---
name: "Joseph Walker"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/joseph-walker"
fi1m_id: "joseph-walker"
imdb_id: "nm0907900"
tmdb_id: 17761
wikidata_id: "Q960230"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "22 August 1892"
died: "1 August 1985"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 14
average_fi1m_score: 80
average_over: 14
updated: "2026-09-25T02:43:22.620868+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."
---

# Joseph Walker

## Identity

Joseph Walker

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/joseph-walker
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** joseph-walker
- **IMDb ID:** nm0907900
- **TMDB ID:** 17761
- **Wikidata ID:** Q960230
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Walker_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q960230, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907900/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17761

Cinematographer. Born 22 August 1892 in Denver, Colorado, USA. Died 1 August 1985.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 22 August 1892, Denver, Colorado, USA
- **Died:** 1 August 1985
- **Active:** 1932–1950
- **Frequently works with:** [Frank Capra](https://film.one/person/frank-capra.md), [Robert Riskin](https://film.one/person/robert-riskin.md), [Jean Arthur](https://film.one/person/jean-arthur.md), [Cary Grant](https://film.one/person/cary-grant.md), [James Stewart](https://film.one/person/james-stewart.md), [Sidney Buchman](https://film.one/person/sidney-buchman.md), [Thomas Mitchell](https://film.one/person/thomas-mitchell.md), [Claude Rains](https://film.one/person/claude-rains.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 4 Oscar nominations
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 78 (10), 1940s 86 (3), 1950s 76 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 80 across 9 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Romance 11, Comedy 9, Drama 7, Fantasy 3, Adventure 2, Crime 1
- **Screen time:** 25 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $37m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Walker_(cinematographer), https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q960230, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0907900/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17761

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Awful Truth*](https://film.one/film/the-awful-truth.md) (89), [*It Happened One Night*](https://film.one/film/it-happened-one-night.md) (88), [*Mr. Deeds Goes to Town*](https://film.one/film/mr-deeds-goes-to-town.md) (82), [*Here Comes Mr. Jordan*](https://film.one/film/here-comes-mr-jordan.md) (77), [*Born Yesterday*](https://film.one/film/born-yesterday.md) (76), [*You Can't Take It with You*](https://film.one/film/you-cant-take-it-with-you.md) (70), [*Lost Horizon*](https://film.one/film/lost-horizon.md) (68)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*It's a Wonderful Life*](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md) (91)
- **Pluto TV:** [*His Girl Friday*](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md) (90)
- **Tubi:** [*Mr. Smith Goes to Washington*](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Joseph Walker (born Joseph Bailey Walker) was an American cinematographer. Born in Denver, Colorado, on 22 August 1892, he died in Las Vegas, Nevada, on 1 August 1985. He began his career as a wireless telephone engineer and inventor, and worked as a photographer of Red Cross documentaries during the First World War. His first feature as cinematographer was the 1919 Canadian film *Back to God's Country*.

Walker joined Columbia Pictures in 1927 and remained there until his retirement in 1952. He collaborated with director Frank Capra on 20 films, including *It Happened One Night* (1934), *Mr Deeds Goes to Town* (1936), *Lost Horizon* (1937), *You Can't Take It with You* (1938), *Mr Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), *His Girl Friday* (1940) and *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946). He also worked with Howard Hawks on *Only Angels Have Wings* (1939) and *His Girl Friday*.

Walker held 20 patents for camera-related inventions, including zoom lenses and the Duomar lens. He received four Academy Award nominations for cinematography and was the first recipient of the Gordon E. Sawyer Award in 1982 for technological contributions to the industry. He co-wrote the memoir *The Light on Her Face*, published in 1984.

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

## On Fi1m (14)

- *Born Yesterday* (1950), Fi1m 76, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/born-yesterday.md)
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Fi1m 91, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *Here Comes Mr. Jordan* (1941), Fi1m 77, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/here-comes-mr-jordan.md)
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), Fi1m 90, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Fi1m 84, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md)
- *Only Angels Have Wings* (1939), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/only-angels-have-wings.md)
- *You Can't Take It with You* (1938), Fi1m 70, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/you-cant-take-it-with-you.md)
- *Lost Horizon* (1937), Fi1m 68, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/lost-horizon.md)
- *The Awful Truth* (1937), Fi1m 89, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-awful-truth.md)
- *Mr. Deeds Goes to Town* (1936), Fi1m 82, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/mr-deeds-goes-to-town.md)
- *It Happened One Night* (1934), Fi1m 88, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/it-happened-one-night.md)
- *One Night of Love* (1934), Fi1m 73, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/one-night-of-love.md)
- *Lady for a Day* (1933), Fi1m 78, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/lady-for-a-day.md)
- *The Bitter Tea of General Yen* (1932), Fi1m 65, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-bitter-tea-of-general-yen.md)

