Walter Lassally obit

Cinematographer Walter Lassally, Oscar Winner for ‘Zorba the Greek,’ Dies at 90

He also shot the 1964 best picture 'Tom Jones' for Tony Richardson and worked six times with James Ivory. 

He was not on the list.

Walter Lassally, who won an Academy Award in 1965 for his black-and-white cinematography on Zorba the Greek, has died. He was 90.

Lassally died Monday following complications from surgery on the Greek island of Crete, hospital officials told the Associated Press.

Lassally also shot three films in a row for British director Tony Richardson, concluding with the Oscar best picture winner Tom Jones (1963), and worked six times with American helmer James Ivory.

Lassally also did six films for Greek director Michael Cacoyannis, including the lively Zorba the Greek. The movie, about a English writer (Alan Bates) whose life changes after he comes to Crete and meets an exuberant local (Anthony Quinn in a career-defining performance), was ravishingly shot on the largest Greek island.

After his wife died, Lassally retired to the village of Stavros on Crete in the 1990s and lived near the beach that served as the backdrop for the movie’s final scene, which had Quinn and Bates dancing to the music of Zorba the Greek.

According to journalist Gregory Pappas, Lassally donated his Oscar to Christiana’s Restaurant, not too far from that beach. The trophy remained on display there until a fire destroyed it in 2012.

Born in Berlin, Lassally and his family fled the Nazis and moved in 1939 to London, where he landed a job as a clapper boy at Riverside Studios.

He became a cameraman and met Cacoyannis at the 1954 Cannes Film Festival, and they went on to collaborate on A Girl in Black (1956), A Matter of Dignity (1958), Our Last Spring (1960), Electra (1962) and The Day the Fish Came Out (1967).

Associated with the Free Cinema movement that sprang from the U.K. in the 1950s, Lassally shot several working-class documentaries for director Lindsay Anderson, then worked with Richardson on A Taste of Honey (1961) and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) before their partnership on Tom Jones.

For Ivory, Lassally shot the features Savages (1972), The Wild Party (1975), Autobiography of a Princess (1975), Heat and Dust (1983) and The Bostonians (1984) and the 1978 telefilm Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie’s Pictures. He also did The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991) for the Merchant-Ivory company.

Lassally appeared in front of the camera in Before Midnight (2013), the third film in the Richard Linklater trilogy, playing a British writer who welcomes Celine (Julie Delpy) and Jesse (Ethan Hawke) into his home in Greece.

He wrote a 1987 autobiography, Itinerant Cameraman.

 

Director

Nature Perfected: The Story of the Garden

TV Mini Series

Director

1995

 

The Greeks (1967)

The Greeks

TV Movie

co-director

1967

 

Dan

TV Movie

co-director

1965

 

Mao le veut

Short

co-director

1965

 

Smith, Our Friend

Short

Director

1946

 

Actor

Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy in Before Midnight (2013)

Before Midnight

7.9

Patrick

2013

 

Producer

Mao le veut

Short

producer

1965

 

Smith, Our Friend

Short

producer

1946

 

Cinematographer

The Way It Was: Paris Restaurants in the 1970s (2023)

The Way It Was: Paris Restaurants in the 1970s

Cinematographer

2023

 

Elyse Mirto, Berhan Simsek, and Selçuk Yöntem in Crescent Heart (2001)

Crescent Heart

4.9

Cinematographer

2001

 

Silent Film (1997)

Silent Film

Short

Cinematographer

1997

 

Nature Perfected: The Story of the Garden

TV Mini Series

Cinematographer

1995

 

Ta delfinakia tou Amvrakikou (1995)

Ta delfinakia tou Amvrakikou

7.9

TV Series

Cinematographer

1995

 

The Little Dolphins (1993)

The Little Dolphins

7.8

Cinematographer

1993

 

The Man Upstairs (1992)

The Man Upstairs

6.4

TV Movie

director of photography

1992

 

Die Erbschaft

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1991

 

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (1991)

The Ballad of the Sad Cafe

5.9

Cinematographer

1991

 

Diary of a Madman

5.8

Cinematographer

1990

 

Gabrielle Reidy in Fragments of Isabella (1989)

Fragments of Isabella

8.0

Cinematographer

1989

 

The Deceivers (1988)

The Deceivers

5.9

Cinematographer

1988

 

The Perfect Murder (1988)

The Perfect Murder

5.9

Cinematographer

1988

 

CBS Summer Playhouse (1987)

CBS Summer Playhouse

6.5

TV Series

Cinematographer

1988

1 episode

 

Indian Summer (1987)

Indian Summer

5.6

Cinematographer

1987

 

Après le vent des sables (1987)

Après le vent des sables

Cinematographer

1987

 

Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry (1986)

Mrs. Delafield Wants to Marry

6.7

TV Movie

director of photography

1986

 

American Playhouse (1980)

American Playhouse

7.3

TV Series

Cinematographer

1984–1986

2 episodes

 

Tuxedo Warrior (I)

Cinematographer

1985

 

Tuxedo Warrior

Cinematographer

1985

 

Stone Pillow (1985)

Stone Pillow

7.4

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1985

 

The Bengal Lancers! (1984)

The Bengal Lancers!

