William Birch(I)
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Cinematographer
William Birch better known as Bill, was born in Chicago, the son of
successful news cameraman, Harry Birch who was also a founding member
of Cameramen guild Local 666. Bill was always interested in
photography, and as early as his high school years, he started a school
newsreel and did the same in junior college. Bill joined the camera
local directly out of high school, the youngest member at 18. While he
was in college, during summer breaks, he did lab work at Burton Holmes
Films and Agfa Ansco Camera. After college, he went to work as an
apprentice office boy at Movie Tone News Chicago. In the years before
the war, WW2, that is, Bill had worked his way up to cameraman,
learning from his father and such veteran Cinematographer Jack Barnett
and newsreel cameraman Emile R. "Monty" Montemurro.
Bill enlisted into the Signal Corps in 1942 and was sent to California and placed in director Frank Capra's unit. The unit worked out of Fox Studios shooting propaganda films and Washington request films, including combat. The "Why We Fight" series was one of Capra's most important films. Bill worked with such people as Ray Harryhausen, John Huston, Claude Binyon, and Theodore Giesel (Dr. Suess). After the war, Bill wanted to stay in California, but the union would not accept his transfer, so he returned to Chicago and went back to Movie Tone News. A few years later, he went to NBC and started and ran the news bureau as one of 3 network cameramen. Bill was responsible for hiring John Chancellor and worked very closely with him as well as with Huntley and Brinkley. He covered presidents from Truman to Reagan, covered such stories as Castro's rise to power, the riots in Selma and more, collecting many awards along the way.
In the 1960s, Bill opened his own company, Wm. H. Birch and Associates. He continued to cover news on a freelance basis, but also shot commercials, industrials, documentaries, and began a successful movie career, doing many second units as Director or Photography and also a few movies as first unit Director of Photography. Although, his first love was film and still is, in the 70s, he had to go into video and has recently learned the HD cameras. Bill still has a vital interest in this business and will never retire and is willing to lend his vast experience and expertise to those who equally share in that enthusiasm
Bill enlisted into the Signal Corps in 1942 and was sent to California and placed in director Frank Capra's unit. The unit worked out of Fox Studios shooting propaganda films and Washington request films, including combat. The "Why We Fight" series was one of Capra's most important films. Bill worked with such people as Ray Harryhausen, John Huston, Claude Binyon, and Theodore Giesel (Dr. Suess). After the war, Bill wanted to stay in California, but the union would not accept his transfer, so he returned to Chicago and went back to Movie Tone News. A few years later, he went to NBC and started and ran the news bureau as one of 3 network cameramen. Bill was responsible for hiring John Chancellor and worked very closely with him as well as with Huntley and Brinkley. He covered presidents from Truman to Reagan, covered such stories as Castro's rise to power, the riots in Selma and more, collecting many awards along the way.
In the 1960s, Bill opened his own company, Wm. H. Birch and Associates. He continued to cover news on a freelance basis, but also shot commercials, industrials, documentaries, and began a successful movie career, doing many second units as Director or Photography and also a few movies as first unit Director of Photography. Although, his first love was film and still is, in the 70s, he had to go into video and has recently learned the HD cameras. Bill still has a vital interest in this business and will never retire and is willing to lend his vast experience and expertise to those who equally share in that enthusiasm