Cinematographer. He was best known for his photoplay and photography on several early films including comedies, dramas, and westerns. He will be best remembered for the western film, "Stampede" (1936). The film which was directed by and written for the screen by Ford Beebe, which was also written for the screen by Robert Watson, and which also starred Charles Starrett, Finis Barton, and J.P. McGowan, tells the story of a cowboy who is out to find out who murdered his brother and discovers that the killers may not be who he thought they were. He was born one of nine children as William John Beckway (another source says William James Beckway), in Forest Hill, England, to George Beckway (1846-1893), and his wife Eliza Stevens Beckway (1850-1891), on February 15, 1881. He was baptized in London, England, on May 19, 1882. He eventually moved to York, Ontario, Canada, with his family in 1891, but his mother Eliza passed away that same year on February 18th, and his father George who was a carpenter by trade passed away on March 28, 1893, from a fracture of the spine due to injuries he received in an accident. He eventually moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he lived with his brother while working as a machinist. He then moved to Los Angeles, California, where he worked in the film industry as a cinematographer. He made his film debut working on the film drama, "Comrade John" (1915). The film which was directed by Bertram Bracken, which was based on the play by Samuel Merwin and Henry Kitchell Webster, and which also starred William Elliott, Ruth Roland, and Madeline Pardee, tells the story of Herman Stein, leader of a new religious cult, "Beauty Through Toil," secures the services of John Chance, an architect, to build a model community for him, with the stipulation that the buildings be heralded as the work of his followers. Before starting on the work, Chance takes a trip to Paris, where, at a Carnival, he rescues a beautiful American girl from the riotous masqueraders. They part, knowing nothing more of each other than that her name is Cynthia and his John. Cynthia, aboard the ship on her way home, meets Prophet Stein. He sees in her an ideal High Priestess for his cult, her beauty (though not acquired "through toil") appealing to him as a splendid advertising proposition. The girl is credulous, and Stein appealing to her native idealistic sense wins her into his cult. When Chance returns from Europe he goes to Beechcroft to start his building and is surprised to find there the girl he saved in Paris. Here, in the course of building construction, many thrilling episodes ensue, in which Stein, already married, attempts to make love to Cynthia, and is frustrated by the watchful Chance. Stein has been steadily appropriating the money entrusted to him by his disciples, and, in the tremendous final scene, with his followers clamoring for his life, and the Beechcroft buildings burning, he attempts an escape with his peoples' funds. He is felled by a falling beam and buried in the smoldering ruins. Cynthia is saved by Chance and finds in him the unalloyed realization of her ideals. During this time, he was also drafted during World War I, but he never served. Besides, his cinematography work on the film drama, "Comrade John" (1915), and the classic western film, "Stampede" (1936), his many other film credits include, "The Red Circle" (1915), "The Matrimonial Martyr" (1916), "The Sultana" (1916), "Joy And The Dragon" (1916), "Twin Kiddies" (1917), "Told At Twilight" (1917), "The Wildcat" (1917), "The Checkmate" (1917), "A Bit Of Kindling" (1917), "Betty Be Good" (1917), "Bab The Fixer" (1917), "Man's Desire" (1919), "The One-Way Trail" (1920), "Old Lady 31" (1920), "Lightnin' Flashes" (1926), "Fighting Playboy" (1933), "Secrets Of Chinatown" (1935), "Secret Patrol" (1936), "Lucky Corrigan" (1936), "Tugboat Princess" (1936), "Lucky Fugitives" (1936), and "What Price Vengeance" (1937). He lastly worked on the crime film drama, "Woman Against The World" (1937). The film which was directed by David Selman, which was written for the screen by Edgar Edwards (who also starred), and which also starred Alice Moore, Ralph Forbes, Colette Lyons, and Ethel Reese-Burns, tells the story of Anna Plummer, the daughter of a Canadian farmer, who secretly marries against her father's will. She and her young husband, Johnny Masters, move to a big city, shortly before Anna gives birth to a daughter he is killed in a holdup. Anna is compelled to take her baby into the home of her domineering aunt, and in a quarrel, when Anna learns that her aunt has given her daughter away to be adopted, Anna accidentally kills the aunt. Anna goes to prison for five years for manslaughter. Later, she is aided by a rising young attorney, Larry Steele in her battle and quest to get her child back. He retired from films shortly thereafter. During his career behind the camera, he also used the name William J. Beckway. On an interesting note, he applied to become a Naturalized United States Citizen on April 23, 1924. He passed away following an illness on June 12, 1945, at the age of 64. His funeral service was held through Pierce Brothers Beverly Hills and was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. He never married nor had any children. He was the Great Great Granduncle of the actresses Blythe Gilio and Glynis Gilio.