Robert Burks
Robert Burks | |
|---|---|
| Born | Leslie Robert Burks July 4, 1909 Chino, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 13, 1968 (aged 58) |
| Occupation | Cinematographer |
| Awards | Academy Award for Best Cinematography for To Catch a Thief (1955) |
Leslie Robert Burks A.S.C. (July 4, 1909 – May 13, 1968)[1] was an American cinematographer known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock.
Early life
Burks was born in Chino, California, on July 4, 1909.[2]
When he was 19, Burks began working at Warner Bros. as a camera operator. He slowly worked his way up until he took over the Special Photographic Effects unit on Stage 5 in 1944 and became a director of photography in the mid-1940s.[1]
Career
Burks debuted his first short film as a cinematographer, Jammin' the Blues.[3]
Impressed by Burks cinematography, Alfred Hitchcock invited him in to shoot his thriller Strangers on a Train which eventually won Burk his first Academy Award nomination.[4]
Burks worked on many other films with Hitchcock including Strangers on a Train (1951), I Confess (1953), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble with Harry (1955), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), The Wrong Man (1956), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), The Birds (1963), and Marnie(1964).[4]
Death
In 1968, Burks and his wife, Elisabeth, died in a fire at their home in Huntington Harbour, California. He was 58 years old.[4]
Filmography
Films as special effects photographer are:[5]
- Marked Woman, 1937
- Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, 1940
- The Great Lie, 1941
- Highway West, 1941
- King Row, 1942
- In This Our Life, 1942
- Arsenic and Old Lace, 1944
- Pride of the Marines, 1945
- The Two Mrs. Carrolls, 1947
- Possessed, 1947
- The Unfaithful, 1947
- Cry Wolf, 1947
- Key Largo, 1948
- The Younger Brothers, 1949
- The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, 1952
Films shot by Burks include:[6]
- Jammin' the Blues, 1944
- Make Your Own Bed, 1944
- Escape in the Desert, 1945
- To the Victor, 1948
- A Kiss in the Dark, 1948
- Task Force, 1949
- The Fountainhead, 1949
- Beyond the Forest, 1949
- The Glass Menagerie, 1950
- Close to My Heart, 1951
- The Enforcer, 1951
- Strangers on a Train, 1951
- Tomorrow is Another Day, 1951
- Come Fill the Cup, 1951
- Room for One More, 1952
- Mara Maru, 1952
- I Confess, 1953
- The Desert Song, 1953
- Hondo, 1953
- Dial M for Murder, 1954
- Rear Window, 1954
- To Catch a Thief, 1955
- The Trouble with Harry, 1955
- The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956
- The Vagabond King, 1956
- The Wrong Man, 1956
- The Spirit of St. Louis, 1957
- Vertigo, 1958
- The Black Orchid, 1958
- North By Northwest, 1959
- But Not for Me, 1959
- The Rat Race, 1960
- The Great Impostor, 1960
- The Pleasure of His Company, 1961
- The Music Man, 1962
- The Birds, 1963
- Marnie, 1964
- Once a Thief, 1965
- A Patch of Blue, 1965
- Waterhole#3, 1967
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award ceremony | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Academy Awards | Best Black-and-White Cinematography | Strangers on a Train | Nominated | [7] |
| 1954 | Best Color Cinematography | Rear Window | Nominated | [8] | |
| 1955 | To Catch a Thief | Won[9] | [10] | ||
| 1965 | Best Black-and-White Cinematography | A Patch of Blue | Nominated | [11] |
References
- 1 2 "Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "L. Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "JAMMIN' THE BLUES (1944)". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- 1 2 3 A. Lightman, Herb (April 21, 2022). "Robert Burks, ASC Photographs The Fountainhead". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Films with special effects by Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Films shot by Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "The 24th Academy Awards | 1952". www.oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ↑ "The 27th Academy Awards | 1955". www.oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
- ↑ "The 28th Academy Awards | 1956". www.oscars.org. February 19, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
- ↑ "The 38th Academy Awards | 1966". www.oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.