follow that Rainbow · Cinematography
- The Class Of Miss MacMichael · Cinematography
- Superman · Additional Photography
- The Cat and the Canary · Cinematography
- Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse · Cinematography
- Fear Is the Key · Cinematography
- Death Line · Cinematography
- Dr. Phibes Rises Again · Cinematography
- The Road Builder · Cinematography
- The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer · Cinematography
- I Start Counting · Cinematography
- The Best House in London · Cinematography
- The Strange Affair · Cinematography
- Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush · Cinematography
- A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum · Camera Operator
- Fahrenheit 451 · Camera Operator
- Judith · Camera Operator
- Doctor Zhivago · Camera Operator
- Every Day's a Holiday · Camera Operator
- The Masque of the Red Death · Camera Operator
- The System · Camera Operator
- Nothing But the Best · Camera Operator
- The Caretaker · Camera Operator
- Dr. Crippen · Camera Operator
- Lawrence of Arabia · Camera Operator
- Girl on Approval · Camera Operator