Christopher Challis Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Christopher George Joseph Challis BSC, FRPS (18 March 1919 – 31 May 2012) was a British cinematographer who worked on more than 70 feature films since beginning in the industry during the 1940s.After working as camera operator on several films for Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, he made his debut as director of photography on The End of the River in 1947 one of their projects as producers. After The End of the River, Challis was camera operator under Jack Cardiff on The Red Shoes. He did not object to the demotion as he wanted to work on the film. Following this he went back to being director of photography. He was cinematographer on most of Powell and Pressburger's later films, including The Small Back Room (1949), The Elusive Pimpernel (1950), The Tales of Hoffmann (1951), Oh... Rosalinda!! (1955), The Battle of the River Plate (1956) and Ill Met by Moonlight (1957). His expertise in colour cinematography made him a popular choice for British film makers of the 1950s, and he worked on a number of successful comedies, including Genevieve (1953), The Captain's Table (1958) and Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (1965). He worked on projects in other genres too, such as The Spanish Gardener (1956), the war film Sink the Bismarck! (1960), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), and Billy Wilder's The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). He was nominated for several BAFTA Awards for Best British Cinematography, including a win in 1966 for Stanley Donen's film Arabesque.Martin Scorsese said: "It is not possible even to begin to take the full measure of the greatness of British filmmaking without thinking of Chris Challis," and: "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."His autobiography, Are They Really So Awful?: A Cameraman's Chronicle, was published by Janus Publishing Company (ISBN 1-85756-193-7) in March 1995. Challis was also an accomplished and enthusiastic still photographer. He joined The Royal Photographic Society in 1936, gaining his Associateship in 1945 and Fellowship in 1948. He remained a member until his death. He features in the book Conversations with Cinematographers by David A Ellis, published by Scarecrow Press.
Cinematographer, Camera Department, Miscellaneous Crew
Spouse
Sylvia Challis
Children
Sarah Challis, Drummond Challis
Awards
BAFTA Special Award (Film), BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography (Colour)
Star Sign
Pisces
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Fact
1
Second cousin of British silent film writer, editor and director Challis Sanderson.
2
In his teens, he was a camera assistant for Gaumont-British news, then became an apprentice technician in a Technocolor laboratory.
3
Specialist in colour cinematography, best known for his earlier work with Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (from 1949) at The Archers production company. Prior to that, he had worked on early British Technicolor films as second cameraman under Georges Perinal and Jack Cardiff. During the 60's, was principal cinematographer on several British films directed by the American Stanley Donen.
4
President of the British Society of Cinematographers and fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.
$1.5 Million
