---
name: "William A. Fraker"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/william-a-fraker"
fi1m_id: "william-a-fraker"
imdb_id: "nm0005710"
tmdb_id: 12846
wikidata_id: "Q489559"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "29 September 1923"
died: "31 May 2010"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 71
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-09-26T16:36:20.216548+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."
---

# William A. Fraker

## Identity

William A. Fraker

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/william-a-fraker
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** william-a-fraker
- **IMDb ID:** nm0005710
- **TMDB ID:** 12846
- **Wikidata ID:** Q489559
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Fraker, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q489559, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005710/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12846

Cinematographer. Born 29 September 1923 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 31 May 2010.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 29 September 1923, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 31 May 2010
- **Active:** 1968–1993
- **Also known as:** William Ashman Fraker, Bill Fraker
- **Academy Awards:** 6 Oscar nominations
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 92 (1), 1970s 66 (3), 1980s 68 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 74 to 69 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Comedy 2, Horror 2, Science Fiction 2, Thriller 2, Fantasy 1
- **Screen time:** 12 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $664m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_A._Fraker, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q489559, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005710/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12846

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Close Encounters of the Third Kind*](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md) (85), [*Exorcist II: The Heretic*](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md) (38)
- **Apple TV:** [*Rosemary's Baby*](https://film.one/film/rosemarys-baby.md) (92)
- **AMC+:** [*WarGames*](https://film.one/film/wargames.md) (82)
- **Pluto TV:** [*Heaven Can Wait*](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md) (74)

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

## Biography

William A. Fraker (also credited as William Ashman Fraker or Bill Fraker) was an American cinematographer and film director. Born in Los Angeles, he attended the University of Southern California on the G.I. Bill and began working in television before entering feature films.

His cinematography credits include *Rosemary's Baby* (1968), *Bullitt* (1968), *WarGames* (1983), *Tombstone* (1993) and *Street Fighter* (1994). He received five Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, for *Looking for Mr. Goodbar* (1977), *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), *1941* (1979), *WarGames* and *Murphy's Romance* (1985). Fraker directed the theatrical films *Monte Walsh* (1970), *A Reflection of Fear* (1971) and *The Legend of the Lone Ranger* (1981). He was awarded the American Society of Cinematographers Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000.

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

## On Fi1m (6)

- *WarGames* (1983), Fi1m 82, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/wargames.md)
- *The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas* (1982), Fi1m 55, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-best-little-whorehouse-in-texas.md)
- *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), Fi1m 74, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md)
- *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), Fi1m 85, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md)
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), Fi1m 38, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *Rosemary's Baby* (1968), Fi1m 92, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/rosemarys-baby.md)

## Complete filmography (64)

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

- *Waking Up in Reno* (2002), Director of Photography
- *Town & Country* (2001), Director of Photography
- *Rules of Engagement* (2000), Director of Photography
- *Vegas Vacation* (1997), Director of Photography
- *The Island of Dr. Moreau* (1996), Director of Photography
- *Father of the Bride Part II* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Death in Small Doses* (1995), Director of Photography
- *Street Fighter* (1994), Director of Photography
- *There Goes My Baby* (1994), Director of Photography
- *Tombstone* (1993), Director of Photography, Associate Producer
- *Walker, Texas Ranger* (1993), series, Director
- *Honeymoon in Vegas* (1992), Director of Photography
- *Memoirs of an Invisible Man* (1992), Director of Photography
- *The Flash* (1990), series, Director
- *The Freshman* (1990), Director of Photography
- *An Innocent Man* (1989), Director of Photography
- *Chances Are* (1989), Director of Photography
- *B.L. Stryker* (1989), series, Director
- *Unsub* (1989), series, Director
- *Baby Boom* (1987), Director of Photography
- *J.J. Starbuck* (1987), series, Director
- *Wiseguy* (1987), series, Director
- *Burglar* (1987), Director of Photography
- *SpaceCamp* (1986), Director of Photography
- *Murphy's Romance* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Fever Pitch* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Protocol* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Irreconcilable Differences* (1984), as "Gabrielle" Cinematographer · Director of Photography
- *WarGames* (1983), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/wargames.md)
- *Hey Good Lookin'* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas* (1982), Director of Photography — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/the-best-little-whorehouse-in-texas.md)
- *Sharky's Machine* (1981), Director of Photography
- *The Legend of the Lone Ranger* (1981), Director
- *Divine Madness* (1980), Director of Photography
- *The Hollywood Knights* (1980), Director of Photography
- *1941* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Old Boyfriends* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Heaven Can Wait* (1978), Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/heaven-can-wait.md)
- *American Hot Wax* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md)
- *Looking for Mr. Goodbar* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), Director of Photography — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *The Killer Inside Me* (1976), Director of Photography
- *Gator* (1976), Director of Photography
- *Lipstick* (1976), Additional Director of Photography
- *Coonskin* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Aloha Bobby and Rose* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Rancho Deluxe* (1975), Director of Photography
- *Conversation with Fritz Lang* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Day of the Dolphin* (1973), Director of Photography
- *Fade In* (1973), Director of Photography
- *A Reflection of Fear* (1972), Director
- *Dusty and Sweets McGee* (1971), as The Cellist · Director of Photography
- *Monte Walsh* (1970), Director
- *Paint Your Wagon* (1969), Director of Photography
- *Bullitt* (1968), Director of Photography
- *Rosemary's Baby* (1968), Director of Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/rosemarys-baby.md)
- *The President's Analyst* (1967), Director of Photography
- *The Fox* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Games* (1967), Director of Photography
- *Incubus* (1966), Director of Photography
- *The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre* (1964), Camera Operator
- *Cocktail Hour* (1933), Still Photographer
- *B.L. Stryker: The Dancer's Touch*, Director

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 6 nominated

- 1986: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Murphy's Romance*
- 1984: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *WarGames*
- 1980: Best Visual Effects (nominated), for *1941*
- 1980: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *1941*
- 1979: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Heaven Can Wait*
- 1978: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *Looking for Mr. Goodbar*

*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/william-a-fraker