---
name: "Alfred Gilks"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/alfred-gilks"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "29 December 1891"
died: "6 September 1970"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 2
updated: "2026-09-20T02:07:52.867265+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Alfred Gilks

Cinematographer. Born 29 December 1891 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 6 September 1970.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 29 December 1891, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 6 September 1970
- **Active:** 1935–1951
- **Also known as:** Al Gilks
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 84 (1), 1950s 76 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Gilks, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q690973, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005720/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/958533

## Biography

Alfred Gilks (also credited as Al Gilks) was an American cinematographer active from 1920 to 1956. He worked on over sixty films, beginning in the silent era with Paramount and later contributing to productions at MGM and other studios. His early career included service in the US Navy during the First World War and membership of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1922.

Gilks is credited as director of photography on *Ruggles of Red Gap* (1935). He shared the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for *An American in Paris* (1951) with John Alton. His final credit was second-unit photography on *The Searchers* (1956). He also worked on films including *Old Ironsides* (1926), several *Dr Kildare* features and *The Searchers*.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, catalog.afi.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

- *An American in Paris* (1951), Fi1m 76, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris.md)
- *Ruggles of Red Gap* (1935), Fi1m 84, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/ruggles-of-red-gap.md)

## Complete filmography (56)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Searchers* (1956), Second Unit Director of Photography
- *Just What I Needed* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Bright Road* (1953), Director of Photography
- *An American in Paris* (1951), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/an-american-in-paris.md)
- *The Painted Hills* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Vendetta* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Two Weeks with Love* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Did'ja Know?* (1950), Director of Photography
- *You Can't Win* (1948), Cinematography, Director of Photography
- *Mariona Rebull* (1947), Director of Photography
- *The Secret of Dr. Kildare* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Dancing Co-Ed* (1939), Director of Photography
- *These Glamour Girls* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Calling Dr. Kildare* (1939), Director of Photography
- *Tiny Troubles* (1939), Cinematography
- *It's in the Stars* (1938), Cinematography
- *Thunder in the City* (1937), Director of Photography
- *The Sky Parade* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Straight from the Shoulder* (1936), Director of Photography
- *The Milky Way* (1936), Director of Photography
- *People Will Talk* (1935), Cinematography
- *Ruggles of Red Gap* (1935), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/ruggles-of-red-gap.md)
- *The Notorious Sophie Lang* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Little Miss Marker* (1934), Director of Photography
- *Miss Fane's Baby Is Stolen* (1934), Cinematography
- *Secrets of the French Police* (1932), Director of Photography
- *A Tailor-Made Man* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Kiss Me Again* (1931), Camera Operator
- *The Sultan's Jester* (1930), Director of Photography
- *The Kibitzer* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Half Way to Heaven* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Sweetie* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Jealousy* (1929), Director of Photography
- *The First Kiss* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Big Killing* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Red Hair* (1928), Cinematography
- *Wife Savers* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Get Your Man* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Figures Don't Lie* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Ten Modern Commandments* (1927), Cinematography
- *Old Ironsides* (1926), Director of Photography
- *The Air Mail* (1925), Director of Photography
- *The Female* (1924), Cinematography
- *Bluff* (1924), Director of Photography
- *The Next Corner* (1924), Director of Photography
- *His Children's Children* (1923), Cinematography
- *My American Wife* (1922), Director of Photography
- *Beyond the Rocks* (1922), Director of Photography
- *Her Husband’s Trademark* (1922), Cinematography
- *The Great Moment* (1921), Director of Photography
- *The Snob* (1921), Director of Photography
- *Her Beloved Villain* (1920), Director of Photography
- *Her First Elopement* (1920), Director of Photography
- *What's Your Hurry?* (1920), Director of Photography
- *The Dancin' Fool* (1920), Cinematography
- *Double Speed* (1920), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1952: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *An American in Paris*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/alfred-gilks