4.9

Cinematographer

1984

 

Guy Rolfe in The Case of Marcel Duchamp (1984)

The Case of Marcel Duchamp

8.0

Cinematographer

1984

 

Children in the Crossfire (1984)

Children in the Crossfire

6.3

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1984

 

Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, and Madeleine Potter in The Bostonians (1984)

The Bostonians

6.2

Cinematographer

1984

 

Phoebe Cates, Matthew Modine, Jonathan Prince, and Michael Zorek in Private School (1983)

Private School

5.3

Cinematographer

1983

 

Greta Scacchi, Julie Christie, and Shashi Kapoor in Heat and Dust (1983)

Heat and Dust

6.5

Cinematographer

1983

 

The Mysterious Stranger (1982)

The Mysterious Stranger

6.6

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1982

 

Tuxedo Warrior (1982)

Tuxedo Warrior

3.7

Cinematographer

1982

 

Rod Steiger, Christoph Eichhorn, and Marie-France Pisier in The Magic Mountain (1982)

The Magic Mountain

6.4

Cinematographer (exteriors, uncredited)

1982

 

CBS Children's Mystery Theatre (1980)

CBS Children's Mystery Theatre

8.2

TV Series

Cinematographer

1981

1 episode

 

Memoirs of a Survivor (1981)

Memoirs of a Survivor

5.3

Cinematographer

1981

 

Engel aus Eisen (1981)

Engel aus Eisen

6.6

Cinematographer

1981

 

The Private History of a Campaign That Failed (1981)

The Private History of a Campaign That Failed

6.9

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1981

 

The Commanding Sea

TV Series

Cinematographer

1980

 

The Pilot (1980)

The Pilot

6.4

Cinematographer

1980

 

Great Performances (1971)

Great Performances

7.9

TV Series

director of photography

1980

1 episode

 

The Blood of Hussain (1980)

The Blood of Hussain

6.9

Cinematographer

1980

 

Gauguin the Savage (1980)

Gauguin the Savage

6.8

TV Movie

Cinematographer (as Walter Lassaly)

1980

 

Der Preis fürs Überleben (1980)

Der Preis fürs Überleben

6.1

Cinematographer

1980

 

Something Short of Paradise (1979)

Something Short of Paradise

4.5

Cinematographer

1979

 

Too Far to Go (1979)

Too Far to Go

7.3

TV Movie

director of photography

1979

 

Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures (1978)

Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures

5.9

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1978

 

The Woman Across the Way (1978)

The Woman Across the Way

6.1

Cinematographer

1978

 

The Great Bank Hoax (1977)

The Great Bank Hoax

5.1

Cinematographer

1977

 

Carved in Ivory

Short

Cinematographer

1976

 

Fluchtversuch (1976)

Fluchtversuch

5.3

Cinematographer

1976

 

Visions (1976)

Visions

5.9

TV Series

Cinematographer

1976

1 episode

 

The Clown (1976)

The Clown

6.6

Cinematographer

1976

 

James Mason and Madhur Jaffrey in Autobiography of a Princess (1975)

Autobiography of a Princess

5.8

Cinematographer

1975

 

Raquel Welch and James Coco in The Wild Party (1975)

The Wild Party

5.3

director of photography

1975

 

Malachi's Cove (1973)

Malachi's Cove

6.3

Cinematographer

1973

 

Ron Howard in Happy Mother's Day, Love George (1973)

Happy Mother's Day, Love George

5.6

director of photography

1973

 

Visions of Eight (1973)

Visions of Eight

6.8

Cinematographer (segment "The Highest", cameraman)

1973

 

Van der Valk und das Mädchen (1972)

Van der Valk und das Mädchen

5.7

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1972

 

To Kill a Clown (1972)

To Kill a Clown

5.3

Cinematographer

1972

 

Savages (1972)

Savages

5.5

Cinematographer

1972

 

Adventures of a Brown Man in Search of Civilization

5.4

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1972

 

Can Horses Sing? (1971)

Can Horses Sing?

