Tony Williams, a British-born film and literature scholar known for his work on Westerns, horror, and the films of George A. Romero and Sam Peckinpah, has died aged 80.
Career and books
His first book, The Italian Western: Opera of Violence (1975), was co-authored with Laurence Staig. After moving to the US in the mid-1980s to take up a position at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, he published many titles, including Hearths of Darkness: The Family in the American Horror Film (1996, updated 2014), The Cinema of George A Romero: Knight of the Living Dead (2003, second edition 2015) and The Gothic Peckinpah (2024). His final book, The Italian Western: Rounding the Circle, will be published later this year.
Early life and education
Born in Swansea, south Wales, Tony was the son of Glyn, a chief steward in the merchant navy, and Margaret (née Cunnick), an avid reader who instilled in him valuable habits. After secondary education he gained a teaching certificate from Swansea College of Education in 1967, then a degree in biblical studies from the University of Manchester. He stayed at Manchester for a PhD in theology, before completing an MA in film studies at Warwick University in 1977, where he studied under critic Robin Wood and Andrew Britton.
Teaching in the UK and US
He worked as a lecturer at West Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education for two years, then held administrative posts with Bury metropolitan borough leisure services and the Northern Black Light theatre in York. He also lectured at Manchester’s extramural studies department and on Manchester Polytechnic’s training course for television directors, while being an enthusiastic member of Manchester and Salford Film Society and the Fantastic Film Society.
Having written about Jack London for the Jack London Newsletter, Williams applied for a position as assistant professor of film studies at Southern Illinois University and took up the post in 1984. In 1994 he joined the English department at SIUC, becoming professor after five years.
Personal life and legacy
Williams did not give up his British passport after becoming a naturalised US citizen, and was described as truly international in spirit. He enjoyed connecting online with like-minded people through podcasts, forums, and writing for film publications. A dedicated educator, he was teaching classes until a week before his death.
He met his wife, fine art master’s student at SIUC, in 1987 and married in 1990. She survives him, along with their daughter, Natalie.
