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Geoffrey Unsworth

Geoffrey Unsworth

Cinematographer · Died October 28, 1978, aged 64 · Atherton, Lancashire, England, UK

Geoffrey Gilyard Unsworth (26 May 1914 – 28 October 1978) was a British cinematographer who worked on nearly 90 feature films spanning over more than 40 years. He is best known for his work on films such as Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bob Fosse's Cabaret and Richard Donner's Superman.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 26, 1914
Died
October 28, 1978 (aged 64)
From
Atherton, Lancashire, England, UK
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
46 on MovieCove · 76 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

What are Geoffrey Unsworth's films like?

Across their 40 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Adventure12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 53rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Drama10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 81st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 41st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 82nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 85th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
23%
Self
21%
Power
18%
Morality
16%
Survival
11%
Ideas
5%
Society
5%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom6 titles, browse their movies with this themeClass5 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception5 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 40 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 14 · Serious 7 · Dark 19

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 15 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 10

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 20 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 18 · Shifting 18 · Whiplash 4

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 25 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 17 · Even-paced 21 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 17 · Engaged 18 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 12 · Affecting 17 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 30 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
21
Melancholic
19
Dread
10
Bittersweet
9
Romantic
8
Other
43

How their films linger

Bittersweet15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 8 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet13
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous6

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Geoffrey Unsworth's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 46 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Geoffrey Unsworth's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

76 credits, 46 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut(2006)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Superman II(1980)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Tess(1979)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Superman(1978)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Great Train Robbery(1978)

    Cinematographer · In Memory Of

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Exorcist II: The Heretic(1977)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • A Bridge Too Far(1977)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • A Matter of Time(1976)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Lucky Lady(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Royal Flash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Cinematographer

  • The Return of the Pink Panther(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Murder on the Orient Express(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Abdication(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Internecine Project(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Zardoz(1974)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Don Quixote (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing(1973)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Voices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Baxter! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Cabaret(1972)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Unman, Wittering and Zigo(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Say Hello to Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Cinematographer

  • Goodbye Gemini (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer

  • Cromwell(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Three Sisters(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Reckoning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Cinematographer

  • The Magic Christian(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Assassination Bureau(1969)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • 2001: A Space Odyssey(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Half a Sixpence(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Cinematographer

  • El Rey en Londres (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Cinematographer

  • Othello (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Camera Operator · Cinematographer

  • You Must Be Joking!(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Pop Gear (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Cinematographer

  • Genghis Khan(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Becket(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Playboy of the Western World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • The 300 Spartans(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Why Bother to Knock!(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The World of Suzie Wong(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • North West Frontier(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Whirlpool (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Bachelor of Hearts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • A Night to Remember(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hell Drivers(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Dangerous Exile(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • A Town Like Alice(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Jacqueline(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Tiger in the Smoke(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Eric Winstone's Stagecoach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Value for Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Passage Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Simba (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • The Purple Plain(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Seekers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Man with a Million(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Sword and the Rose(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Outpost in Malaya(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Penny Princess (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Cinematographer

  • Where No Vultures Fly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • The Clouded Yellow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • Double Confession (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Spider and the Fly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • The Blue Lagoon(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Scott of the Antarctic(1948)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Blanche Fury(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Jassy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • The Man Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • A Matter of Life and Death(1946)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Laughing Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Power on the Land: The Story of the Mechanisation of British Farming (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • The People's Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • World Garden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 72 titles from 1942 to 2006.

Biggest box office

Superman (1978)

$300M worldwide

Highest rated

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Midcredits 98th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Cinematography70 of 72: 68 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score72ndOther crew4 of 72: 2 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1940s10 · crew1950s19 · crew1960s16 · crew1970s25 · crew1980s1 · crew2000s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Geoffrey Unsworth's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of all 46; across their 40 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Approval · how many liked their films

69thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 40

Midcredits score across 46 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 46 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed4
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · cinematographer

A Matter of Time (1976)

57th percentile spread · 34% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Midcredits 98th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 71/100 in their films, across 35 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 53. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Geoffrey Unsworth's work okay for kids?

Across up to 14 MovieCove titles with content scores, every category sits near the median of all films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore11 titles32–69 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity14 titles5–45 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity9 titles13–39 · median 28 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles10–37 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles33–64 · median 44 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Geoffrey Unsworth work with?

People who share at least 2 of Geoffrey Unsworth's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Earl St. John shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers