In memoriam of Director of Photography Gerry Fisher, BSC

AFC newsletter n°249

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We have heard with sorrow the news of the passing away, on Tuesday December 2nd, of our colleague and dear friend the great british cinematographer Gerry Fisher, Honorary member of the BSC.

Born in London, June 23rd 1926, as Gerald Fisher, he served with the Royal Navy during the 2nd World War. His career at the camera began in 1947 at Shepperton Studios where he stayed six years. Among his collaborations, in 1950, he assisted Armand Thirard on Marc Allegret’s Maria Chapdelaine.
In 1957, from 2nd AC with Jack Hildyard, BSC, on The Bridge on the River Kwai, he finished the film as additional camera operator. From 1958, he will operate - mainly with Jack Hildyard, on 13 films, including Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise in 1966 - but also with cinematographers as Christopher Challis, Geoffrey Unsworth, Freddie Francis, BSC, and Douglas Slocombe, BSC.

It’s with Joseph Losey’s Accident, in 1966, that he start his career as director of photography, which will be more than sixty films and will be completed in 1968 with Alexandre Aja’s Furia. To name but a few of the directors he collaborated with, we shall notice his work on films directed by Sidney Lumet, Tony Richardson, Richard Fleischer, Irvin Kersner, Richard Lester, José Giovanni, Billy Wilder, John Huston, Gérard Pirès, José Pinheiro, John Frankenheimer and Alexandre Arcady.
But his art will be primarily marked by his collaboration with Joseph Losey as he makes the cinematography of Secret Ceremony (1968), The Go-Between (1970), A Doll’s House (1972) The Romantic English Woman (1975), Mr. Klein (1976), Les Routes du Sud (1977), and Don Giovanni (1978).

In 1997, as a tribute to his art and talent displayed in France, Gerry Fisher is made a Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight in the Order of Art and Literature).
In 2003, while,a member of the jury of the Vulcain Prize, awarded at the Cannes Film Festival by the CST (Commission supérieure technique de l’image et du son), he will come especially to give a trophy to Tom Stern, ASC, AFC, for his work on Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River.
Twice nominated to the BSC Awards and to the Bafta Film Awards fot Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between and Jack Gold’s Aces High, Gerry Fisher has been awarded by his BSC peers (British Society of Cinematographers) with a Life Achievement Award for his whole career.

(At the top, Gerry Fisher at Cannes Festival in 2003 - Photo AFC)