Christopher Challis obit

 Cinematographer Christopher Challis Has Died

He was not on the list.

Christopher Challis, who has died aged 93, was a distinguished cinematographer on more than 70 feature films, including Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1969.

Personal tributes from those influenced by Challis:

It is not possible even to begin to take the full measure of the greatness of British filmmaking without thinking of Chris Challis. Working behind the camera beside Jack Cardiff, then later, on his own, with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, then later still with such temporary American ex-pats as Stanley Donen and Billy Wilder, Chris Challis brought a vibrancy to the celluloid palette that was entirely his own, and which helped make Britain a leader in that long, glorious period of classic world cinema. Martin Scorsese Director, 2012 British Academy Film Awards Fellow

Chris Challis was an indispensable member of the Michael Powell/ Emeric Pressburger film crews. He was always excited by, and equal to, any challenge Michael and Emeric passed to him, and could be counted on to achieve a brilliant result with full confidence, spirit, imagination and daring. In this, and in life, he was a perfect colleague and great friend. In every sense, Chris was an Archer extraordinaire. Thelma Schoonmaker Editor

Chris Challis has always thrived on challenges. He uses his extraordinary breadth of experience and understanding to solve the problems that arise when filming in difficult circumstances. I have had the pleasure of working with him twice. Once was filming War of Children, a love story set in the 1970s against the conflicts in Northern Ireland. We shot in and around Dublin and Belfast and were on a very tight budget. Chris created the gritty feeling of a docu-drama but added visual grace as needed. There was a dance scene which was shot in a very ordinary village hall, he transformed it by using a glitter ball and the diffracted light, spinning around the room, turned it into a magical dance hall. On Riddle of The Sands we worked on a very small boat which could have been a nightmare, but because of Chris Challis’ own experience of sailing he was able to work out a way to fit cameras and equipment into the boat’s rigging, there was no room on the deck. I remember the operator and director suspended amidst the ropes. Chris looked on, pipe in mouth very much the sailor at ease in his surroundings. His quiet sense of humour and the enjoyment he found in his work made filming great fun. The result on screen was always stunning. Jenny Agutter Actress.

 

Cinematographer

Steaming (1985)

Steaming

5.8

director of photography

1985

 

Top Secret! (1984)

Top Secret!

7.2

director of photography

1984

 

Secrets (1983)

Secrets

6.1

Cinematographer

1983

 

The Nativity

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1982

 

James Mason, Jane Birkin, Roddy McDowall, Diana Rigg, Maggie Smith, Peter Ustinov, Colin Blakely, Nicholas Clay, Sylvia Miles, and Denis Quilley in Evil Under the Sun (1982)

Evil Under the Sun

7.0

director of photography

1982

 

The Nightingale (1981)

The Nightingale

Cinematographer

1981

 

Greatest Mystery

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1981

 

Elizabeth Taylor, Tony Curtis, Geraldine Chaplin, Rock Hudson, Angela Lansbury, Kim Novak, and Edward Fox in The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

The Mirror Crack'd

6.2

director of photography

1980

 

S.O.S. Titanic (1979)

S.O.S. Titanic

6.2

TV Movie

director of photography

1979

 

Jenny Agutter, Michael York, Wolf Kahler, and Simon MacCorkindale in The Riddle of the Sands (1979)

The Riddle of the Sands

6.4

director of photography

1979

 

Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

Force 10 from Navarone

6.4

director of photography

1978

 

The Deep (1977)

The Deep

6.2

director of photography

1977

 

The Incredible Sarah (1976)

The Incredible Sarah

5.5

director of photography

1976

 

Mr. Quilp (1975)

Mr. Quilp

6.8

Cinematographer

1975

 

In This House of Brede (1975)

In This House of Brede

7.9

TV Movie

director of photography (as Chris Challis)

1975

 

Steven Warner in The Little Prince (1974)

The Little Prince

6.4

director of photography

1974

 

A War of Children (1972)

A War of Children

6.9

TV Movie

Cinematographer (as Chris Challis, lighting cameraman)

1972

 

The Boy Who Turned Yellow (1972)

The Boy Who Turned Yellow

5.6

director of photography

1972

 

Mia Farrow and Topol in The Public Eye (1972)

The Public Eye

6.9

director of photography

1972

 

Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)

Mary, Queen of Scots

7.1

director of photography

1971

 

Catch Me a Spy (1971)

Catch Me a Spy

5.2

director of photography

1971

 

Richard Burton in Villain (1971)

Villain

6.5

director of photography

1971

 

Robert Stephens in The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

7.0

director of photography

1970

 

Richard Burton and Rex Harrison in Staircase (1969)

Staircase

5.3

director of photography

1969

 

Dick Van Dyke, Adrian Hall, Sally Ann Howes, and Heather Ripley in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

6.9

director of photography

1968

 

A Dandy in Aspic (1968)

A Dandy in Aspic

6.2

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1968

 

Two for the Road (1967)

Two for the Road

7.4

director of photography

1967

 

Kaleidoscope (1966)

Kaleidoscope

5.9

director of photography

1966

 

Sophia Loren and Gregory Peck in Arabesque (1966)

Arabesque

6.4

director of photography

1966

 

Return from the Ashes (1965)

Return from the Ashes

7.0

director of photography

1965

 

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965)

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

7.0

director of photography

1965

 

Peter Sellers and Elke Sommer in A Shot in the Dark (1964)

A Shot in the Dark

7.4

director of photography

1964

 

The Long Ships (1964)

The Long Ships

6.0

director of photography

1964

 

Senta Berger, Romy Schneider, Melina Mercouri, Jeanne Moreau, Rosanna Schiaffino, and Elke Sommer in The Victors (1963)

The Victors

6.9

director of photography

1963

 

An Evening with the Royal Ballet (1963)

An Evening with the Royal Ballet

8.2

Cinematographer (segment Les Sylphides)

1963

 

Damn the Defiant! (1962)

Damn the Defiant!

