Biography
British cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth had an international reputation for his innovations and technical expertise. In 1932, he began in British film as a camera assistant; five years later, he was a camera operator on such distinguished films as
The Four Feathers (1939) and
The Thief of Baghdad (1940). By 1946, Unsworth had become a full-fledged cinematographer and quickly became one of the best in Britain. He was especially noted for his work with color film. He began working internationally in the early '60s. Among his technical innovations is a front projection technique he created for the effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). In 1972, Unsworth earned an Oscar for his filming of
Cabaret. He died shortly after filming
Superman (1978) and during the shooting of
Tess (1979); the film was dedicated to his memory in the credits. He had also already shot some of the scenes for Superman II (1980), which were shot at the same time as those of Superman (1978). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide