Geoffrey Unsworth: Legendary Oscar-Winning Cinematographer of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, SUPERMAN I & II, CABARET, TESS, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, BECKET & More

Unsworth, known for his work with acclaimed filmmakers like Kubrick, Lumet & Fosse, died on October 28th, 1978 in Paris, France while shooting TESS for another famed director, Roman Polanski. Unsworth was 64.

Unsworth with Stanley Kubrick on the set of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, which won Unsworth a BAFTA for his camerawork

His imagery for Kubrick's 1968 mind-blowing classic is unforgettable

Unsworth with 2001's stars Keir Dullea & Gary Lockwood

Unsworth started out working at Gaumont-British Picture Corporation and later worked for Technicolor.

Jack Cardiff and Unsworth with a Technicolor camera

He was a camera operator for Zoltan Korda, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger on such films as THE FOUR FEATHERS, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP and STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN. Unsworth was the cinematographer on several documentaries and shot Technicolor footage for MEET THE NAVY, before lensing his first solo feature film, 1946's THE LAUGHING LADY.

Roger Livesey and Anton Walbrook in THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP

Most of his work was in his homeland of Great Britan in the 1940's, '50's & '60's, with Unsworth branching out to more international & Hollywood product in the 1970's.

Besides Stanley Kubrick, Sidney Lumet, Roman Polanski & Bob Fosse, Unsworth worked with other top directors like Richard Donner, Richard Lester, Blake Edwards, Richard Attenborough, John Boorman, Stanley Donen, Ronald Neame and more. He was also a favorite of British directors Bernard Knowles, Ken Annakin, Jack Lee and Roy Ward Baker.

With Polanski on the set of TESS

With Donner shooting SUPERMAN

Besides Kubrick's 2001, Unsworth's career highlights and personal faves of mine include:

with Ghislain Cloquet

Unsworth's other big screen & documentary credits as director of photography (by himself or with others) include:

THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, ROYAL FLASH,

A TOWN CALLED ALICE, THE BLUE LAGOON (1949), THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU, CROMWELL, LUCKY LADY, HELL DRIVERS, THE 300 SPARTANS, HALF A SIXPENCE, THE BLISS OF MRS. BLOSSOM, THE ABDICATION, THREE SISTERS, THE PURPLE PLAIN, THE MILLION POUND NOTE, PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD,

JACQUELINE, ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, BAXTER!, THE RECKONING, OTHELLO, GENGHIS KAHN, TEETH OF STEEL, THE PEOPLE'S LAND, THE SMUGGLERS, JASSY, THE SPIDER AND THE FLY,TRIO, THE CLOUDED YELLOW, MADE IN HEAVEN, LOVE AND PAIN AND THE WHOLE DAMN THING, PENNY PRINCESS, OUTPOST IN MALYA, TURN THE KEY SOFTLY, THE SWORD AND THE ROSE, SIMBA, LAND OF FURY, PASSAGE HOME, BACHELOR OF HEARTS, WHIRLPOOL, DANGEROUS EXILE, TAMAHINE, WHY BOTHER TO KNOCK, SAY HELLO TO YESTERDAY, YOU MUST BE JOKING!, OH DAD, POOR DAD, MAMMA'S HUNG YOU IN THE CLOSET AND I'M FEELIN' SO SAD, A MATTER OF TIME, THE INTERCINE PROJECT, VOICES, DON QUIXOTE (1973), THE MAIN ATTRACTION, SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC, Charade's fave UNMAN, WITTERING AND ZIGO and others.

Jean Simmons & Trevor Howard in THE CLOUDED YELLOW

ROYAL FLASH with Malcolm McDowell and Britt Ekland

Gene Hackman, Liza Minnelli and Burt Reynolds in LUCKY LADY

Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed in THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU

Patrick McGoohan in HELL DRIVERS

Timothy Bottoms and Maggie Smith in

LOVE AND PAIN AND THE WHOLE DAMN THING

Peter Sellers in THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER

Did you know...?

He was born on May 26th, 1914.

Unsworth won Oscars for CABARET & TESS (won posthumously & shared with Ghislain Cloquet) and was nominated for BECKET & MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS.

He won BAFTA's for BECKET, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, CABARET/ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, A BRIDGE TOO FAR & TESS and was nominated for TAMAHINE, MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS/ZARDOZ and SUPERMAN.

Unsworth won 3 British Society of Cinematographers Awards (BECKET, CABARET,

A BRIDGE TOO FAR) and was nominated another 3 times (A TOWN LIKE ALICE, THE FIRST GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY/SUPERMAN, TESS).

He was married to continuity & script supervisor Maggie Sibley Unsworth (GREAT EXPECTATIONS, OLIVER TWIST, THE ENTERTAINER, THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN, THE RULING CLASS, A PASSAGE TO INDIA).

Unsworth was awarded the honor of OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire)

in 1976.

The Unsworth Look: