David Watkin and his Tendency to Sleep

David would, very occasionally, take a little nap on set..

David Watkin

And, on those rare occasions, invariably somebody would have a camera at hand…

David Watkin

Tea with Mussolini

David found a little cave-like area near the church in San Gimignano, where he could beat the heat and nap. When Baird found this out, he followed suit. I call these pictures Cinematographer and Studying to be a Cinematographer. Marget Wallace, Tea with Mussolini

Tea with Mussolini - Baird asleep

Green Sneakers

David Watkin sleeping on set

David Watkin sleeping on set

David Watkin sleeping on set, with Cher

David Watkin sleeping on set

David Watkin sleeping on set

Tea with Mussolini

“But one last rumour to be tested, and that came without prompting – the Watkin penchant for sleeping on set; “I will always light a set as if I am lighting a scene, not a shot. I will light it so that it is fireproof. I will watch the rehearsal and I will have a very good operator and a very good chief electrician who will watch the shooting and if anything goes wrong they will wake me up – I will retire to a quiet corner of the set and probably have a sleep because I’m very fortunate that I don’t snore and I can wake up instantly. It’s great for shocking Americans. Cameramen try and look like cameramen out there – they don’t go to sleep”. Charles Hewitt interviewing David in Eyepiece, June/July 1994