Alex Thomson
January 12, 1929 — June 14, 2007 (78 years)
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.
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.
Filmography
| 2025 | |
| 2003 | The Making of 'Alien³' · as Self |
| 2002 | Creating a Myth... the Memories of 'Legend' · as Himself |
| 2004 | Der letzte Flug · as Director Of Photography |
| 2000 | A Shot at Glory · as Director Of Photography |
| 2000 | Love's Labour's Lost · as Director Of Photography |
| 1996 | Hamlet · as Director Of Photography |
| 1996 | Executive Decision · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1995 | The Scarlet Letter · as Director Of Photography |
| 1994 | Black Beauty · as Director Of Photography |
| 1993 | Demolition Man · as Director Of Photography |
| 1993 | Cliffhanger · as Director Of Photography |
| 1992 | Alien³ · as Director Of Photography |
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny · as Director Of Photography |
| 1990 | The Krays · as Director Of Photography |
| 1990 | Wings of Fame · as Cinematographer |
| 1989 | The Rachel Papers · as Director Of Photography |
| 1989 | Leviathan · as Director Of Photography |
| 1988 | High Spirits · as Director Of Photography |
| 1988 | Track 29 · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1987 | Date with an Angel · as Director Of Photography |
| 1987 | The Sicilian · as Director Of Photography |
| 1986 | Duet for One · as Director Of Photography |
| 1986 | Labyrinth · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1986 | Raw Deal · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1985 | Legend · as Director Of Photography |
| 1985 | Year of the Dragon · as Director Of Photography |
| 1984 | Electric Dreams · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1983 | The Keep · as Director Of Photography |
| 1983 | Bullshot Crummond · as Director Of Photography |
| 1983 | Eureka · as Director Of Photography |
| 1981 | Skokie · as Director Of Photography |
| 1981 | Excalibur · as Director Of Photography |
| 1979 | Follow That Rainbow · as Cinematographer |
| 1979 | Game for Vultures · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | The Class of Miss MacMichael · as Director Of Photography |
| 1978 | The Cat and the Canary · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1978 | Rosie Dixon - Night Nurse · as Director Of Photography |
| 1977 | ABC Weekend Special · as Cinematographer |
| 1972 | Fear Is the Key · as Director Of Photography |
| 1972 | Death Line · as Director Of PhotographyOn Plex |
| 1972 | Dr. Phibes Rises Again · as Director Of Photography |
| 1972 | LHR · as Cinematographer |
| 1971 | The Night Digger · as Director Of Photography |
| 1970 | I Start Counting · as Director Of Photography |
| 1970 | The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer · as Director Of Photography |
| 1969 | Alfred the Great · as Cinematographer |
| 1969 | The Best House in London · as Director Of Photography |
| 1968 | The Strange Affair · as Director Of Photography |
| 1968 | Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush · as Director Of Photography |
| 1967 | Ervinka · as Cinematographer |