---
name: "Freddie Francis"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/freddie-francis"
fi1m_id: "freddie-francis"
imdb_id: "nm0005711"
tmdb_id: 5629
wikidata_id: "Q1337082"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "22 December 1917"
died: "17 March 2007"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 77
average_over: 9
updated: "2026-10-04T21:35:05.289752+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Freddie Francis

## Identity

Freddie Francis

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/freddie-francis
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** freddie-francis
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005711
- **TMDB ID:** 5629
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1337082
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Francis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1337082, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005711/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5629

Cinematographer. Born 22 December 1917 in Islington, London, England, UK. Died 17 March 2007.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 22 December 1917, Islington, London, England, UK
- **Died:** 17 March 2007
- **Active:** 1952–1999
- **Also known as:** Ken Barnett
- **Frequently works with:** [David Lynch](https://film.one/person/david-lynch.md), [Heather Sears](https://film.one/person/heather-sears.md), [Wendy Hiller](https://film.one/person/wendy-hiller.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscars (2 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 73 (3), 1960s 73 (2), 1980s 83 (2), 1990s 80 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 82 to 75 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 8, Adventure 2, Crime 2, History 2, Romance 2, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 17 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $242m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Francis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1337082, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005711/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/5629

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Glory*](https://film.one/film/glory.md) (82), [*Room at the Top*](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md) (82), [*Cape Fear*](https://film.one/film/cape-fear-1991.md) (71)
- **Disney+:** [*The Straight Story*](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md) (88)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Freddie Francis was an English cinematographer and film director. Born in Islington, London, on 22 December 1917, he began his career in the 1930s as a clapper loader and camera assistant before becoming a director of photography in the 1950s. He won Academy Awards for best cinematography for *Sons and Lovers* (1960) and *Glory* (1989).

Francis directed numerous films in the 1960s and 1970s, many for Hammer and Amicus, including horror titles such as *Dracula Has Risen from the Grave* (1968) and *Tales from the Crypt* (1972). He later returned to cinematography, collaborating with David Lynch on *The Elephant Man* (1980), *Dune* (1984) and *The Straight Story* (1999), his final feature as director of photography. He died in London on 17 March 2007.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, theasc.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (9)

- *The Straight Story* (1999), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md)
- *Cape Fear* (1991), Fi1m 71, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/cape-fear-1991.md)
- *Glory* (1989), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/glory.md)
- *The Elephant Man* (1980), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md)
- *Saturday Night and Sunday Morning* (1960), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning.md)
- *Sons and Lovers* (1960), Fi1m 64, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/sons-and-lovers.md)
- *Room at the Top* (1958), Fi1m 82, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md)
- *Beat the Devil* (1953), Fi1m 72, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/beat-the-devil.md)
- *Moulin Rouge* (1952), Fi1m 64, Camera Operator — [page](https://film.one/film/moulin-rouge-1952.md)

