Tevens filmfotograaf en filmscène schrijver

* 21.11.1946 Chicago, IL

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Education:University of Illinois (communications)

Zoon van Nathan Davis en broer van Richard Davis.

Chicago native who started as an assistant cameraman on famed cinematographer Haskell Wexler's MEDIUM COOL (1969). Davis moved to LA and began his first career as a director of photography working on HIT MAN, COOL BREEZE (both 1972) and Jonathan Kaplan's THE SLAMS (1973). He made his feature directorial debut with the independent musical STONY ISLAND (1977), which he co-wrote and produced. Davis returned to cinematography with the unsettling teen drama, OVER THE EDGE (1979), directed by Jonathan Kaplan, and the enjoyably trashy ANGEL (1984).

Davis made his first foray into action films with the Chuck Norris starrer CODE OF SILENCE (1985). He continued in that vein with his first big hit, ABOVE THE LAW (1988), which showed a flair for location shooting and toplined then-unknown Steven Seagal. He reteamed with Seagal for a second hit, UNDER SIEGE (1992), a lavish DIE HARD (1988) imitation, set on a battleship, that boasted taut action highlights. Davis followed his success with THE FUGITIVE (1993), a remake of the 1960s TV series starring Harrison Ford.

Filmografie
1972   Cool Breeze photography
1972   Hit Man       photography
1972   Private Parts       cinematographer
1973   The Slams    photography
1975   Lepke  cinematographer
1975   THE TERROR OF DR. CHANCEY/Mansion of the Doomed        photography
1978   MY MAIN MAN FROM STONY ISLAND/Stony Island     
           producer, director, screenwriter

1979   Over the Edge       cinematographer

1981   The Final Terror   director
1984   Angel          photography
1984   Beat Street screenwriter
1985   Code of Silence    director
1988   Above the Law     
           producer, director, story, photography— Vietnam sequence
1989   The Package producer, director
1992   Under Siege                    director

1993   The Fugitive          director

1995   Steal Big Steal Little    producer, director, screenwriter
1996   Chain Reaction
1997   Oscar and Lucinda .... Levanthian Steward      performer
1998   A Perfect Murder
2002   Collateral Damage
2003   Holes
2006   The Guardian