Latest news with #RichardAttenborough
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billy Williams, Oscar-winning British cinematographer whose credits included Gandhi and Women in Love
Billy Williams, who has died aged 95, was one of the leading British cinematographers across four decades, winning an Oscar for his work on Richard Attenborough's Gandhi (1982). Exactly a year earlier he had missed out by a hair's breadth on scooping an Academy Award for the autumnal geriatric drama On Golden Pond (1981), starring Henry and Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn. But in April 1983 Williams received the gold statuette – shared with Ronnie Taylor – as one of the eight Oscars garnered by that epic film. It was the culmination of a long and often painful collaboration that for Williams had begun three years earlier when, in a short telegram reply to Attenborough's request for him to join the creative team on Gandhi, he wrote: 'Dear Dickie. Yes. Love Billy.' Williams enjoyed telling the a story of informing Katharine Hepburn that 'Richard Attenborough would like me to shoot Gandhi for him,' to which the actress replied: 'I think he's already dead, Billy.' The production, which was shot over six months, was fraught with logistical problems during filming in India – from the endless dust which unless swiftly checked would form like cement on the camera equipment, to problems obtaining official permission to shoot inside various key government buildings. Then, six weeks into filming, Williams slipped a disc and had to fly back to the UK. With his blessing, his duties were handed over to Ronnie Taylor, who had worked as a camera operator on two of Attenborough's earlier films. Taylor filmed for a month before Williams returned – only to suffer another slipped disc a month later, replaced once more by Taylor. By the time the production returned for its final weeks in the UK, Williams had recovered and completed the film, which included shooting in Staines Town Hall, doubling for the court house in Ahmedabad where Gandhi's 'Great Trial' had taken place in 1922, and at the Institute of Directors building in Pall Mall for a key interior sequence begun months earlier on the long steps leading up to the old Viceroy's House (now the presidential palace) in New Delhi. Williams had earned his first Oscar nomination a decade earlier for an altogether more intimate drama, Ken Russell's Women in Love (1970), featuring the much talked-about nude wrestling scene between Alan Bates and Oliver Reed. 'Photographically, it was the best opportunity I've ever had in terms of what the script was offering,' Williams recalled. 'It had every kind of challenge. Apart from the usual day and night interiors and exteriors, there was candlelight, snow scenes, dusk and dawn, and that nude wrestling scene. Bates and Reed agreed to be fully nude for one day only, on a closed set. After that they'd only do waist-upwards scenes.' Billy Williams was born on June 3 1929 in Walthamstow, east London. His father, also Billy, was one of Britain's great pioneering cameramen, who shot the surrender of the German Fleet at Scapa Flow, covered the trailblazing Cape Town-to-Cairo truck expedition, and was the first man to film from the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. When young Billy left school at 14 he was offered a choice of jobs: working in a city brokerage for one of his mother's in-laws, or as an assistant to his father. There was no contest. After working some years for Billy Snr, he broke away and joined British Transport Films, before moving into commercials when all attempts at graduating to features failed. Working on ads with successful film directors like John Schlesinger, Ken Russell and Ted Kotcheff paid off when Williams managed to make it into long-form drama with Russell on the spy thriller The Billion Dollar Brain (1967), the second sequel to The Ipcress File, then on Women in Love. The Schlesinger connection also paid dividends handsomely in 1971 with Sunday Bloody Sunday, a daring – for its day – and intimate drama of homosexual love, which earned Williams one of his four Bafta nominations. Williams continued to shoot films, including the award-winning Western, The Eagle's Wing (1979) and Dreamchild (1985). He retired after Driftwood (1997). During and after his career as a cinematographer, he taught cinematography at workshops in the US, Germany, Ireland and Hungary, and in the UK at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield. One of his regular teaching colleagues was another great cinematographer, the Hungarian-American Vilmos Zsigmond. When Zsigmond declared himself unavailable to shoot On Golden Pond, co-starring Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, he paved the way for Williams to notch up one of his most memorable international credits. 'Around that time,' he recalled, 'Vilmos was very much into flashing the film to soften the image, and using various filters to take the contrast away. The director Mark Rydell was very keen I should do something like that, too. I wasn't, though, because I didn't like the idea of the film looking too chocolate-boxy, too soft and sentimental. I thought the actors [Henry Fonda was 76 playing 80, Hepburn 72] should look their age.' Eventually, he managed to persuade Rydell to do away with filters altogether, apart from a 'very fine black net on the extreme close-ups of Hepburn and Jane Fonda'. Henry Fonda and Hepburn went on to win Academy Awards for their performances, in Fonda's case posthumously. Williams's other notable contributions to cinema history included shooting the atmospheric 11-minute opening sequence in Iraq for The Exorcist (1973). Tall and distinguished-looking, he was perhaps unique among cinematographers in appearing front-of-camera in major Hollywood movies – first, as a British vice-consul shot down by Sean Connery's North African Berber tribesmen in John Milius's period adventure The Wind and the Lion (1975), and then as an expert witness in Suspect (1987), Peter Yates's courtroom thriller starring Cher and Liam Neeson. He served as president of the British Society of Cinematographers from 1977 to 1979 and was appointed OBE in 2009. Billy Williams and his wife Anne had four daughters. Billy Williams, born June 3 1929, died May 20 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
India.com
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This film made Guinness World Record, 3 lakh people appeared in one scene, Indian government funded the film due to..., movie is...
