Leslie Robert Burks (July 4, 1909 – May 13, 1968) was an American cinematographer known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock.
Early life Burks was born in Chino, California, on July 4, 1909.
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.
Career Burks debuted his first short film as a cinematographer, Jammin' the Blues.
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.
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).
Death In 1968, Burks and his wife, Elisabeth, died in a fire at their home in Huntington Harbour, California. He was 58 years old.
Filmography Films as special effects photographer are:
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:
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 YearAward ceremonyCategoryRecipientsResult1951Academy AwardsBest Black-and-White CinematographyStrangers on a Train1954Best Color CinematographyRear Window1955To Catch a Thief1965Best Black-and-White CinematographyA Patch of Blue
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