Cinematographer. He was the favorite cameraman of director Alfred Hitchcock. From 1951 to 1964 Burks shot 12 films for the "Master of Suspense", a remarkable collaboration that resulted in some of the most memorable images in Hollywood history. He won an Academy Award for the dazzling color photography of "To Catch a Thief" (1955) and received Oscar nominations for "Strangers on a Train" (1951), "Rear Window" (1954), and the Guy Green-directed "A Patch of Blue" (1965). Leslie Robert Burks was born in Chino, California. Entering films with Warner Bros. at age 19, he joined that studio's special effects unit in 1936 and was appointed its supervisor in 1944. He was promoted to director of photography in 1949. Hitchcock admired his edgy black and white filming of "The Fountainhead" (1949) and "The Glass Menagerie" (1950), and after working with him on "Strangers on a Train" the two became close friends. Their other films together are "I Confess" (1953), "Dial M for Murder" (1954), "The Trouble with Harry" (1955), "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956), "The Wrong Man" (1957), "Vertigo" (1958), "North by Northwest" (1959), "The Birds" (1963), and "Marnie" (1964). An outstanding technician with a wide visual range, Burks sought to give each movie a unique look, sublimating personal style to the needs of the narrative. This deferential approach had its drawbacks. His inspiration seemed to depend on strong direction and his lensing for lesser filmakers was often flat and uninteresting. But Burks' felicitous teaming with Hitchcock assures him a place among America's finest cinematographers. His other credits include "Beyond the Forest" (1949), "Hondo" (1953), "The Spirit of St. Louis" (1957), "The Music Man" (1962), and "A Covenant with Death" (1967). Burks and his wife Elizabeth died in a fire at their home in Newport Beach, California. He was 58. His next project was to have been Hitchcock's "Topaz" (1969).
Cinematographer. He was the favorite cameraman of director Alfred Hitchcock. From 1951 to 1964 Burks shot 12 films for the "Master of Suspense", a remarkable collaboration that resulted in some of the most memorable images in Hollywood history. He won an Academy Award for the dazzling color photography of "To Catch a Thief" (1955) and received Oscar nominations for "Strangers on a Train" (1951), "Rear Window" (1954), and the Guy Green-directed "A Patch of Blue" (1965). Leslie Robert Burks was born in Chino, California. Entering films with Warner Bros. at age 19, he joined that studio's special effects unit in 1936 and was appointed its supervisor in 1944. He was promoted to director of photography in 1949. Hitchcock admired his edgy black and white filming of "The Fountainhead" (1949) and "The Glass Menagerie" (1950), and after working with him on "Strangers on a Train" the two became close friends. Their other films together are "I Confess" (1953), "Dial M for Murder" (1954), "The Trouble with Harry" (1955), "The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1956), "The Wrong Man" (1957), "Vertigo" (1958), "North by Northwest" (1959), "The Birds" (1963), and "Marnie" (1964). An outstanding technician with a wide visual range, Burks sought to give each movie a unique look, sublimating personal style to the needs of the narrative. This deferential approach had its drawbacks. His inspiration seemed to depend on strong direction and his lensing for lesser filmakers was often flat and uninteresting. But Burks' felicitous teaming with Hitchcock assures him a place among America's finest cinematographers. His other credits include "Beyond the Forest" (1949), "Hondo" (1953), "The Spirit of St. Louis" (1957), "The Music Man" (1962), and "A Covenant with Death" (1967). Burks and his wife Elizabeth died in a fire at their home in Newport Beach, California. He was 58. His next project was to have been Hitchcock's "Topaz" (1969).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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