Larry Williams(1889-1956)
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Director
Pennsylvania-born Larry Williams (born Lawrence E. Williams) was a
photographer who became a cameraman with the Thanhouser Company. It's
not known exactly when he started with them--cameramen were rarely if
ever mentioned in a film's credits--but it's known that he was there as
early as 1912. He was the first cameraman--in 1914--to use a
stereoscopic camera system (invented by actor
Gerald Badgley), which he installed in a
Pathe camera and used in a Mary Pickford
production. In 1915 he worked for Famous Players, but returned to
Thanhouser in that same year. However, the next year he left Thanhouser
to work for Box Office Attractions (later to become Fox Films, which
itself became 20th Century-Fox), only to return to Thanhouser again. In
April of that year his brother, Famous Players cinematographer
Emmett A. Williams--with whom he had
worked on Mary Pickford's film
Rags (1915)--died and Larry left Thanhouser
to take his brother's place at Famous Players. While at Famous Players
he photographed such films as
Little Lady Eileen (1916) and
The Traveling Salesman (1916).
He later worked for Artcraft Pictures, for whom he photographed
Broadway Jones (1917).
He stayed active in the film industry until shortly before his death on March 30, 1956, in Hollywood, California.
He stayed active in the film industry until shortly before his death on March 30, 1956, in Hollywood, California.