---
name: "Robert Paynter"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-paynter"
fi1m_id: "robert-paynter"
imdb_id: "nm0668481"
tmdb_id: 14456
wikidata_id: "Q772867"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "12 March 1928"
died: "20 October 2010"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 7
average_fi1m_score: 66
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-04T19:12:03.288395+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."
---

# Robert Paynter

## Identity

Robert Paynter

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/robert-paynter
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** robert-paynter
- **IMDb ID:** nm0668481
- **TMDB ID:** 14456
- **Wikidata ID:** Q772867
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Paynter, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q772867, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668481/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14456

Cinematographer. Born 12 March 1928 in London, England, UK. Died 20 October 2010.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 12 March 1928, London, England, UK
- **Died:** 20 October 2010
- **Active:** 1980–1986
- **Also known as:** Bob Paynter, Robert William Paynter, Robert Painter
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 7: 1 acting, 6 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [John Landis](https://film.one/person/john-landis.md), [George Folsey Jr.](https://film.one/person/george-folsey-jr.md), [Chevy Chase](https://film.one/person/chevy-chase.md), [Christopher Reeve](https://film.one/person/christopher-reeve.md), [Dan Aykroyd](https://film.one/person/dan-aykroyd.md), [David Newman](https://film.one/person/david-newman-6728.md), [Leslie Newman](https://film.one/person/leslie-newman.md), [Pierre Spengler](https://film.one/person/pierre-spengler.md)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 69 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Adventure 3, Action 2, Horror 2, Science Fiction 2, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $522m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Paynter, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q772867, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0668481/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14456

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Trading Places*](https://film.one/film/trading-places.md) (80), [*An American Werewolf in London*](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md) (80)
- **HBO Max:** [*Superman II*](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md) (74), [*Superman III*](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md) (49)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Spies Like Us*](https://film.one/film/spies-like-us.md) (47), [*National Lampoon's European Vacation*](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation.md) (40)

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

## Biography

Robert Paynter was an English cinematographer. Born in south London in 1928, he left school at 15 and began as a camera trainee with the Central Office of Information’s Colonial Film Unit, later working as a cameraman on short information films.

He collaborated extensively with director Michael Winner on ten films between 1969 and 1984, including *Lawman* (1971), *The Nightcomers* (1971) and *The Big Sleep* (1978). From 1980 he worked with John Landis on five projects: *An American Werewolf in London* (1981), *Trading Places* (1983), the Michael Jackson video *Thriller* (1983), *Into the Night* (1985) and *Spies Like Us* (1985). He also served as director of photography on *Superman II* (1980) and *Superman III* (1983). Paynter appeared in cameos in several Landis films and retired in the early 1990s. He died on the Isle of Wight in 2010, aged 82.

*Sources: theguardian.com, en.wikipedia.org, thetimes.com, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (7)

### Performed in (1)

- *Spies Like Us* (1985), Fi1m 47, as Dr. Gill — [page](https://film.one/film/spies-like-us.md)

### Crew (6) — the average rests on these

- *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), Fi1m 76, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/little-shop-of-horrors.md)
- *National Lampoon's European Vacation* (1985), Fi1m 40, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation.md)
- *Superman III* (1983), Fi1m 49, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)
- *Trading Places* (1983), Fi1m 80, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/trading-places.md)
- *An American Werewolf in London* (1981), Fi1m 80, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md)
- *Superman II* (1980), Fi1m 74, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)

## Complete filmography (48)

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

- *Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut* (2006), Director of Photography
- *HIStory on Film, Volume II* (1997), Director of Photography
- *Paul McCartney's Get Back* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Rock-A-Doodle* (1991), Director of Photography
- *Strike It Rich* (1990), Director of Photography
- *When the Whales Came* (1989), Director of Photography
- *The Secret Garden* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Little Shop of Horrors* (1986), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/little-shop-of-horrors.md)
- *Spies Like Us* (1985), as Dr. Gill · Director of Photography — Fi1m 47, [page](https://film.one/film/spies-like-us.md)
- *National Lampoon's European Vacation* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 40, [page](https://film.one/film/national-lampoons-european-vacation.md)
- *Into the Night* (1985), as Security Guard · Director of Photography
- *Scream for Help* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Muppets Take Manhattan* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Michael Jackson's Thriller* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Superman III* (1983), Director of Photography — Fi1m 49, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-iii.md)
- *Trading Places* (1983), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/trading-places.md)
- *Curtains* (1983), Director of Photography
- *An American Werewolf in London* (1981), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-werewolf-in-london.md)
- *The Final Conflict* (1981), Director of Photography
- *Superman II* (1980), Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/superman-ii.md)
- *Firepower* (1979), Director of Photography
- *The Big Sleep* (1978), Director of Photography
- *High Velocity* (1976), Director of Photography
- *The Zoo Gang* (1974), series, Director of Photography
- *Scorpio* (1973), Director of Photography
- *The Mechanic* (1972), Additional Photography
- *Chato's Land* (1972), Director of Photography
- *The Nightcomers* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Lawman* (1971), Director of Photography
- *The Games* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Hannibal Brooks* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Waiting For Work* (1963), Camera Operator
- *Terminus* (1961), Additional Photography
- *A Sunday in September* (1961), Camera Operator
- *Bernard Shaw* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Land of Robert Burns* (1956), Director of Photography
- *A Day of One's Own* (1956), Cinematography
- *Any Man's Kingdom* (1956), Director of Photography
- *Snowdrift at Bleath Gill* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Cine Gazette No. 14: Do You Remember?* (1955), Camera Operator
- *Yorkshire Sands* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Capital Visit* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Elizabethan Express* (1954), Director of Photography
- *East Anglian Holiday* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Heart of England* (1954), Director of Photography
- *The Elephant Will Never Forget* (1953), Cinematography
- *The Heart Is Highland* (1952), Production Assistant
- *The Time Between*, Director of Photography

---
© 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/robert-paynter