Alan
Hume, one of
the most accomplished directors of photography has died
aged
85.A
veteran of over
100 films, Alan Hume began his career as a clapper boy on David Lean's
In
Which We Serve, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. He progressed up the
ranks to
focus puller by his third film with Lean. When
Our Girl Friday
(starring a young Joan Collins) came along in 1953, Hume was promoted to
camera
operator and shot 27 more films as camera operator in 7 years. He gained
a
reputation for being fast, efficient and a brilliant photographer -
which deeply
impressed Carry On producer Peter Rogers, who put Hume under contract
and
offered him the chance to become a director of photography in 1960 on No
Kidding. Over the next forty years, Hume lit over 150 films and TV shows.Among
his credits
were fifteen Carry On films, Star Wars: Return of the
Jedi,
Stepping Out, Shirley Valentine, A Fish Called Wanda, The Land That Time
Forgot,
Shout At The Devil and TV shows The Avengers, Space Precinct and
Acapulco HEAT. James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli was so impressed by Hume's work that he hired him for four 007 blockbusters: The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and A View to a Kill.
Alan
Hume was regarded as a true gentleman within his chosen industry. As a friend and supporter of Cinema Retro, we mourn his loss.- Dave Worrall and Lee Pfeiffer
(Cinema Retro columnist Gareth Owen co-authored Alan Hume's 2004 autobiography A Life Through the Lens: Memoirs of a Film Cameraman. To read about Hume's remarkable career, click here to order from Amazon USA , click here to order from Amazon UK.)