Alex Thomson

Person

Alex Thomson

Camera January 12, 1929

London, England, UK

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…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

Alien³

Alien³

6.4 1992 Movie
Superman

Superman

7.2 1978 Movie
Demolition Man

Demolition Man

6.8 1993 Movie
Labyrinth

Labyrinth

7.3 1986 Movie
Cliffhanger

Cliffhanger

6.5 1993 Movie
Legend

Legend

6.3 1985 Movie
Doctor Zhivago

Doctor Zhivago

7.6 1965 Movie
Excalibur

Excalibur

7.0 1981 Movie
Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451

7.1 1966 Movie
Executive Decision

Executive Decision

6.4 1996 Movie
Raw Deal

Raw Deal

5.9 1986 Movie
Leviathan

Leviathan

6.0 1989 Movie

Biography

A closer look

Read full 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.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 2008
    The Making of Casino Royale, 1967

    Movie Self - Camera Operator Stunt Unit

  2. 2004
    Der letzte Flug

    Movie Director of Photography

  3. 2003
    Wreckage and Rage: Making 'Alien³'

    Movie Self

  4. 2003
    Listening

    Movie Director of Photography

  5. 2002
    Creating a Myth... the Memories of 'Legend'

    Movie Himself

  6. 2000
    A Shot at Glory

    Movie Director of Photography

  7. 2000
    Love's Labour's Lost

    Movie Director of Photography

  8. 1996
    Hamlet

    Movie Director of Photography

  9. 1996
    Executive Decision

    Movie Director of Photography

  10. 1995
    The Scarlet Letter

    Movie Director of Photography

  11. 1994
    Black Beauty

    Movie Director of Photography

  12. 1993
    Demolition Man

    Movie Director of Photography

  13. 1993
    Cliffhanger

    Movie Camera Operator

  14. 1992
    Alien³

    Movie Director of Photography

  15. 1990
    Mr. Destiny

    Movie Director of Photography

  16. 1990
    The Krays

    Movie Director of Photography

More credits
  1. 1990
    Wings of Fame

    Movie Director of Photography

  2. 1989
    The Rachel Papers

    Movie Director of Photography

  3. 1989
    Leviathan

    Movie Director of Photography

  4. 1988
    High Spirits

    Movie Director of Photography

  5. 1988
    Track 29

    Movie Director of Photography

  6. 1987
    Date with an Angel

    Movie Director of Photography

  7. 1987
    The Sicilian

    Movie Director of Photography

  8. 1986
    Duet for One

    Movie Director of Photography

  9. 1986
    Labyrinth

    Movie Director of Photography

  10. 1986
    Raw Deal

    Movie Director of Photography

  11. 1985
    Legend

    Movie Director of Photography

  12. 1985
    Year of the Dragon

    Movie Director of Photography

  13. 1984
    Electric Dreams

    Movie Director of Photography

  14. 1983
    The Keep

    Movie Director of Photography

  15. 1983
    Bullshot

    Movie Director of Photography

  16. 1983
    Eureka

    Movie Director of Photography

  17. 1981
    Skokie

    Movie Director of Photography

  18. 1981
    Excalibur

    Movie Director of Photography

  19. 1981
    The Making of Excalibur: Myth into Movie

    Movie Self

  20. 1980
    The Gold Bug

    Movie Director of Photography

  21. 1979
    Follow that Rainbow

    Movie Cinematography

  22. 1978
    The Class Of Miss MacMichael

    Movie Director of Photography

  23. 1978
    Superman

    Movie Additional Photography

  24. 1978
    The Cat and the Canary

    Movie Director of Photography