Walter Lassally (18 December 1926 – 23 October 2017) was a German-born British

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

. He won the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Cinematography in 1965 for the film ''

Zorba the Greek ''Zorba the Greek'' ( el, Βίος και Πολιτεία του Αλέξη Ζορμπά, , Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas) is a novel written by the Cretan author Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1946. It is the tale of a young Greek int ...

''.

Life and work

Walter Lassally was born in Berlin, Germany. His family was Protestant by religion, but Jewish by ancestry. They moved to England in 1939 to escape the Nazis. He was closely associated with the

Free cinema Free Cinema was a documentary film movement that emerged in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s. The term referred to an absence of propagandised intent or deliberate box office appeal. Co-founded by Lindsay Anderson (but he later disdained the ...

movement in the 1950s, and the

British New Wave The British New Wave is a style of films released in Great Britain between 1959 and 1963. The label is a translation of '' Nouvelle Vague'', the French term first applied to the films of François Truffaut, and Jean-Luc Godard among others. Styli ...

in the early 1960s. He worked in the early 1960s with director

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio "Tony" Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director and producer whose career spanned five decades. In 1964, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film ''Tom Jones''. Early ...

on the film versions of ''

A Taste of Honey ''A Taste of Honey'' is the first play by the British dramatist Shelagh Delaney, written when she was 19. It was intended as a novel, but she turned it into a play because she hoped to revitalise British theatre and address social issues that ...

'' (1961), ''

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner" is a short story by Alan Sillitoe, published in 1959 as part of a short story collection of the same title. The work focuses on Smith, a poor Nottingham teenager from a dismal home in a working clas ...

'' (1962) and ''

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

'' (1963). Lassally also worked with Greek filmmaker

Michael Cacoyannis Michael Cacoyannis ( el, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, ''Michalis Kakogiannis''; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), sometimes credited as Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot theatre and film director, writer, producer, and actor. ...

between 1956 and 1967, and with

James Ivory James Francis Ivory (born June 7, 1928) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. For many years, he worked extensively with Indian-born film producer Ismail Merchant, his domestic as well as professional partner, and with scree ...

in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s he moved to Stavros, near

Chania Chania ( el, Χανιά ; vec, La Canea), also spelled Hania, is a city in Greece and the capital of the Chania regional unit. It lies along the north west coast of the island Crete, about west of Rethymno and west of Heraklion. The muni ...

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

, the town where he shot ''

'' in 1963. His autobiography, ''Itinerant Cameraman'', was published in 1987. He was featured in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A. Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press in 2011. He made his debut as an actor in

Richard Linklater Richard Stuart Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for films that revolve mainly around suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. His films include the comedies ' ...

's '' Before Midnight'' (2013), where he played an older British writer settled in Greece. Lassally died on October 23, 2017 at the age of 90 in Crete, Greece.

Awards

In 1965, Lassally won an

for Best Cinematography (Black-and-White) for ''

'' (1964). This Oscar melted during a fire at Christiana's Restaurant, on the night of January 1, 2012. On January 26, 2008, the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

(ASC) presented Lassally with an International Achievement Award at the 22nd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration, at the Hollywood and Highland Grand Ballroom, Los Angeles.

Filmography

*'' Passing Stranger'' (1954) *''Another Sky'' (1954) *''

A Girl in Black ''A Girl in Black'' ( el, Το Κορίτσι με τα Μαύρα) is a 1956 Greek dramatic film by the Cypriot director Michael Cacoyannis starring Dimitris Horn and Ellie Lambeti. The film takes place on the Greek island of Hydra, where two Ath ...

'' (1956) *'' A Matter of Dignity'' (1956) *'' The Day Shall Dawn'' (1959) *'' Our Last Spring'' (1960) *''Madelena'' (1960) *'' Wild for Kicks'' (1960) *'' Alice in the Navy'' (1961) *''

'' (1961) *''

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...

'' (1962) *''

'' (1963) *'' Psyche 59'' (1964) *''

'' (1964) -

winner *'' The Day the Fish Came Out'' (1967) *''Open Letter'' (1967) *''

Oedipus the King ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient G ...

'' (1968) *''

Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice ...

'' (1968) *'' Assignment Skybolt'' (1968) *'' Three Into Two Won't Go'' (1969) *''

The Adding Machine ''The Adding Machine'' is a 1923 play by Elmer Rice; it has been called "... a landmark of American Expressionism, reflecting the growing interest in this highly subjective and nonrealistic form of modern drama." Plot The author of this play ta ...

