---
name: "Gordon Willis"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/gordon-willis"
fi1m_id: "gordon-willis"
imdb_id: "nm0932336"
tmdb_id: 3097
wikidata_id: "Q560108"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "28 May 1931"
died: "18 May 2014"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-04T19:48:42.636764+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."
---

# Gordon Willis

## Identity

Gordon Willis

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gordon-willis
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** gordon-willis
- **IMDb ID:** nm0932336
- **TMDB ID:** 3097
- **Wikidata ID:** Q560108
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Willis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560108, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932336/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3097

Cinematographer. Born 28 May 1931 in Astoria, New York, USA. Died 18 May 2014.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 28 May 1931, Astoria, New York, USA
- **Died:** 18 May 2014
- **Active:** 1971–1990
- **Also known as:** Gordon Hugh Willis Jr., Gordon Hugh Willis, Jr.
- **Frequently works with:** [Diane Keaton](https://film.one/person/diane-keaton.md), [Woody Allen](https://film.one/person/woody-allen.md), [Alan J. Pakula](https://film.one/person/alan-j-pakula.md), [Al Pacino](https://film.one/person/al-pacino.md), [Francis Ford Coppola](https://film.one/person/francis-ford-coppola.md), [Mario Puzo](https://film.one/person/mario-puzo.md), [Charles H. Joffe](https://film.one/person/charles-h-joffe.md), [Marshall Brickman](https://film.one/person/marshall-brickman.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 2 Oscar nominations
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 87 (6), 1980s 73 (3), 1990s 72 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 80 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 8 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 7, Comedy 5, Crime 5, Romance 4, Thriller 4, Mystery 2
- **Screen time:** 23 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $950m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Willis, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q560108, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0932336/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3097

## Streaming the US now

- **Pluto TV:** [*The Purple Rose of Cairo*](https://film.one/film/the-purple-rose-of-cairo.md) (84), [*Zelig*](https://film.one/film/zelig.md) (82), [*Manhattan*](https://film.one/film/manhattan.md) (78)
- **Paramount+:** [*The Godfather Part II*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md) (92), [*The Godfather Part III*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md) (63)
- **Tubi:** [*Presumed Innocent*](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md) (82), [*Klute*](https://film.one/film/klute.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*The Godfather*](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md) (93)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Annie Hall*](https://film.one/film/annie-hall.md) (86)

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

## Biography

Gordon Hugh Willis Jr. (28 May 1931 – 18 May 2014) was an American cinematographer. Born in Astoria, Queens, New York, he began working in film after early experience in stage acting, photography, and as an assistant cameraman on documentaries and commercials. His first feature credit came in 1970.

Willis served as director of photography on Francis Ford Coppola's *The Godfather* (1972) and *The Godfather Part II* (1974), as well as *The Godfather Part III* (1990). He collaborated frequently with Woody Allen on films including *Annie Hall* (1977), *Manhattan* (1979) and *Zelig* (1983), and with Alan J. Pakula on *Klute* (1971) and *All the President's Men* (1976).

He received an Academy Honorary Award in 2009.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, oscars.org, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (11)

- *Presumed Innocent* (1990), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md)
- *The Godfather Part III* (1990), Fi1m 63, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md)
- *The Money Pit* (1986), Fi1m 54, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-money-pit.md)
- *The Purple Rose of Cairo* (1985), Fi1m 84, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-purple-rose-of-cairo.md)
- *Zelig* (1983), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/zelig.md)
- *Manhattan* (1979), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/manhattan.md)
- *Annie Hall* (1977), Fi1m 86, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/annie-hall.md)
- *All the President's Men* (1976), Fi1m 90, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/all-the-presidents-men.md)
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Fi1m 92, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Godfather* (1972), Fi1m 93, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)
- *Klute* (1971), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/klute.md)

## Complete filmography (39)

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

- *The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959* (2016), Director of Photography
- *The Devil's Own* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Malice* (1993), Director of Photography
- *The Godfather Trilogy: 1901-1980* (1992), Director of Photography
- *The Godfather Part III* (1990), Director of Photography — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-iii.md)
- *Presumed Innocent* (1990), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/presumed-innocent.md)
- *Bright Lights, Big City* (1988), Director of Photography
- *The Pick-up Artist* (1987), Director of Photography
- *The Money Pit* (1986), Director of Photography — Fi1m 54, [page](https://film.one/film/the-money-pit.md)
- *Perfect* (1985), Director of Photography
- *The Purple Rose of Cairo* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-purple-rose-of-cairo.md)
- *Broadway Danny Rose* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Zelig* (1983), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/zelig.md)
- *A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy* (1982), Director of Photography
- *Pennies from Heaven* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Stardust Memories* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Windows* (1980), Director, Director of Photography
- *Manhattan* (1979), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/manhattan.md)
- *Comes a Horseman* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Interiors* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television* (1977), series, Cinematography
- *September 30, 1955* (1977), Director of Photography
- *The Beatles at Shea Stadium* (1977), Camera Operator
- *Annie Hall* (1977), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/annie-hall.md)
- *All the President's Men* (1976), Director of Photography — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/all-the-presidents-men.md)
- *The Drowning Pool* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Director of Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *The Parallax View* (1974), Director of Photography
- *The Paper Chase* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Up the Sandbox* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Bad Company* (1972), Director of Photography
- *The Godfather* (1972), Director of Photography — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather.md)
- *Klute* (1971), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/klute.md)
- *Little Murders* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The People Next Door* (1970), Director of Photography
- *The Landlord* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Loving* (1970), Director of Photography
- *End of the Road* (1970), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 2 nominated

- 1991: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Godfather Part III*
- 1984: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Zelig*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Academy Honorary Award 2010: Academy Honorary Award (won)
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1981: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *Windows*

*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/gordon-willis