Vincent G. Cox

(b. Johannesburg, 17/10/1933 - d. Johannesburg, 30/07/2017). Cinematographer, director. Vincent George Cox ASC,BSC,(f)SASC attended King Edward VII School in Houghton and was introduced to the film world when he became a "gofer" for cameramen John Brown, Peter Lang and David Millin at African Film Productions. He went to England to learn the business and worked uncredited as clapper loader and focus puller on many features, including Roy Ward Baker's Titanic film A Night To Remember (1958), as well as on television series such as Fabian Of The Yard, The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Saint. Back in South Africa he joined Jamie Uys Filmproduksies and worked as a camera assistant with the likes of Judex Viljoen and Vernon Whitten on such films as Satanskoraal (Elmo de Witt/1959) and Rip Van Wyk (Emil Nofal/1960).

Between 1962 and 1965 he returned to England to gain further experience and upon coming back to South Africa he received his first credit as sole Director of Photography on Emil Nofal's popular King Hendrik (1965), starring Gert van den Bergh. Over the next decade he worked with such directors as Al Debbo, Peter Henkel, Manie van Rensburg, Dirk de Villiers, Keith G. van der Wat, Franz Marx and especially Jans Rautenbach, for whom he shot Wild Season (1967), Die Kandidaat (1968), Katrina (1969), Ongewenste Vreemdeling (1974) and The Winners II (1977). During this time he also photographed a number of sponsored documentaries made for the Ministry of Information.

When overseas production companies started coming over to film in South Africa, Cox had the opportunity to work with directors like Don Chaffey (Creatures the World Forgot/1970) and Douglas Hickox (Zulu Dawn/1979), but with the local film industry somewhat in the doldrums, most of his work was on B-movies - some of little merit - made for small companies that came to film in South Africa to take advantage of the tax credits. He directed a few features himself, but mostly concentrated on his work as a cinematographer for both visiting filmmakers and local directors. During this time he worked no fewer than eight times with David Lister and made five films with Paul Matthews. An experienced and versatile craftsman, he was always in demand, whether for features or television.

He died at the age of 83. He was married to film producer Debi Nethersole and their four children, two sons and two daughters, are all in the industry. He was admitted to the American Society of Cinematographers in 1977 and was one of only three members to permanently reside in South Africa. (FO)

Filmography

(only films shot in South Africa)

1957 - Dis Lekker Om Te Lewe (Feature) (Pierre de Wet) ("gofer")

1959 - Satanskoraal (Feature) (Elmo de Witt) (camera assistant to Judex Viljoen)

1960 - Rip Van Wyk (Feature) (Emil Nofal) (camera assistant to Vernon Whitten)

1960 - Hou Die Blink Kant Bo (Feature) (Emil Nofal) (camera assistant to Vernon Whitten)

1961 - Doodkry Is Min (Feature) (Jamie Uys) (camera assistant to Vernon Whitten)

1961 - Kaapse Draai / Holiday Romance (Documentary) (Jamie Uys) (co-photographer)

1961 - Boerboel De Wet (Feature) (Al Debbo) (camera assistant to Vernon Whitten)

1965 - The White South Africans / Die Blanke Suid-Afrikaners (Documentary) (Emil Nofal) (co-photographer)

1965 - King Hendrik (Feature) (Emil Nofal) (director of photography)

1965 – Die Wonderwêreld Van Kammie Kamfer (Feature) (Al Debbo) (director of photography)

1966 – Ex Unitate Vires: The Republic Of South Africa / Uit Eenheid Krag: Die Republiek Van Suid-Afrika (Documentary) (Raymond Hancock) (co-photographer)

1966 – The Ever Free / Vir ewig vry (Documentary) (Jans Rautenbach) (co-photographer)

1967 - Wild Season (Feature) (Jans Rautenbach) (director of photography)

1968 - Die Kandidaat (Feature) (Jans Rautenbach) (director of photography)

1968 - Raka (Filmed Ballet) (Alf Travers) (lighting cameraman & co-camera operator)

1968 - One For The Pot (Filmed Play) (Alf Travers) (lighting cameraman & co-camera operator)

1968 - Vision Of Gold / Visioen Van Goud (Documentary) (Antony Thomas) (cinematographer)

1969 - Katrina (Feature) (Jans Rautenbach) (director of photography)

1969 - Scotty Smith (Feature) (Peter Henkel) (director of photography)

1970 - Creatures The World Forgot (Feature) (Don Chaffey) (director of photography)

1972 - The Winners (Feature) (Emil Nofal) (director of photography)

1973 - Die Bankrower (Feature) (Manie van Rensburg) (director of photography)

1973 - Die Wit Sluier (Feature) (Dirk de Villiers) (director of photography)

1973 - The Savage Sport (Feature) (Keith G. van der Wat) (co-director of photography with Robert Lewis) /

1973 - They Call Me Lucky (Feature) (Peter Henkel) (director of photography)

1974 - Ongewenste Vreemdeling (Feature) (Jans Rautenbach) (director of photography)

1974 - Seuns Van Die Wolke / Fighter Pilots (Feature) (Franz Marx) (director of photography)