## Complete filmography (81)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Amicus: House of Horrors* (2012), Actor
- *The Straight Story* (1999), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-straight-story.md)
- *Rainbow* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Princess Caraboo* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror* (1994), Thanks
- *Calliope* (1994), Cinematography
- *A Life in the Theatre* (1993), Director of Photography
- *School Ties* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Cape Fear* (1991), Director of Photography — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/cape-fear-1991.md)
- *The Man in the Moon* (1991), Director of Photography
- *The Plot to Kill Hitler* (1990), Director of Photography
- *Glory* (1989), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/glory.md)
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, Director
- *Brenda Starr* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Her Alibi* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Clara's Heart* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Dark Tower* (1987), Director
- *The Doctor and the Devils* (1985), Director
- *Code Name: Emerald* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Dune* (1984), Director of Photography
- *What Waits Below* (1984), Story
- *Memed My Hawk* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Jigsaw Man* (1983), Director of Photography
- *The Executioner's Song* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The French Lieutenant's Woman* (1981), Director of Photography
- *The Elephant Man* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-elephant-man.md)
- *Golden Rendezvous* (1977), Director
- *Star Maidens* (1976), series, Director
- *Legend of the Werewolf* (1975), Director
- *The Ghoul* (1975), Director
- *Craze* (1974), Director
- *Son of Dracula* (1974), Director
- *Tales That Witness Madness* (1973), Director
- *The Creeping Flesh* (1973), Director
- *The Adventures of Black Beauty* (1972), series, Director
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1972), Director
- *The Vampire Happening* (1971), Director
- *Trog* (1970), Director
- *Mumsy, Nanny, Sonny & Girly* (1970), Director
- *Dracula Has Risen from the Grave* (1968), Director
- *The Champions* (1968), series, Director
- *Torture Garden* (1967), Director
- *Man in a Suitcase* (1967), series, Director
- *They Came from Beyond Space* (1967), Director
- *The Deadly Bees* (1966), Director
- *The Psychopath* (1966), Director
- *The Skull* (1965), Director
- *Hysteria* (1965), Director
- *Dr. Terror's House of Horrors* (1965), Director
- *Traitor's Gate* (1964), Director
- *The Evil of Frankenstein* (1964), Director
- *Night Must Fall* (1964), Director of Photography
- *Nightmare* (1964), Director
- *Paranoiac* (1963), Director
- *The Saint* (1962), series, Director
- *The Brain* (1962), Director
- *Two and Two Make Six* (1962), Director
- *The Innocents* (1961), Director of Photography
- *Saturday Night and Sunday Morning* (1960), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/saturday-night-and-sunday-morning.md)
- *Sons and Lovers* (1960), Director of Photography — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/sons-and-lovers.md)
- *Never Take Sweets from a Stranger* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The Battle of the Sexes* (1960), Cinematography
- *Virgin Island* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Room at the Top* (1958), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/room-at-the-top.md)
- *Next to No Time* (1958), Cinematography
- *The Scamp* (1957), Cinematography
- *Time Without Pity* (1957), Director of Photography
- *A Hill in Korea* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Moby Dick* (1956), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Monsieur Ripois* (1954), Camera Operator
- *Beat the Devil* (1953), Camera Operator — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/beat-the-devil.md)
- *Twice Upon a Time* (1953), Camera Operator
- *Moulin Rouge* (1952), Camera Operator — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/moulin-rouge-1952.md)
- *24 Hours of a Woman's Life* (1952), Camera Operator
- *Angels One Five* (1952), Camera Operator
- *The Tales of Hoffmann* (1951), Camera Operator
- *Golden Salamander* (1950), Camera Operator
- *The Small Back Room* (1949), Camera Operator
- *Nightbeat* (1947), Camera Operator
- *Mine Own Executioner* (1947), Camera Operator
- *The New Lot* (1943), Camera Operator

## Gallery

- ![Official Logo of the movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, a 1965 British horror film.](https://film.one/media/person/88822/gallery-c72237fa898d.png) Official Logo of the movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, a 1965 British horror film. — Amicus Productions, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/88/Die_Todeskarten_des_Dr._Schreck_Logo.png/1280px-Die_Todeskarten_des_Dr._Schreck_Logo.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Freddie Francis](https://film.one/media/person/88822/gallery-a7c72a99855e.jpg) Freddie Francis — File:Rainbow set 20001.JPG: User:Oldgoldpictures
derivative work: Terraflorin, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Freddie_Francis.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Bob Hoskins and Freddie Francis on location in Montreal for Rainbow](https://film.one/media/person/88822/gallery-db08df5be21a.jpg) Bob Hoskins and Freddie Francis on location in Montreal for Rainbow — User:Oldgoldpictures, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Rainbow_set_20001.JPG/1280px-Rainbow_set_20001.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Tri-City Drive-In theater advertisement for the science fiction horror film Trog (1970). From the 23 September 1970 San Bernardino Sun.](https://film.one/media/person/88822/gallery-2338ab2bf2aa.jpg) Tri-City Drive-In theater advertisement for the science fiction horror film Trog (1970). From the 23 September 1970 San Bernardino Sun. — Warner Bros., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Tri-City_Drive-In_Ad_-_23_September_1970%2C_Loma_Linda%2C_CA.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Freddie Francis](https://film.one/media/person/88822/gallery-1e38ef917d0c.jpg) Freddie Francis — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 2 won

- 1990: Best Cinematography (won), for *Glory*
- 1961: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (won), for *Sons and Lovers*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/freddie-francis