7.1

director of photography

1962

 

Flame in the Streets (1961)

Flame in the Streets

6.6

director of photography

1961

 

George Sanders, Cyd Charisse, and Ernie Kovacs in Five Golden Hours (1961)

Five Golden Hours

5.7

director of photography

1961

 

The Grass Is Greener (1960)

The Grass Is Greener

6.5

director of photography

1960

 

Surprise Package (1960)

Surprise Package

5.6

director of photography

1960

 

Never Let Go (1960)

Never Let Go

7.1

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1960

 

Sink the Bismarck! (1960)

Sink the Bismarck!

7.1

director of photography

1960

 

Hardy Krüger and Micheline Presle in Chance Meeting (1959)

Chance Meeting

6.7

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1959

 

The Captain's Table (1959)

The Captain's Table

5.9

director of photography

1959

 

Floods of Fear (1958)

Floods of Fear

6.5

director of photography

1958

 

Irene Browne, Pauline Delaney, Barry Fitzgerald, John Gregson, Jack MacGowran, Noel Purcell, and June Thorburn in Rooney (1958)

Rooney

6.4

director of photography

1958

 

Windom's Way (1957)

Windom's Way

5.9

director of photography

1957

 

John Gregson and Belinda Lee in Miracle in Soho (1957)

Miracle in Soho

5.7

director of photography

1957

 

Night Ambush (1957)

Night Ambush

6.5

director of photography

1957

 

The Spanish Gardener (1956)

The Spanish Gardener

6.7

director of photography

1956

 

Pursuit of the Graf Spee (1956)

Pursuit of the Graf Spee

6.6

director of photography

1956

 

Robert Taylor in Quentin Durward (1955)

Quentin Durward

6.3

director of photography

1955

 

Oh... Rosalinda!! (1955)

Oh... Rosalinda!!

6.1

director of photography

1955

 

Stewart Granger and Jean Simmons in Footsteps in the Fog (1955)

Footsteps in the Fog

7.0

director of photography

1955

 

The Sorcerer's Apprentice (1955)

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

6.4

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

Kenneth More in Raising a Riot (1955)

Raising a Riot

6.6

Cinematographer

1955

 

Malaga (1954)

Malaga

5.0

director of photography

1954

 

Pier Angeli, Lana Turner, and Carlos Thompson in Flame and the Flesh (1954)

Flame and the Flesh

5.6

director of photography

1954

 

Saadia (1953)

Saadia

5.5

director of photography

1953

 

Twice Upon a Time (1953)

Twice Upon a Time

6.7

Cinematographer

1953

 

Genevieve (1953)

Genevieve

7.1

director of photography

1953

 

Gilbert and Sullivan (1953)

Gilbert and Sullivan

6.9

director of photography (as Chris Challis)

1953

 

Merle Oberon in Affair in Monte Carlo (1952)

Affair in Monte Carlo

5.0

Cinematographer

1952

 

Angels One Five (1952)

Angels One Five

6.4

director of photography

1952

 

Moira Shearer and Ludmilla Tchérina in The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)

The Tales of Hoffmann

7.1

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1951

 

Gone to Earth (1950)

Gone to Earth

6.9

Cinematographer (as Chris Challis, photographed by)

1950

 

The Fighting Pimpernel (1949)

The Fighting Pimpernel

6.0

Cinematographer (photography)

1949

 

Hour of Glory (1949)

Hour of Glory

7.1

director of photography

1949

 

Bibi Ferreira in The End of the River (1947)

The End of the River

6.0

Cinematographer (as Christopher G. Challis, photographed by)

1947

 

Camera and Electrical Department

White Rock (1977)

White Rock

7.2

photographer

1977

 

The Americanization of Emily (1964)

The Americanization of Emily

7.3

additional photographer (as Chris Challis)

1964

 

Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes (1948)

The Red Shoes

8.1

camera

1948

 

Deborah Kerr, Jean Simmons, Kathleen Byron, David Farrar, Judith Furse, Jenny Laird, Flora Robson, and Sabu in Black Narcissus (1947)

Black Narcissus

7.7

camera operator (uncredited)

1947

 

David Niven and Kim Hunter in A Matter of Life and Death (1946)

A Matter of Life and Death

8.0

second assistant camera (uncredited)

1946

 

Valerie Hobson, Roger Livesey, and Sabu in The Drum (1938)

The Drum

6.3

focus puller (uncredited)

1938

 

Director

Rome, Sweet Home (1966)

Rome, Sweet Home

TV Movie

Director

1966