'' (1969) *''

Lola Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a or subdistrict of Panama * Lola Township, Cherokee County, Kansas, United States * Lola Prefecture, Guinea * Lola, Guinea, a town in Lola Prefecture * Lola Island, in the Solomon Islands People * Lola ...

'' (1970) *''

Something for Everyone ''Something for Everyone'' is a 1970 American black comedy film starring Angela Lansbury, Michael York, Anthony Higgins, and Jane Carr. The film was based on the novel ''The Cook'' by Harry Kressing, with a screenplay by Hugh Wheeler. The pl ...

'' (1970) *'' Savages'' (1972) *''

To Kill a Clown ''To Kill a Clown'' is a 1972 American psychological thriller film directed by George Bloomfield and written by George Bloomfield and I. C. Rapoport. The film stars Alan Alda, Blythe Danner, Heath Lamberts and Eric Clavering. The film was relea ...

'' (1972) *''

Visions of Eight ''Visions of Eight'' is a 1973 American documentary film offering a stylized look at the 1972 Summer Olympics. Produced by Stan Margulies and executive produced by David L. Wolper, it was directed by eight directors. It was screened out-of-compet ...

'' (1973) (one sequence: "The Highest") *'' Happy Mother's Day, Love George'' (1973) *''

Malachi's Cove ''Malachi's Cove'' is a 1974 British-Canadian coming-of-age film, coming-of-age period drama film directed by Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke, Henry Herbert and starring Donald Pleasence, Veronica Quilligan and Dai Bradley. It is based on t ...

'' (1973) *'' The Wild Party'' (1975) *''

Autobiography of a Princess ''Autobiography of a Princess'' is a 1975 film directed by James Ivory and starring James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey. It was written by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and produced by Ismail Merchant Ismail Merchant (born Ismail Noor Muhammad Abdul R ...

'' (1975) *'' The Clown'' (1976) *'' Pleasantville'' (1976) *' (1976) *' (1978) *'' The Great Bank Hoax'' (1978) *''

Something Short of Paradise Something Short of Paradise is a 1979 American romantic comedy film directed by David Helpern from a screenplay by Fred Barron. It stars Susan Sarandon and David Steinberg. Plot Madeleine Ross (Susan Sarandon) is a journalist, and her boyfriend ...

'' (1979) *''

The Pilot A pilot is a person who flies or navigates an aircraft. Pilot or The Pilot may also refer to: * Maritime pilot, a person who guides ships through hazardous waters * Television pilot, a television episode used to sell a series to a television netw ...

'' (1980) *'' The Blood of Hussain'' (1980) *''

Angels of Iron ''Angels of Iron'' (german: Engel aus Eisen) is a 1981 German crime film directed by Thomas Brasch. It was entered into the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, but did not win at Cannes. Director Thomas Brasch won the Bavarian Film Award for Best Direc ...

'' (1981) *''

Memoirs of a Survivor ''The Memoirs of a Survivor'' is a dystopian novel by Nobel Prize-winner Doris Lessing. It was first published in 1974 by Octagon Press. It was made into a film in 1981, starring Julie Christie and Nigel Hawthorne, and directed by David Glad ...

'' (1981) *''Tuxedo Warrior'' (1982) *''

Heat and Dust ''Heat and Dust'' (1975) is a novel by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala that won the Booker Prize in 1975. The book was also ranked by ''The Telegraph'' in 2014 as one of the 10 all-time greatest Asian novels. Plot summary The initial stages of the nove ...

'' (1983) - BAFTA nominee *''

Private School Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

'' (1983) *'' The Bostonians'' (1984) -

British Society of Cinematographers The British Society of Cinematographers (abbreviated B.S.C. or BSC) was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey (23 August 1901 – 28 February 1973), the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments, to represent British cinematographers ...

nominee *''

The Case of Marcel Duchamp ''The Case of Marcel Duchamp'' is a 1984 British mystery film directed by David Rowan and starring Guy Rolfe, Raymond Francis, Harold Innocent and Juliet Hammond. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson come out of retirement to solve a final cas ...

'' (1984) *''Indian Summer'' (1987) *'' The Perfect Murder'' (1988) *'' The Deceivers'' (1988) *'' Fragments of Isabella'' (1989) * '' Diary of a Madman'' (1990) *''

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (1991) *'' The Little Dolphins'' (1993) *'' View Through The Window)'' (1994 ) *'' Crescent Heart'' (2001)

References

External links

* *
Walter Lassally telling his life story at Web of Stories
(video) 1926 births 2017 deaths Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United Kingdom Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners British emigrants to Greece Film people from Berlin Filmmakers from Crete {{cinematographer-stub