Vincent G. Cox

(b. Johannesburg, 17/10/1930). Cinematographer, director. Vincent George Cox attended King Edward VII School in Houghton and was introduced to the film world when he became a "gofer" for cameraman John Brown at African Film Productions. He went to England to learn the business and worked uncredited as clapper loader and focus puller on a number of 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 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 has always been in demand, whether for features or television.

He is married to film producer Debi Nethersole and their four children, two sons and two daughters, are all in the industry.

Sources

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

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