---
name: "Robert Burks"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/robert-burks"
fi1m_id: "robert-burks"
imdb_id: "nm0122079"
tmdb_id: 2654
wikidata_id: "Q1319095"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "4 July 1909"
died: "13 May 1968"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 82
average_over: 12
updated: "2026-10-07T09:52:57.000042+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."
---

# Robert Burks

## Identity

Robert Burks

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/robert-burks
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** robert-burks
- **IMDb ID:** nm0122079
- **TMDB ID:** 2654
- **Wikidata ID:** Q1319095
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burks, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1319095, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122079/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2654

Cinematographer. Born 4 July 1909 in Chino Hills, California, USA. Died 13 May 1968.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 4 July 1909, Chino Hills, California, USA
- **Died:** 13 May 1968
- **Active:** 1942–1964
- **Also known as:** Leslie Robert Burks, L. Robert Burks
- **Frequently works with:** [Alfred Hitchcock](https://film.one/person/alfred-hitchcock.md), [James Stewart](https://film.one/person/james-stewart.md), [Grace Kelly](https://film.one/person/grace-kelly.md), [John Michael Hayes](https://film.one/person/john-michael-hayes.md), [Leo G. Carroll](https://film.one/person/leo-g-carroll.md), [Tippi Hedren](https://film.one/person/tippi-hedren.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 76 (2), 1950s 85 (7), 1960s 77 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 74 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 8 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Thriller 8, Drama 6, Mystery 5, Crime 4, Romance 4, Comedy 2
- **Screen time:** 24 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $120m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Burks, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1319095, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122079/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/2654

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*North by Northwest*](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md) (89), [*Strangers on a Train*](https://film.one/film/strangers-on-a-train.md) (86), [*Dial M for Murder*](https://film.one/film/dial-m-for-murder.md) (80), [*The Music Man*](https://film.one/film/the-music-man.md) (78)
- **Peacock:** [*The Birds*](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md) (86)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Wrong Man*](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md) (83)

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

## Biography

Robert Burks (1909–1968) was an American cinematographer. He began his career at Warner Bros. as a camera operator at the age of 19 and later headed the studio's special photographic effects unit before becoming a director of photography in the mid-1940s. His first credit as director of photography was the short film *Jammin' the Blues* (1944).

Burks is best known for his collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock, serving as cinematographer on twelve of the director's films from *Strangers on a Train* (1951) to *Marnie* (1964), including *Rear Window* (1954), *Vertigo* (1958) and *North by Northwest* (1959). He won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Colour) for *To Catch a Thief* (1955) and received further Oscar nominations for *Strangers on a Train*, *Rear Window* and *A Patch of Blue* (1965). Other credits include *The Fountainhead* (1949), *The Glass Menagerie* (1950) and *The Music Man* (1962).

Burks and his wife died in a house fire at their home in Huntington Harbour, California, in May 1968.

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

## On Fi1m (12)

- *Marnie* (1964), Fi1m 68, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/marnie.md)
- *The Birds* (1963), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)
- *The Music Man* (1962), Fi1m 78, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-music-man.md)
- *North by Northwest* (1959), Fi1m 89, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md)
- *Vertigo* (1958), Fi1m 92, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/vertigo.md)
- *The Man Who Knew Too Much* (1956), Fi1m 74, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-who-knew-too-much.md)
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), Fi1m 83, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)
- *Dial M for Murder* (1954), Fi1m 80, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/dial-m-for-murder.md)
- *Rear Window* (1954), Fi1m 94, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/rear-window.md)
- *Strangers on a Train* (1951), Fi1m 86, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/strangers-on-a-train.md)
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), Fi1m 82, Special Effects — [page](https://film.one/film/arsenic-and-old-lace.md)
- *Kings Row* (1942), Fi1m 70, Special Effects — [page](https://film.one/film/kings-row.md)

## Complete filmography (58)

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

- *Waterhole #3* (1967), Director of Photography
- *A Patch of Blue* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Once a Thief* (1965), Director of Photography
- *Marnie* (1964), Director of Photography — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/marnie.md)
- *The Birds* (1963), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-birds.md)
- *The Music Man* (1962), Director of Photography — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-music-man.md)
- *The Pleasure of His Company* (1961), Director of Photography
- *The Great Impostor* (1960), Director of Photography
- *The Rat Race* (1960), Director of Photography
- *But Not for Me* (1959), Director of Photography
- *North by Northwest* (1959), Director of Photography — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/north-by-northwest.md)
- *The Black Orchid* (1959), Director of Photography
- *Vertigo* (1958), Director of Photography — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/vertigo.md)
- *The Spirit of St. Louis* (1957), Director of Photography
- *The Wrong Man* (1956), Director of Photography — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/the-wrong-man.md)
- *The Vagabond King* (1956), Director of Photography
- *The Man Who Knew Too Much* (1956), Director of Photography — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-man-who-knew-too-much.md)
- *The Trouble with Harry* (1955), Director of Photography
- *To Catch a Thief* (1955), Director of Photography
- *Rear Window* (1954), Director of Photography — Fi1m 94, [page](https://film.one/film/rear-window.md)
- *Dial M for Murder* (1954), Director of Photography — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/film/dial-m-for-murder.md)
- *Hondo* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Desert Song* (1953), Director of Photography
- *House of Wax* (1953), as Other
- *I Confess* (1953), Director of Photography
- *The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima* (1952), Special Effects
- *Mara Maru* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Room for One More* (1952), Director of Photography
- *Come Fill the Cup* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Close to My Heart* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Tomorrow Is Another Day* (1951), Director of Photography
- *Strangers on a Train* (1951), Director of Photography — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/strangers-on-a-train.md)
- *The Enforcer* (1951), Director of Photography
- *The Glass Menagerie* (1950), Director of Photography
- *Beyond the Forest* (1949), Director of Photography
- *Task Force* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Fountainhead* (1949), Director of Photography
- *The Younger Brothers* (1949), Special Effects
- *A Kiss in the Dark* (1949), Director of Photography
- *To the Victor* (1948), Cinematography
- *Key Largo* (1948), Special Effects
- *The Unsuspected* (1947), Visual Effects
- *Cry Wolf* (1947), Special Effects
- *The Unfaithful* (1947), Special Effects
- *Possessed* (1947), Special Effects
- *The Two Mrs. Carrolls* (1947), Special Effects
- *The Verdict* (1946), Director of Photography, Special Effects
- *Star in the Night* (1945), Director of Photography
- *Pride of the Marines* (1945), Special Effects
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), Special Effects — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/arsenic-and-old-lace.md)
- *Make Your Own Bed* (1944), Director of Photography
- *Jammin' the Blues* (1944), Director of Photography
- *In This Our Life* (1942), Special Effects
- *Kings Row* (1942), Special Effects — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/kings-row.md)
- *Highway West* (1941), Special Effects
- *The Great Lie* (1941), Special Effects
- *Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet* (1940), Special Effects
- *Marked Woman* (1937), Special Effects

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 1966: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *A Patch of Blue*
- 1956: Best Cinematography, Color (won), for *To Catch a Thief*
- 1955: Best Cinematography, Color (nominated), for *Rear Window*
- 1952: Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (nominated), for *Strangers on a Train*

*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/robert-burks