Billy Williams

William Desmond Williams (3 June 1929 – 20 May 2025) was a British cinematographer.

Williams was responsible for shooting a number of films, including Women in Love (1969), On Golden Pond (1981) and Gandhi (1982), for which he won an Academy Award.

Early life Williams was born in Walthamstow in 1929. His father was a cinematographer. Williams left school at the age of 14, having failed the 11 plus; his father offered him an apprenticeship.

After this, Williams spent his entire savings on an Arriflex IIC 35mm film camera and went to Iraq (where he later shot the opening scenes to The Exorcist, 1973), filming for the Iraq Petroleum Company.

In 1965, he shot his first feature as director of photography (San Ferry Ann), having by-passed the focus puller and operator stages. He made several others before shooting Billion Dollar Brain with Russell in 1967. Williams is featured in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press.

Williams died on 20 May 2025, at the age of 95.

Selected filmography 1965: San Ferry Ann 1967: Billion Dollar Brain 1968: 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia 1968: The Magus 1969: Women in Love 1970: Tam Lin 1971: Sunday Bloody Sunday 1972: Pope Joan 1973: The Glass Menagerie 1973: The Exorcist (opening scenes only) 1975: The Wind and the Lion 1976: Voyage of the Damned 1977: The Devil's Advocate 1978: The Silent Partner 1979: Going in Style 1981: On Golden Pond 1982: Gandhi 1983: The Survivors 1984: Ordeal by Innocence 1985: Dreamchild 1987: Suspect 1989: The Rainbow 1990: Stella 1992: Shadow of the Wolf