6.8

Short

Cinematographer

1971

 

Steve McQueen in Le Mans (1971)

Le Mans

6.7

Cinematographer (uncredited)

1971

 

Something for Everyone (1970)

Something for Everyone

7.0

Cinematographer

1970

 

Charles Bronson and Susan George in London Affair (1970)

London Affair

5.2

director of photography

1970

 

The Adding Machine (1969)

The Adding Machine

6.0

director of photography

1969

 

Rod Steiger, Claire Bloom, and Judy Geeson in Three Into Two Won't Go (1969)

Three Into Two Won't Go

6.0

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1969

 

Arthur Lowe and Patricia Healey in About the White Bus (1968)

About the White Bus

7.4

Cinematographer (uncredited)

1968

 

Assignment Skybolt (1968)

Assignment Skybolt

5.4

director of photography

1968

 

Oedipus the King (1968)

Oedipus the King

6.4

Cinematographer

1968

 

Joanna (1968)

Joanna

5.7

Cinematographer

1968

 

The Greeks (1967)

The Greeks

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1967

 

Betty Arvaniti, Nikiforos Naneris, and Eleni Theofilou in Anoihti epistoli (1967)

Anoihti epistoli

7.0

Cinematographer

1967

 

The Day the Fish Came Out (1967)

The Day the Fish Came Out

5.3

Cinematographer

1967

 

Dan

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1965

 

Mao le veut

Short

Cinematographer

1965

 

Zorba the Greek (1964)

Zorba the Greek

7.6

director of photography

1964

 

The Peaches (1964)

The Peaches

6.3

Short

Cinematographer

1964

 

Patricia Neal in Psyche 59 (1964)

Psyche 59

6.0

director of photography

1964

 

Tom Jones (1963)

Tom Jones

6.4

director of photography

1963

 

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

7.5

director of photography

1962

 

Electra (1962)

Electra

7.6

Cinematographer

1962

 

Let My People Go

6.8

Short

Cinematographer

1961

 

Aliki Vougiouklaki in Lisa and the Other Woman (1961)

Lisa and the Other Woman

5.4

Cinematographer

1961

 

A Taste of Honey (1961)

A Taste of Honey

7.4

director of photography

1961

 

I Aliki sto Naftiko (1961)

I Aliki sto Naftiko

6.4

Cinematographer

1961

 

Aliki Vougiouklaki in Madalena (1960)

Madalena

6.6

Cinematographer

1960

 

Gillian Hills in Wild for Kicks (1960)

Wild for Kicks

5.9

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1960

 

Eroika (1960)

Eroika

6.6

Cinematographer

1960

 

A Song for Prince Charlie

Short

Cinematographer

1959

 

Britain's Wealth from Coal

Short

Cinematographer

1959

 

Playhouse 90 (1956)

Playhouse 90

8.3

TV Series

director of photography

1959

1 episode

 

The Day Shall Dawn (1959)

The Day Shall Dawn

7.1

Cinematographer

1959

 

Refuge England (1959)

Refuge England

7.1

Short

Cinematographer

1959

 

Alone with the Monsters (1958)

Alone with the Monsters

5.7

Short

Cinematographer

1958

 

British Art and Artists

TV Series

Cinematographer

1958

1 episode

 

Ellie Lambeti in A Matter of Dignity (1958)

A Matter of Dignity

7.7

Cinematographer

1958

 

Bernard Shaw

Short

Cinematographer

1957

 

Every Day Except Christmas (1957)

Every Day Except Christmas

6.8

Short

Cinematographer

1957

 

Wakefield Express (1957)

Wakefield Express

6.4

Short

Cinematographer

1957

 

Dimitris Horn and Ellie Lambeti in A Girl in Black (1956)

A Girl in Black

7.7

Cinematographer

1956

 

Momma Don't Allow (1956)

Momma Don't Allow

6.6

Short

Cinematographer (camera)

1956

 

Alec Clunes in Brighton Story (1955)

Brighton Story

7.1

Short

Cinematographer (as Walter Lassaly)

1955

 

Friend of the Family

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

A Hundred Thousand Children

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

Henry

6.5

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

Green and Pleasant Land

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

Foot and Mouth

5.8

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

The Children Upstairs

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

The Pleasure Garden (1955)

The Pleasure Garden

6.3

Short

Cinematographer

1955

 

Simon

7.0

Short

Cinematographer

1954

 

Another Sky (1954)

Another Sky

7.0

Cinematographer

1954

 

The Passing Stranger (1954)

The Passing Stranger

5.5

Cinematographer (photographed by)

1954

 

Bow Bells (1954)

Bow Bells

6.9

Short

Cinematographer

1954

 

