William Ashman Fraker, A.S.C., B.S.C. (September 29, 1923 – May 31, 2010) was an American

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 ...

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and producer. He was nominated five times for the

Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) ...

. In 2000, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from 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) honoring his career. Fraker graduated from the

USC School of Cinematic Arts The University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) houses seven academic divisions: Film & Television Production; Cinema & Media Studies; John C. Hench Division of Animation + Digital Arts; John Wells Division of Writing for Sc ...

in 1950.Notable Alumni
, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Accessed March 10, 2008.

Life and career

Fraker was born in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, California, the son of a Hollywood studio photographer. His mother was a native of Mexico who had fled the

Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...

with her family. Fraker's parents died during his childhood and he was subsequently raised by his Mexican grandmother, who instructed him in photography like she had with his father before him. He served four years in either the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

Cinematographer William A. Fraker dies
''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.In Memoriam: William A. Fraker, 86

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

. Retrieved February 23, 2022.William A. Fraker dies at 86; Hollywood cinematographer
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

. Retrieved February 23, 2022. or the

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

Colleagues fondly recall William A. Fraker, ASC, BSC whose charisma and skill made him a Society icon.

. Retrieved February 23, 2022.William A Fraker: Celebrated cinematographer who shot Steve McQueen's famous car chase in 'Bullitt'
''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

''. Retrieved February 23, 2022.WILLIAM A. FRAKER
www.cinematographers.nl. Retrieved February 23, 2022. during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, seeing action in the Pacific. Fraker then attended

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

under the

G.I. Bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

, graduating with a degree in Cinema. He was admitted into the camera union in 1954 and subsequently spent years working in television before breaking into the film industry. As cinematographer, his films include ''

The President's Analyst ''The President's Analyst'' is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film written and directed by Ted Flicker and starring James Coburn. The film has elements of political satire and science fiction, including themes concerning modern ethics ...

'' (1967), '' Rosemary's Baby'' (1968), ''

Bullitt ''Bullitt'' is a 1968 American neo-noir action thriller film directed by Peter Yates and produced by Philip D'Antoni. The picture stars Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, and Jacqueline Bisset. The screenplay by Alan R. Trustman and Harry Kleiner ...

'' (1968), '' Paint Your Wagon'' (1969), ''

The Day of the Dolphin ''The Day of the Dolphin'' is a 1973 American science fiction thriller film directed by Mike Nichols and starring George C. Scott. Based on the 1967 novel '' Un animal doué de raison'' (lit. ''A Sentient Animal''), by French writer Robert Merle, ...

'' (1973), '' Coonskin'' (1975), '' Looking For Mr. Goodbar'' (1977), '' Exorcist II: The Heretic'' (1977), '' Heaven Can Wait'' (1978), ''

1941 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January–August – 10,072 men, women and children with mental and physical disabilities are asphyxiated with carbon monoxide in a gas chamber, at Hadamar Eu ...

'' (1979), ''

WarGames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follows Dav ...

'' (1983), ''

Irreconcilable Differences ''Irreconcilable Differences'' is a 1984 American comedy-drama film starring Ryan O'Neal, Shelley Long, and Drew Barrymore. The film was a minor box-office success, making over $12 million. For their performances, both Long and Barrymore were no ...

'' (1984), ''

Murphy's Romance ''Murphy's Romance'' is a 1985 American romantic-comedy film directed by Martin Ritt. The screenplay by Harriet Frank Jr. and Irving Ravetch was based on the 1980 novella by Max Schott. The film stars Sally Field, James Garner, Brian Kerwin, and ...

'' (1985), '' Tombstone'' (1993), and ''

Street Fighter , commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six ...

'' (1994). He directed three theatrical films – '' Monte Walsh'' (1970), ''

A Reflection of Fear ''A Reflection of Fear'' is a 1972 American thriller film directed by William A. Fraker with a screenplay by Edward Hume and Lewis John Carlino and starring Sondra Locke, Robert Shaw, Mary Ure, Signe Hasso, Gordon Devol and Sally Kellerman. It ...

'' (1971) and ''

The Legend of the Lone Ranger ''The Legend of the Lone Ranger'' is a 1981 American Western film that was directed by William A. Fraker and stars Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse and Christopher Lloyd. It is based on the story of The Lone Ranger, a Western character created ...

'' (1981) – as well as episodes of several television series.

Death

Fraker died on May 31, 2010 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a battle with cancer. He was 86. He is survived by his wife Denise. He was predeceased in 1992 by son, William A. Fraker Jr., an assistant cameraman."Coonskin" cinematographer William A. Fraker dies
". forum.bcdb.com, June 1, 2010

Awards

Academy Awards 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 ...

*Nominee Best Cinematography - ''

'' (1985) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''

'' (1983) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''1941'' (1979) *Nominee Best Visual Effects - ''1941'' (1979) (also nominated -

A. D. Flowers A. D. Flowers (February 22, 1917July 5, 2001) was an American special effects artist best known for his work on '' Tora! Tora! Tora!,'' which won him an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the 43rd Academy Awards. He was also a credited s ...

Greg Jein Greg Jein (born October 31, 1945 in Los Angeles, USA; died May 22, 2022) was a Chinese American model designer who created miniatures for use in the special effects portions of many films and television series, beginning in the 1970s. Jein was ...

) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''Heaven Can Wait'' (1978) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''Looking for Mr. Goodbar'' (1977) BAFTA *Nominee Best Visual Effects - ''

'' (1983) (also nominated - Michael Fink, Joe Digeatano, Jack Cooperman, Don Hansard,

Colin Cantwell Colin James Cantwell (April 3, 1932 – May 21, 2022) was an American concept artist and director known for his work on films like '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' and '' WarGames'', but primarily for doing initial concept designs and models for a nu ...

) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (1975) (also nominated - Haskell Wexler, Bill Butler) *Nominee Best Cinematography - ''

'' (1968)

*Winner Lifetime Achievement Award (2000)

Camerimage The International Film Festival of the Art of Cinematography Camerimage () is a festival dedicated to the celebration of cinematography and recognition of its creators, cinematographers. The first seven events (1993–1999) were held in Toruń, ...

*Winner Lifetime Achievement Award (2003)

National Society of Film Critics The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...

*Winner Best Cinematography - ''

'' (1968)

Filmography

Director * '' Monte Walsh'' (1970) * ''

'' (1970) * ''

'' (1981) Cinematographer Additional photography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fraker, William A. Film producers from California American cinematographers American film directors of Mexican descent 1923 births 2010 deaths USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni Deaths from cancer in California Film directors from Los Angeles American television directors United States Coast Guard personnel of World War II