As Bollywood cinema evolved, new technologies were introduced which gave the viewers an intense experience of watching. As a result, these scripts heavily depend on VFX and other technologies to enhance the viewer's experience. However, in the earlier cinema, there used to be no such VFX. Despite that, some movies were made on such a large scale that their examples are cited till date. Today, we will tell you about a film which was made on a large scale and no use of green screen was done. Despite all of that, the movie turned out to be a huge hit. In 1982, a film was released which was based on the life of India's biggest leader – Gandhi. The movie was not directed by any Indian filmmaker; instead, the director was a foreigner. If you are wondering which movie we are talking about, then the movie in discussion is Gandhi. Helmed by Richard Attenborough, and featured in lead role. The movie was based on the life of Gandhi. While the entire movie gave lessons to the viewers, one particular scene which depicts Gandhi's funeral left everyone teary-eyed. Not thousands but lakhs of people were needed to shoot this scene, and no such scene was filmed on this huge level. On January 31, 1981, this particular scene was shot in New Delhi. According to media reports, lakhs and lakhs of volunteers were required to shoot this scene. If reports are to be believed, then almost 3 lakh people participated in the scene, and the film Gandhi made a Guinness World Record for using so many extras in a single scene, specifically the funeral scene. However, shooting this scene was not an easy task. Eleven camera units filmed it and the Indian Army also managed the arrangements. Controlling the crowd and shooting everything simultaneously was a big challenge. According to some media reports, one-third of the budget of the film Gandhi was given by the Government of India, which shows the historical importance of this film.
BBC News
07-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Hidden images of Pinewood wartime filmmaking released
Hidden images of wartime filmmaking released 9 minutes ago Share Save Alex Pope BBC News, Buckinghamshire Share Save Historic England Archive Historic England Archive Two Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees practised photography while wearing gas masks to simulate working under active service conditions Rare behind-the-scenes images taken at a film studio during World War Two have been released. To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Historic England has published the collection put together by Dorothy "Knicky" Chapman. She was posted to Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire when it was the central hub of military filmmaking. The "remarkable collection" of more than 150 photographs captures the "perspective of a woman wartime photographer", Historic England said. Its chief executive Duncan Wilson said he hoped it would preserve the photos "as an important part of our national heritage". Historic England Archive WAAF Sgt Dorothy Knapman - also known as Knicky - put together the collection During the war, Pinewood Studios was the base for government film units, including the RAF Film Production Unit and the Army Film and Photographic Unit. The studios were known as RAF Iver Heath at the time. Sgt Chapman assisted in the production of military films, such as The Big Pack and Operational Height. She also worked alongside a young Richard Attenborough. The films were "crucial for maintaining public morale during wartime", Historic England said. The collection also reveals the little-known story of the contributions of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) to photography and reconnaissance during the conflict. "The collection sheds light on the comprehensive training programme at the school, where WAAF recruits were schooled in all aspects of photography, particularly in the use of air cameras," Historic England said. "The images show women learning how to process films in mobile darkrooms, plotting aerial photographs and simulating work under active service conditions." Historic England Archive Members of the WAAF, in military uniform, posed with their cameras outside the RAF's No. 2 School of Photography Mr Wilson added: "We hope to honour the contributions of these women photographers and filmmakers to the war effort, preserving their stories as an important part of our national heritage." David Conway, chief executive officer at Pinewood Group, said: "Knicky Chapman's collection provides a fascinating glimpse into the legacy of Pinewood Studios and brings the pioneering role of women to the forefront." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mischa Barton: ‘I'm a huge Oasis fan. What kind of self-respecting Brit would I be if I wasn't?'
