Bill Butler, ‘Jaws’ cinematographer, dies at 101

Director Steven Spielberg, camera operator Michael Chapman and cinematographer Bill Butler on the set of the Universal Pictures production of ‘Jaws’ in 1975.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Director Steven Spielberg, camera operator Michael Chapman and cinematographer Bill Butler on the set of the Universal Pictures production of ‘Jaws’ in 1975.

Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bill Butler died Wednesday, just days before his 102nd birthday, according to the American Society of Cinematographers. He was known for shooting Jaws and other iconic films.

As director of photography, Butler collaborated with such directors as Francis Ford Coppola, John Cassavetes, and Steven Spielberg. In fact, he shot two of Spielberg’s TV films before lensing the 1975 blockbuster Jaws.

For the shark thriller, Butler reportedly went all out, with cameras under and above the water.

He also also shot three Rocky sequels and films such as Grease, The Conversation, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, for which he earned an Oscar nomination. He also won Emmy Awards for shooting Raid on Entebbe and a TV version of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Wilmer C. Butler was born in Colorado in 1921, and began as an engineer at a radio station. He operated video cameras and designed local TV stations before heading to Hollywood, where his career spanned from 1962 to 2016.

The ASC honored Butler with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.