Ronnie Taylor

Ronald Charles "Ronnie" Taylor, BSC (27 October 1924 – 3 August 2018) was an English cinematographer, best known for his collaborations with directors Richard Attenborough and Dario Argento. He won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography for his work on Attenborough's Gandhi, which he shared with Billy Williams. He was also a two-time BAFTA Award nominee, for Gandhi and Cry Freedom (1987).

Early life Taylor was born on 27 October 1924 in Hampstead, London. At the age of 18 and in search of a job, Taylor pursued a radio operator certificate to find work with the Merchant Navy. However, a family neighbour, Jack Swinburne, offered to give Taylor a tour of Gainsborough Pictures Studio at Lime Grove in Shepherd Bush. After seeing how films were made, he quickly fell in love with the line of work and wanted to partake in the creation of films.

Career Taylor's first film was as a clapper boy in The Young Mr. Pitt (1942), that same year he entered the Merchant Navy. in service for the Second World War. After returning home, he continued working in the film industry. The following year, he pulled focus during the filming of the man in Grey (1943), solidifying the start of his career in the industry. Taylor took up the mantle and expanded his skill set into lighting and electrical work. This decision would lead to an expansion into television series production and commercial creation. While his catalogue of television production is less extensive than his filmography, he worked on TV series such as The Avengers (1965), Master of the Game (1984), and Jewels (1992).

After some time, he decided to transition into the Director of Photography.

Taylor's most notable accomplishment as a cinematographer was his work for Gandhi. During the production of Gandhi, the Director of Photography, Billy Williams BSC, had an incident, slipping his discs. Due to Taylor's relationship with Richard Attenborough from his time at Pinewood, Attenborough reached out to Taylor, asking him to help with the cinematography of Gandhi, taking over as the new Director of photography and continuing with this film.

Afterward, Taylor would continue working on films and commercials. It was through a chance meeting during the production of commercials that he came to become acquainted with Italian director Dario Argento. The two would pair up again and form a partnership. Taylor worked on three films with Argento: Phantom of the Opera (1998), and Sleepless (2001). Sleepless is marked as the final film in Taylor's filmography and decided to officially retire in 2001, at the age of 77. He bought a property in Ibiza, Spain where he spent the rest of his life. Taylor continued his passion for film past his retirement, frequently participating in the Ibiza International Film Festival and was awarded the Ibiza IFF's achievement award.

He is featured in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press.

Illness and death In 2018, Taylor suffered a stroke and during his battle for recovery, his health deteriorated, eventually leading to subsequent health problems. Taylor died on 3 August 2018. He is survived by his two daughters, Tracey Taylor and Nikki Watson as well as two grandchildren.

Filmography

Film

Television

Other work

The Timekeeper (1992) - Circle-Vision 360° theme park attraction

Awards and nominations