Robert Burks

Robert Burks
Born
Leslie Robert Burks

(1909-07-04)July 4, 1909
Chino, California, U.S.
DiedMay 13, 1968(1968-05-13) (aged 58)
Huntington Harbour, California, U.S.
OccupationCinematographer
AwardsAcademy Award for Best Cinematography for To Catch a Thief (1955)

Leslie Robert Burks A.S.C. (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:

Films shot by Burks include:

Awards and nominations

Year Award ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
1951 Academy Awards Best Black-and-White Cinematography Strangers on a Train Nominated
1954 Best Color Cinematography Rear Window Nominated
1955 To Catch a Thief Won
1965 Best Black-and-White Cinematography A Patch of Blue Nominated

References

  1. 1 2 "Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  2. ↑ "L. Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  3. ↑ "JAMMIN' THE BLUES (1944)". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 A. Lightman, Herb (April 21, 2022). "Robert Burks, ASC Photographs The Fountainhead". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Films with special effects by Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  6. ↑ "Films shot by Robert Burks". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  7. ↑ "The 24th Academy Awards | 1952". www.oscars.org. October 5, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  8. ↑ "The 27th Academy Awards | 1955". www.oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database". Retrieved June 22, 2026.
  10. ↑ "The 28th Academy Awards | 1956". www.oscars.org. February 19, 2015. Retrieved April 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ "The 38th Academy Awards | 1966". www.oscars.org. October 4, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2025.