DESMOND DICKINSON BSC

Started as a laboratory assistant at the age of seventeen. Began working with D. P. Cooper (Father of Wilkie Cooper BSC) on camera at Stoll Studios, Cricklewood. Graduated to lighting cameraman for Such is the Law (1930 Directed by Sinclair Hill with whom he worked often), and put to work on low-budget 'quota quickies' for Gainsborough, Welsh-Pearson and Stoll studios.

During World War II, he worked on propaganda and training films. After the war, he came to prominence with Hamlet (1948 Directed and starring Sir Laurence Olivier), which won best cinematography at the Venice Film Festival in 1948, The Browning Version (1951 Directed by Anthony Asquith), and in Technicolor, The Importance of Being Ernest (1952 Directed by Anthony Asquith) plus Sparrows Can’t Sing (1963 Directed by Joan Littlewood) and uncredited for second unit photography on Dr. Zhivago (1965 Directed by David Lean and photographed by Freddie Young OBE BSC).

With 102 credits to his name, his last film was The Man From Nowhere (1975 Directed by James Hill).

Phil Méheux