Thursday's Children (1954)

Thursday's Children

7.3

Short

Cinematographer

1954

 

Power Signal Lineman (1953)

Power Signal Lineman

Short

Cinematographer

1953

 

Three Installations (1952)

Three Installations

5.9

Short

Cinematographer

1952

 

Forward a Century

Short

Cinematographer

1951

 

Every Five Minutes

6.2

Short

Cinematographer

1951

 

Sunday by the Sea (1951)

Sunday by the Sea

7.1

Short

Cinematographer

1951

 

Smith, Our Friend

Short

Cinematographer

1946

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Arena (1975)

Arena

7.7

TV Series

archive film cameraman

1986

1 episode

 

Requiem for a Village (1975)

Requiem for a Village

6.7

additional photography

1975

 

The Olympics in Mexico (1969)

The Olympics in Mexico

7.1

photographer

1969

 

In the Labyrinth (1967)

In the Labyrinth

7.1

Short

cameraman

1967

 

We Are the Lambeth Boys (1959)

We Are the Lambeth Boys

6.8

camera

1959

 

Eduardo Paolozzi and Michael Andrews in Together (1956)

Together

6.7

additional photography

1956

 

Strange Stories

6.3

assistant camera (uncredited)

1953

 

Gene Tierney, Richard Widmark, Francis L. Sullivan, and Googie Withers in Night and the City (1950)

Night and the City

7.8

focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

1950

 

Sheila Manahan, Kieron Moore, and Christine Norden in Saints and Sinners (1949)

Saints and Sinners

5.8

assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

1949

 

Woman of Dolwyn (1949)

Woman of Dolwyn

7.0

assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

1949

 

What a Life (1948)

What a Life

6.3

Short

camera assistant (uncredited)

1948

 

Things Happen at Night (1948)

Things Happen at Night

4.6

assistant camera (uncredited)

1948

 

This Was a Woman (1948)

This Was a Woman

6.8

assistant camera (uncredited)

1948

 

Richard Attenborough, Barry K. Barnes, and Sheila Sim in Dancing with Crime (1947)

Dancing with Crime

6.4

assistant camera (uncredited)

1947

 

Trevor Howard in I Became a Criminal (1947)

I Became a Criminal

7.2

assistant camera (uncredited)

1947

 

Editorial Department

Diana Dors in Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary (1953)

Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary

5.7

assistant editor (uncredited)

1953

 

House of Blackmail (1953)

House of Blackmail

6.1

assistant editor (uncredited)

1953

 

Additional Crew

Rainbow Dickerson and Francis Idlebrook in The World at Night (2009)

The World at Night

Short

technical advisor

2009

 

Thanks

Jimmy Kimmel in The Oscars (2018)

The Oscars

5.8

TV Special

in memoriam

2018

 

Modern Greeks: Michael Cacoyannis (2007)

Modern Greeks: Michael Cacoyannis

TV Movie

special thanks

2007

 

Self

Vanessa Redgrave on 'Tom Jones' (2018)

Walter Lassally on 'Tom Jones'

Video

Self

2018

 

After Before (2016)

After Before

7.6

Short

Self

2016

 

Na plovárne (1999)

Na plovárne

7.5

TV Series

Self

2015

1 episode

 

Cretativity (2014)

Cretativity

8.2

Self

2014

 

I anazitisi tis epityhias

TV Series

Self

2010–2011

 

Masterclass (2009)

Masterclass

Lead

2009

 

Michael Cacoyannis in Mia zoi, mia epohi - Mihalis Kakogiannis (2008)

Mia zoi, mia epohi - Mihalis Kakogiannis

7.0

Self

2008

 

British Film Forever (2007)

British Film Forever

6.7

TV Mini Series

Self

2007

1 episode

 

Small Is Beautiful: The Story of the Free Cinema Films Told by Their Makers

6.5

Video

Self

2006

 

Walter the Greek (2005)

Walter the Greek

Self

2005

 

Cast & Crew

7.9

TV Series

Self

2002

1 episode

 

The Wandering Company (1985)

The Wandering Company

8.5

TV Movie

Cinematographer

1985

 

How the Myth Was Made: A Study of Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran (1978)

How the Myth Was Made: A Study of Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran

6.7

Self (uncredited)

1978

 

Right to Work March (1972)

Right to Work March

8.2

Short

Contributor

1972

 

Desmond Dekker in Review (1969)

Review

6.3

TV Series

Self

1970

1 episode

 

Archive Footage

Jimmy Kimmel in The Oscars (2018)

The Oscars

5.8

TV Special

Self - Cinematographer (In Memoriam) (archive footage)

2018