1975 - Kniediep... (Feature) (Roy Sargeant & Joe Stewardson) (technical director/director of photography)

1975 - The Diamond Mercenaries / Killer Force (Feature) (Val Guest) (camera operator/second unit director of photography)

1976 - Die Sestig Jare Van John Vorster (Documentary Feature) (Jans Rautenbach, Gordon Vorster & Susan Kruger) (director of photography)

1977 - The Winners II (Feature) (Jans Rautenbach) (director of photography)

1978 - Flashpoint Africa (Feature) (Francis Megahy) (director of photography)

1979 - Zulu Dawn (Feature) (Douglas Hickox) (cameraman/second camera)

1979 - I'm For The Hippopotamus / Io Sto Con Gli Ippopotami (Feature) (Italo Zingarelli) (line producer/second unit director of photography)

1980 - Shamwari (Feature) (Clive Harding) (director of photography)

1981 - The Demon (Feature) (Percival Rubens) (director of photography)

1981 - Safari 3000 (Feature) (Harry Hurwitz) (2nd unit cinematographer)

1983 - Survival Zone (Feature) (Percival Rubens) (director of photography with Colin Taylor)

1984 - Go For The Gold (Feature) (Stuart F. Fleming) (director of photography)

1984 - Richard Gush Of Salem (Television Drama) (Roy Sargeant & Joe Stewardson) (director of photography)

1985 - Deadly Passion (Feature) (Larry Larson) (director of photography)

1985 - Getting Lucky (Feature) (Robert van de Coolwijk) (director of photography)

1985 - Hell To Pay (Feature) (William Lustig) (director of photography)

1986 - Asinamali / Nothing To Lose (Filmed Play) (Ross Devenish) (director of photography)

1986 - Jake Speed (Feature) (Andrew Lane) (second unit additional camera)

1987 - Rage To Kill (Feature) (David Winters) (director of photography)

1987 - Lucky Strikes Back (Feature) (Joe Stewardson) (director of photography)

1988 - Jewel Of The Gods (Features) (Robert van de Coolwijk) (director of photography)

1988 - Space Mutiny (Feature) (David Winters) (director of photography)

1988 - Any Man's Death (Feature) (Tom Clegg) (director of photography)

1988 - Act Of Piracy (Feature) (John "Bud" Carlos) (director of photography)

1990 - The Gold Cup (Feature) (Robert van de Coolwijk) (director of photography with Nick Morgan)

1988 - Lethal Woman / The Most Dangerous Woman Alive (Feature) (Christian Marnham) (director of photography)

1990 - Paranoid (released as The Secret Force in 1995) (Feature) (Larry Larson) (director of photography, but credited as George C. Vincent)

1990 - Return To Justice (Feature) (director)

1990 - Voice In The Dark (Feature) (director / director of photography)

1993 - Terminator Woman (Feature) (Michel Qissi) (director of photography)

1993 - There's A Zulu On My Stoep (Feature) (Gray Hofmeyr) (third unit director of photography)

1994 - The Mangler (Feature) (Tobe Hooper) (second unit camera operator with Clive Lawrie)

1994 - Soweto Green (Feature) (David Lister) (director of photography)

1996 - Inside (Television Feature) (Arthur Penn) (second camera operator)

1996 - The Visit (Television Short) (Tamara Semevsky) (director of photography)

1996 - Panic Mechanic (Feature) (David Lister) (camera operator)

1997 - Bridge Of Time (Television Feature) (Jorge Montesi) (second unit camera operator)

1997 - Legend Of The Hidden City (Television Series - Season 2 ) (David Lister) (director of photography)

1998 - Natural Rhythm (Television Series) (David Lister) (director of photography)

1998 - The Last Leprechaun (Feature) (David Lister) (director of photography)

1999 - Dazzle (Feature) (David Lister) (director of photography)

1999 - Africa (Feature) (Paul Matthews) (director of photography)

2000 - Merlin - The Return (Feature) (Paul Matthews) (director of photography)

2000 - Glory Glory / Hooded Angels (Feature) (Paul Matthews) (director of photography)

2000 - The Meeksville Ghost (Feature) (David Lister) (director of photography)

2002 - Pets (Feature) (David Lister) (director of photography)

2002 - The Little Unicorn (Feature) (Paul Matthews) (director of photography)

2003 - The Red Phone: Checkmate (Television Feature) (Jerry Jameson) (location footage)

2004 - Berserker: Hell's Warrior (Feature) (Paul Matthews) (director of photography)

2004 - Hotel Rwanda (Feature) (Terry George) (additional footage cameraman)

2004 - Red Dust (Feature) (Tom Hooper) (second unit director of photography)

2007 - The Raven (Feature) (David DeCoteau) (director of photography)

2013 - GallowWalkers (Feature) (Andrew Goth) (second unit co-director of photography with John Adderley)

Sources

Le Roux, André I. & Fourie, Lilla – Filmverlede: geskiedenis van die Suid-Afrikaanse speelfilm

http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2bb2895693

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185277/?ref_=fn_nm_nm_1

https://theasc.com/news/in-memoriam-vincent-g-cox-asc-bsc-sasc

Personal correspondence

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities C

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page