The Catacombs Catacombs Credits Guide
Camera Crew

FRANK WATTS Lighting Cameraman- Director Of Photography

Frank Watts with clapperboard

Born 1930, Watts entered the film business in 1950 as a focus puller. He has worked on many television series, including The Baron (1965), The Avengers, The Champions (1968), Randall & Hopkirk Deceased (1968), Department S (1970), Jason King (1971), The Adventurer (1972) and The Zoo Gang (1974). He joined Gerry Anderson on the series The Protectors and also worked on Into Infinity and Space Police. Other work included Return Of The Saint (1978), Hammer House Of Horror (1980), Hammer House Of Mystery & Suspense (1984) and the U.S. miniseries Internal Affairs (1990).

He worked on the films Educating Rita (1982) and Daryl (1985). He died in 1994.

David Tomblin, Sylvia Anderson and Frank Watts Suzanne Heimer, Frank Watts, crew member, John Clifford Frank Watts, John Clifford and cast Frank Watts on the command center set

Brendan J Stafford - Lighting Cameraman

The Mark of Archanon

Born in 1915 in Ireland, he died in 1991. He had a photographic studio in Dublin, when he met film director Michael Powell, who offered him a job as a stills photographer at Denham Studios in London. During the World War 2 he worked in Strand Films making propaganda documentaries. He worked on Fabian of the Yard (1956), William Tell (1959), H.G.Wells' Invisible Man (1959), Danger Man (1960-67), Sir Francis Drake (1962), The Prisoner (1968), The Saint (1968), UFO (1970), The Protectors (1972-1973),

Brendan Stafford was brought in for the double up episodes in Year 2, while Frank Watts was working on the other episode simultaneously: Mark of Archanon, AB Chrysalis, A Matter Of Balance, Dorzak.

Neil Binney Cameraman

Neil Binney with Lee Katzin

He was born in 1931. Binney began as a clapper loader on Dick Barton Strikes Back (1949), and became a camera operator on the series Gideon C.I.D. (1965). He worked on films from comedies such as Carry On... Up the Khyber (1968) and Mutiny on the Buses (1972) to many Hammer horror films such as Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and The Vampire Lovers (1970). Other films include The Dark Crystal (1982), Conan the Destroyer (1984), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), Nuns on the Run (1990), Memphis Belle (1990), Alien 3 (1992) and Fierce Creatures (1998).

TV series include Return of the Saint (1978), Quatermass (1979), Hammer House of Horror (1980), The Far Pavilions (1984), Jeeves and Wooster (1991), Peak Practice (1993) and Minder (1993-4). He also worked on Anderson's Into Infinity (1975) and Space Precinct (1994).

Tony White, Camera Operator

Breakaway

Tony White was a camera operator on Breakaway (Neil Binney took over during that episode), and in year 2 during the "double-up" episodes, The Mark Of Archanon, The A B Chrysalis, A Matter Of Balance, Dorzak.

He was born in 1923. He was a focus puller on The Dam Busters (1955), and a camera operator on Tony Hancock's Punch and Judy Man (1963) and the Cliff Richard musical Summer Holiday (1963). He worked on episodes of The Baron (1966), The Saint (1966), The Avengers (1967), Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1970), Department S (1970), The Likely Lads (1976) and The Professionals (1978). Later films included International Velvet (1978), North Sea Hijack (1979). The Sea Wolves (1980), Education Rita (1983), Enemy Mine (1985), Empire State (1987), and Buster (1988).

He died in 2001.

Jack Lowin, Camera Operator

Gerry Anderson, Frank Watts, Ken Baker, Jack Lowin, Mike Tomlin

Jack Lowin was born in 1925. joined the film industry in 1942. He became a camera operator in the 1950s, and worked for a time on films in Brazil, before returning to the UK in the mid 1950s as ITV began. He was camera operator on Ivanhoe (1958), The Adventures Of William Tell (1958), Danger Man (1964-1967), The Prisoner (1967), UFO (1970), Jason King (1971) and The Adventurer (1972), The Zoo Gang (1974). He was second unit director on Department S (1969) and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) (1969). He was camera operator, often on the second unit. for the films The Watcher in the Woods (1980), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Star Wars Return of the Jedi (1983). Octopussy (1983) and Lifeforce (1985).

Lowin was camera operator for the initial days of Breakaway. He left and was replaced by Tony White, and then Neil Binney for the rest of the series.

He died in 2018.

Mike Tomlin, Focus Puller

Matter Of Life and Death

Tomlin is behind Landau, with cameraman Neil Binney behind the camera.

Clapper loader on Lawrence of Arabia (1962), focus puller on The Saint (1969), The Professionals (1982). His father was boom operator Fred Tomlin.

Breakaway

Left to right: Barbara Bain, Frank Watts (behind camera), Mike Tomlin, grip Michael Beauchamp (with beard), clapperboard Paul Turtle (back to camera), director Lee Katzin.

Breakaway

Left to right: director Lee Katzin, cameraman Neil Binney, grip Michael Beauchamp, Mike Tomlin, 3rd assistant director Roy Button (partially hidden), assistant director Ken Baker

Paul Turtle, Clapper loader

Breakaway Behind The Scenes

On the left, Turtle with cameraman Neil Binney

Robin McDonald, Clapper loader, Year 2

Robin McDonald from the year crew photo

He was born in 1946. SFX camera crew on Thunderbirds (1965), The Secret Service (1968), UFO (1969, his wife gave birth on the first day of shooting), The Sweeney (1975), Superman (1978), The Professionals (1979), Boon (1987)

He was asked to join the camera crew for Year 1, but was earning more money on The Sweeney. In 1976 he was again offered a job by new production manager Donald Toms, and this time given the money he asked for.

The Rules Of Luton

Filming The Rules Of Luton in Black Park, May 1976. Robin McDonald is on the right, holding the clapperboard, by Landau and Schell. On the left is assistant director Ken Baker, Neil Binney (hidden behind camera), grip Mike Beauchamp (back to camera). Seated behind the ladder are Doreen Soan (continuity) and director Val Guest. Thanks to Robin McDonald for identifications.

Ron Lavery, Clapper loader, Year 1

Lavery joined the film industry in 1968, working on The Pathfinders (1972), The Protectors (1972), The Man Who Would be King (1975), Star Wars (1977). In 1976 he moved to Hollywood, working on Ron Howard's Eat My Dust (1976) and Grand Theft Auto (1977). In 1986 he produced his first film, Terror in Beverly Hills. In the 1990s he worked in film acquisitions, buying films for distribution companies. He is now a line producer for Royal Knight Productions.

John May, Electrical Supervisor

John May

The "electricians" on a film crew are the ones who set up the lighting (under the direction of the lighting cameraman). The "electrical supervisor" is generally called the "gaffer" (boss) on set and occasionally in credits.

Johnny May was gaffer on UFO (1971), The New Avengers (1976), The Medusa Touch (1978), Superman (1978), Outland (1981), Clash of the Titans (1981), Superman 3 (1983), Little Shop of Horrors (1986), A Very British Coup (1988)

Matter Of Life And Death

Filming A Matter of Life And Death. Seated extreme left, lighting cameraman Frank Watts. Martin Landau stands in costume (hiding cameraman Neil Binney), with director Charles Crichton crouching. Beyond, seated at the top of the steps in front of the door is art director Keith Wilson.
Barry Morse stands in costume, then seated at the top of the steps are writer Johnny Byrne, gaffer John May and (beyond guest star Richard Johnson seated in foreground), props man Eddie Francis.
Tony Allyn stands in costume, with stand-in Alan Meacham sat in the corner.


Copyright Martin Willey