MOSCOW, 7 Apr. Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bill Butler has died at 101, Deadline writes citing the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC).
According to the publication, Butler was the highest-ranking member of the ASC. He has collaborated with such cult directors as Philip Kaufman, Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Steven Spielberg, Richard Donner and many others.
Tapes worked on by Bill Butler entered the history of world cinema. For example, «Jaws» by Steven Spielberg or «The People vs. Paul Crump» by William Friedkin.
Butler made his feature film debut in 1967 with Philip Kaufman's «Fearless Frank».
After a couple of years, Friedkin introduced the operator to Francis Ford Coppola. With him, Butler worked on the paintings «People of the Rain» and «Conversation». He could also make Apocalypse Now. But he refused for the sake of his directorial project, which never took place.
Butler was also an additional cameraman on the set of Milos Forman's drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. And together with his colleague Haskell Wexler, he was nominated for an Oscar for this picture.