What was it like working with Richard Attenborough in Closing the Ring, Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill? Also why the obsession with horror films? MrSOBaldrick Richard I loved because he was like a mentor to me. He's probably single-handedly done more for my career than anyone else. Just taking me under his wing, putting me in Rada, especially coming off the back of my crazy run on television. I couldn't tell you how he found me. I don't think he ever really told me. Bruce was amazing. He was so great with the kids and a lot of fun. The Sixth Sense was a massive movie set; a huge production. When we went to do the indie film [2008's Assassination of a High School President] together, he was always playing guitar in his trailer, so I look back very fondly on that. He lights up a room when he walks into it and he's just a lovely guy. I'm probably the biggest Hugh Grant fan ever, not least because I got to work with him when I was little and he was so nice to me. We were also born in the same hospital in Hammersmith [in west London], which doesn't exist any more, but I'll take as my claim to fame. Every Halloween, The Sixth Sense seems to get watched. At Christmas, Notting Hill comes back out, so always I look back fondly. Horror films are good for strong female leads. I'd rather be doing something serious and dramatic than I would fluffy. I think it's just the nature of the scripts. I mean, you've got to have a strong female if she's going to get out of there alive … Actors used to be like most other professions, but are now often treated as dispensers of wisdom, with a philosophy and insight above ordinary mortals. What changed? eamonmcc I don't think anything's changed. I think people still hold actors in too high regard for their opinions. It's an age-old question and I don't know why. Actors are supposed to exemplify something we want to be like, but that doesn't mean they know better than anyone else. When portraying Miranda Green in Invitation to Murder, did you draw inspiration from any particular murder mystery novels or films? VerulamiumParkRanger It's loosely based on Agatha Christie, but it's an original screenplay. I like Miranda because she is a strong woman, especially for the 1930s. She's wearing the pants, running around solving mysteries. She's incredibly well read and she's great fun to play. This is the first of a trilogy, which I'm over the moon about. We've shot the second already. I really love growing with a character and getting to know them. You really stood out in your early roles in Lawn Dogs and Lost and Delirious. Did you need help from your parents getting the Brit accent back? How did you find performing on stage in Ireland in Steel Magnolias, given your family connections? repoman71 and Rfolear I rely on speech coaches, not my family. My family comes from different parts of England. I'm a proud Brit, but I'm also very proud of the Irish side of the family. My mom was so proud to see me at the Gaiety [theatre] in Dublin, she literally cried. I took her to see the Irish dancing and she loved that too. It couldn't have been more typically Irish. We went to Cork, Galway and Limerick. In at least three of the theatres, somebody sent a note backstage saying: 'I'm related to you. If you want to come up to the front and meet me, I'm your such and such cousin.' It was really cute. How have your views about fame and Hollywood changed over the years? What advice would you give young actors coming up today on how to deal with fame? EmmaStone and hhhhssss Fame is not something everybody has to deal with, so that's a very specific question. I would say: concentrate on your craft. Fame is something that generally comes to people who don't particularly seek it. Just concentrate on what you're in the business for in the first place, and try to take the rest with as much grace and humility as possible. I was a pretty introverted, shy child, so for me acting got me out of school and around cool adults, and I got to go cool places. I have always loved storytelling, and I still love being able to lose myself in a character. How did you end up doing the video for Everybody's on the Run for Noel Gallagher? Are you an Oasis fan? Have you got tickets [for the reunion tour]? JCMP555 I've hung out with Noel before. We have mutual friends, so he just asked me. He'd just started High Flying Birds and was coming to LA. I think he knew I lived there and hoped I would be available. It was fun. I don't know how I felt about getting my skirt ripped off. I was like: 'Is this really what we're doing?' But I'm still super-glad I did it because they're the coolest. Have I got tickets? Are you kidding? I'm a huge Oasis fan. What kind of self-respecting Brit would I be if I wasn't? I took my big sister Zoe to see them at Wembley [in 2000], which was on my bucket list. I could try to pull a favour, but I think everybody and their mother wants tickets. I might have to wait till they come to America instead of trying to crash the Europe dates, but we'll see. What was it like having all those bands like the Killers play on The OC and did you get to hang out with them? TurangaLeela2 That was probably one of the highlights of the whole show. I got quite close to Rooney, Phantom Planet, and Modest Mouse – one of my favourite bands – which I'll never forget. Later, when I went to see them on tour, I was like: 'Remember me?' We'd gruel away at the episodes, then they'd be like, 'Now it's band night', and we would be absolutely thrilled. I think the whole cast and crew got a kick out of it. I made quite a few friends and even a couple of boyfriends off the back of it. Invitation to a Murder is on digital platforms
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
William to miss Bafta awards ceremony
The Prince of Wales will miss the Bafta awards ceremony this weekend, but will be championing future talent when he helps young filmmakers shoot a movie. William attended the event last year, but it is understood he was not planning on being at the star-studded ceremony on Sunday, in his role as president of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The future king has not attended consecutive years since he took on his formal role in 2010, succeeding the actor and director Richard Attenborough. William's focus will be on the next generation when he visits the London Screen Academy, a sixth form in Highbury created to address the skills shortage and lack of diversity in the UK screen and creative industries. It provides students with hands-on skills and training through a range of courses including film production, costume, editing and animation alongside traditional qualifications like maths or English A-level. During his visit, William will tour the academy and meet students taking part in a collaboration project, which sees Year 13 students come together across four pathways – craft, technical, post-production, and production management – to transform the school into a working film set to shoot a short film. This year's film is called Melomania, and the young movie makers will explain their involvement to the prince who will visit the set and help them shoot a scene.