## Complete filmography (101)

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

- *Affair in Trinidad* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Marrying Kind* (1952), Director of Photography
- *The Mob* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Born Yesterday* (1950), Director of Photography — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/born-yesterday.md)
- *Harriet Craig* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Never a Dull Moment* (1950), Cinematography, Director of Photography
- *No Sad Songs for Me* (1950), Director of Photography
- *A Woman of Distinction* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Tell It to the Judge* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Mr. Soft Touch* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Dark Past* (1948), Director of Photography
- *The Velvet Touch* (1948), Director of Photography
- *The Mating of Millie* (1948), Director of Photography
- *The Guilt of Janet Ames* (1947), Director of Photography
- *It's a Wonderful Life* (1946), Director of Photography — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/its-a-wonderful-life.md)
- *The Jolson Story* (1946), Director of Photography
- *Tars and Spars* (1946), Director of Photography
- *She Wouldn't Say Yes* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Roughly Speaking* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Together Again* (1944), Director of Photography
- *The Impatient Years* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Mr. Winkle Goes to War* (1944), Director of Photography
- *What a Woman* (1943), Director of Photography
- *First Comes Courage* (1943), Director of Photography
- *A Night to Remember* (1942), Director of Photography
- *My Sister Eileen* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Tales of Manhattan* (1942), Director of Photography
- *They All Kissed the Bride* (1942), Director of Photography
- *Bedtime Story* (1941), Director of Photography
- *You Belong to Me* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Here Comes Mr. Jordan* (1941), Director of Photography — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/here-comes-mr-jordan.md)
- *Penny Serenade* (1941), Director of Photography
- *Arizona* (1940), Director of Photography
- *Too Many Husbands* (1940), Cinematography
- *His Girl Friday* (1940), Director of Photography — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/his-girl-friday.md)
- *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington* (1939), Director of Photography — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/mr-smith-goes-to-washington.md)
- *Only Angels Have Wings* (1939), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/only-angels-have-wings.md)
- *There's That Woman Again* (1938), Director of Photography
- *You Can't Take It with You* (1938), Director of Photography — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/you-cant-take-it-with-you.md)
- *Joy of Living* (1938), Director of Photography
- *The Awful Truth* (1937), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/the-awful-truth.md)
- *It Happened in Hollywood* (1937), Director of Photography
- *Lost Horizon* (1937), Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/lost-horizon.md)
- *Theodora Goes Wild* (1936), Director of Photography
- *Mr. Deeds Goes to Town* (1936), Director of Photography — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/mr-deeds-goes-to-town.md)
- *A Feather in Her Hat* (1935), Director of Photography
- *The Girl Friend* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Love Me Forever* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Eight Bells* (1935), Director of Photography
- *Broadway Bill* (1934), Director of Photography
- *The Lady Is Willing* (1934), Director of Photography
- *One Night of Love* (1934), Director of Photography — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/one-night-of-love.md)
- *It Happened One Night* (1934), Director of Photography — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/it-happened-one-night.md)
- *Lady for a Day* (1933), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/lady-for-a-day.md)
- *Below the Sea* (1933), Director of Photography
- *The Bitter Tea of General Yen* (1932), Director of Photography — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/film/the-bitter-tea-of-general-yen.md)
- *Virtue* (1932), Director of Photography
- *American Madness* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Shopworn* (1932), Director of Photography
- *Forbidden* (1932), Director of Photography
- *The Deceiver* (1931), Cinematography
- *Platinum Blonde* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Fifty Fathoms Deep* (1931), Director of Photography
- *The Miracle Woman* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Lover Come Back* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Dirigible* (1931), Director of Photography
- *Rain or Shine* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Ladies Must Play* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Ladies of Leisure* (1930), Director of Photography
- *Murder on the Roof* (1930), Cinematography
- *Song of Love* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Flight* (1929), Cinematography
- *The Eternal Woman* (1929), Director of Photography
- *Object: Alimony* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Sideshow* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Submarine* (1928), Cinematography
- *Nothing to Wear* (1928), Cinematography
- *The Street of Illusion* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Court Martial* (1928), Director of Photography
- *Virgin Lips* (1928), Cinematography
- *Modern Mothers* (1928), Cinematography
- *That Certain Thing* (1928), Director of Photography
- *The Isle of Forgotten Women* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Fire and Steel* (1927), Director of Photography
- *Tentacles of the North* (1926), Director of Photography
- *The Baited Trap* (1926), Director of Photography
- *The Dixie Flyer* (1926), Director of Photography
- *North Star* (1925), Director of Photography
- *The Pleasure Buyers* (1925), Director of Photography
- *Fighting Courage* (1925), Director of Photography
- *Clash of the Wolves* (1925), Director of Photography
- *My Neighbor's Wife* (1925), Director of Photography
- *The Girl on the Stairs* (1925), Cinematography
- *The Wise Virgin* (1924), Cinematography
- *What Shall I Do?* (1924), Director of Photography
- *Richard the Lion-Hearted* (1923), Cinematography
- *Danger* (1923), Director of Photography
- *The Girl from God's Country* (1921), Cinematography
- *A Bear, a Boy and a Dog* (1921), Director of Photography
- *Something New* (1920), Cinematography
- *Back to God's Country* (1919), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 4 nominated

- 1947: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *The Jolson Story*
- 1942: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Here Comes Mr. Jordan*
- 1940: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Only Angels Have Wings*
- 1939: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *You Can't Take It With You*

*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/joseph-walker