Camera

Wilmer Butler

Born April 7, 1921 · Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA

Died April 5, 2023 · aged 101

Wilmer Cable Butler (April 7, 1921 – April 5, 2023) was an American cinematographer who was known for his work on The Conversation (1974), Jaws (1975), and three Rocky sequels. Butler also completed One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) after Haskell Wexler was fired from the production, and was subsequently nominated for an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

Known For

The Godfather

The Godfather · 1972

MovieDramaCrime

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

Jaws

MovieHorrorThriller

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate quest to kill the beast before it strikes again.

Child's Play

Child's Play · 1988

After being shot in a toy store, a serial killer transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll. A mother then gifts it to her six-year-old son Andy, which unleashes terror upon the city.

Grease

MovieRomanceComedy

Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?

Rocky II

Rocky II · 1979

MovieDramaAction

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

The Conversation

The Conversation · 1974

The Conversation

MovieCrimeDrama

A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.

Rocky III

Rocky III · 1982

MovieDramaAction

Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.

Rocky IV

Rocky IV · 1985

MovieDramaAction

Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!

Filmography

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The Godfather

The Godfather · 1972

MovieDramaCrime

Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

Second Unit Director of Photography

Jaws

MovieHorrorThriller

When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, and a grizzled shark hunter embark on a desperate quest to kill the beast before it strikes again.

Director of Photography

Child's Play

Child's Play · 1988

After being shot in a toy store, a serial killer transfers his soul into a Good Guy doll. A mother then gifts it to her six-year-old son Andy, which unleashes terror upon the city.

Director of Photography

Grease

MovieRomanceComedy

Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?

Director of Photography

Rocky II

Rocky II · 1979

MovieDramaAction

After Rocky goes the distance with champ Apollo Creed, both try to put the fight behind them and move on. Rocky settles down with Adrian but can't put his life together outside the ring, while Creed seeks a rematch to restore his reputation. Soon enough, the "Master of Disaster" and the "Italian Stallion" are set on a collision course for a climactic battle that is brutal and unforgettable.

Director of Photography

The Conversation

The Conversation · 1974

The Conversation

MovieCrimeDrama

A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered.

Director of Photography

Rocky III

Rocky III · 1982

MovieDramaAction

Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.

Director of Photography

Rocky IV

Rocky IV · 1985

MovieDramaAction

Rocky Balboa holds the world heavyweight championship, but a new challenger has stepped forward: Drago, a six-foot-four, 261-pound fighter who has the backing of the Soviet Union. This time, Rocky's training regimen takes him to Siberia, where he prepares for a globally televised match in the heart of Moscow. But nothing can truly prepare him for what he's about to face – a fight to the finish, in which he must defend not only himself, but also the honor of his country!

Director of Photography

Anaconda

Anaconda · 1997

MovieAdventureHorror

A 'National Geographic' film crew is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who takes them along on his quest to capture the world's largest — and deadliest — snake.

Director of Photography

Hot Shots!

Hot Shots! · 1991

MovieActionComedy

The gang that created Airplane! and The Naked Gun sets its sights on Top Gun in this spoof. Topper Harley is a talented but unstable fighter pilot with an axe to grind: clearing the family name. His mission is to avenge his father and save a mission sabotaged by greedy weapons manufacturers. He also gets involved in a relationship with Ramada Thompson, a woman with an unusually talented stomach. Hot Shots! makes fun of a variety of other films, from Dances with Wolves to The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Director of Photography

Stripes

Stripes · 1981

MovieActionComedy

Hard-luck cabbie John Winger, directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend, enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey. After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of misfits. However, his hijinks threaten to cause an international scandal when he inadvertently commandeers a military assault vehicle behind enemy lines.

