Richard Henry “Dick” Bush BSC (1931–1997) was a British cinematographer whose career spanned more than three decades across film and television.
Bush studied at Plymouth Art College before serving as an officer in the Royal Military Police. After leaving the service, he worked in several occupations, including at Fry’s Chocolate and Clarks Shoes, where he began making promotional films. In 1961 he joined the BBC Film Unit, working on film programmes for television.
His BBC work included Culloden (1964), Alice in Wonderland (1966), Song of Summer (1968) and Whistle and I’ll Come to You (1968). His photography on the BBC production of Alice in Wonderland, directed by Jonathan Miller, contributed to the programme receiving a BAFTA Television Award for Individual Honour in 1967.
Bush left the BBC to work as a freelance director of photography. His early feature credits included Take a Girl Like You (1969), directed by Jonathan Miller, and Laughter in the Dark (1969), directed by Tony Richardson. He subsequently photographed When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970), The Blood on Satan’s Claw (1971), Savage Messiah (1972), Mahler (1974) and Tommy (1975).
His work with director Ken Russell included Savage Messiah, Mahler and Tommy. He also photographed Sorcerer (1977), directed by William Friedkin, and Yanks (1979), directed by John Schlesinger. For Yanks, Bush received a BAFTA nomination for Best Cinematography.
During the 1980s, Bush worked extensively in both British and American productions. His credits included The Fan (1981), Victor/Victoria (1982), The Trail of the Pink Panther (1982), The Curse of the Pink Panther (1983), The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) and The Journey of Natty Gann (1985). He subsequently photographed films including The Lair of the White Worm (1988) and Little Monsters (1989).
Bush continued working in television and film during the 1990s. His later credits included Switch (1991), Son of the Pink Panther (1993), Ultimate Betrayal (1994) and The Man in the Attic (1995). In 1996 he received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series for The Man in the Attic.
Bush died in Devon on 4 August 1997, aged 65.