Director of Photography

Deliverance

Deliverance · 1972

MovieDramaAdventure

Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

Second Unit Director of Photography

TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR

TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR · 2023

TAYLOR SWIFT | THE ERAS TOUR

A concert film documenting Taylor Swift's record-breaking Eras Tour (2023-2024). Filmed during the Los Angeles shows, the film captures the tour's ten acts, each representing a different musical era from Swift's career. The film showcases over 40 songs, elaborate stage productions, and Swift's performance.

Camera Technician

Capricorn One

Capricorn One · 1977

MovieDramaAction

In order to protect the reputation of the American space program, a team of NASA administrators turn the first Mars mission into a phony Mars landing. Under threat of harm to their families the astronauts play their part in the deception on a staged set in a deserted military base. But once the real ship returns to Earth and burns up on re-entry, the astronauts become liabilities. Now, with the help of a crusading reporter, they must battle a sinister conspiracy that will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.

Director of Photography

Damien - Omen II

Damien - Omen II · 1978

Damien - Omen II

MovieHorrorThriller

Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien has been in the charge of his wealthy aunt and uncle and enrolled in a military school. Widely feared to be the Antichrist, he relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle's business empire — and the world.

Director of Photography

Sniper

MovieActionDrama

Tough guy Thomas Beckett is a US Marine working in the Panamanian jungle. His job is to seek out rebels and remove them using his sniper skills. Beckett is notorious for losing his partners on such missions. This time he's accompanied by crack marksman Richard Miller.

Director of Photography

Frailty

Frailty · 2002

MovieDramaThriller

A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to kill people who were in fact "demons."

Director of Photography

Beethoven's 2nd

Beethoven's 2nd · 1993

Beethoven's 2nd

MovieFamilyComedy

Beethoven is back -- and this time, he has a whole brood with him now that he's met his canine match, Missy, and fathered a family. The only problem is that Missy's owner, Regina, wants to sell the puppies and tear the clan apart. It's up to Beethoven and the Newton kids to save the day and keep everyone together.

Director of Photography

Biloxi Blues

Biloxi Blues · 1988

MovieComedyDrama

A Jewish teenager sets three goals: lose his virginity, become a writer, and survive World War II.

Director of Photography

Demon Seed

Demon Seed · 1977

MovieHorrorScience Fiction

A scientist creates Proteus, an organic supercomputer with artificial intelligence which becomes obsessed with human beings, and in particular the creator's wife.

Director of Photography

Cop & ½

Cop & ½ · 1993

MovieActionComedy

When a pint-sized 8-year-old kid witnesses a murder he offers to help the police, if they make him a cop, too. Saddled with this streetwise sidekick, a hardboiled cop is forced to take his new partner seriously as they race the clock to bring the bad guys to justice.

Director of Photography

Flipper

Flipper · 1996

MovieAdventureFamily

Sandy Ricks is sent by his mom to Coral Key, a rustic island in the Florida keys, to spend the summer with his uncle Porter Ricks. Sandy dislikes everything about his new environment until a new friend comes into his life, a dolphin named Flipper, that brings uncle and nephew together and leads Sandy on the summer adventure of a lifetime.

Director of Photography

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum · 1966

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

A wily slave must unite a virgin courtesan and his young smitten master to earn his freedom.

Sound Editor

Evil Angel

Evil Angel · 2009

MovieHorrorThriller

Set in present day Chicago, the ancient avenging demon Lilith, attempts to destroy a young paramedic's life while destroying anyone who interferes with her plan.

Director of Photography

Ghost Story

Ghost Story · 1972

SeriesDramaMystery

Ghost Story is an American television anthology series that aired for one season on NBC from 1972 to 1973. Executive-produced by William Castle, it initially featured supernatural entities such as ghosts, vampires, and witches. By mid-season, low ratings led to a shift -- for the most part -- away from paranormal themes and a title change to Circle of Fear.

Director of Photography

The Thorn Birds

The Thorn Birds · 1983

The Thorn Birds

Follows the Cleary family over several decades, focusing on the central, tragic romance between Meggie and Father Ralph, who is torn between his vows and his love for her.

Director of Photography