Victor Milner, A.S.C. (December 15, 1893 – October 29, 1972) (sometimes Victor Miller) was an American cinematographer. He was nominated for ten cinematography

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, winning once for 1934 ''

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator (; The name Cleopatra is pronounced , or sometimes in both British and American English, see and respectively. Her name was pronounced in the Greek dialect of Egypt (see Koine Greek phonology). She was ...

''. Milner worked on more than 130 films, including dramas ('' Broken Lullaby''), comedies ('' Unfaithfully Yours''),

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

('' Dark City''), and Westerns ('' The Furies''). He worked for large production companies like

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...

, and

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

during his film career.

Early life

Victor Milner was born on 15 December 1893 in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. When he was 12, his family moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. As a teenager, he was sometimes put in charge of operating the projector at movies when the movie projector's girlfriend came to visit. Milner later got his projectioner's license and worked as a projectionist. In 1912, he taught

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States, serving from 1923 to 1929. A Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer from Massachusetts, he previously ...

how to use a camera.

Career

Milner was hired by Eberhard Schneider, a film equipment manufacturer. He worked as a projectionist and ran supply runs for Schneider. During this time, Milner shot ''Hiawatha: The Indian Passion Play'' in 1913 as his first film. In 1914, he managed to photograph a mine strike in

Trinidad, Colorado Trinidad is the List of cities and towns in Colorado#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality that is the county seat of and the List of cities and towns in Colorado, most populous municipality in Las Animas County, Colorado, United Stat ...

. Milner was later sent to

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

to embark on a destroyer; however, his orders never arrived by mail. Instead, Milner was hired as a private photographer and could travel extensively, even spending nine months in the

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...

taking pictures of the wildlife and people. Milner was later hired by Pathe Freres News Reel, and his first responsibility there was to film marathon races at Union Heights. As part of his job, Milner went on a world tour with the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

and the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...

. Milner was able to go on

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

's first campaign tour, where he became acquainted with

Teddy Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York politics, including serving as ...

. It was reported that Milner stepped in front of Roosevelt on one occasion to take a photograph. Roosevelt was angered at first but simply requested a copy of the picture. Victor Milner-Madeleine Carroll in The General Died at Dawn

Victor Milner-Madeleine Carroll in The General Died at Dawn

When Milner returned to the United States, he was married to Margaret Schneider, the daughter of Eberhard Schneider, on November 1, 1916. In 1916 while on his honeymoon, he was hired by the

Balboa Amusement Producing Company The Balboa Amusement Producing Company (also known as Balboa Studios, and Balboa Feature Film Company) was a film production company in Long Beach, California, from 1913 to 1918 that produced more than 1000 films, around 90% of which have been ...

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

as a cameraman. He worked for Balboa for a year before he went to work for Thomas H. Ince in the

William S. Hart William Surrey Hart (December 6, 1864 – June 23, 1946) was an American silent film actor, screenwriter, director and producer. He is remembered as a foremost Western star of the silent era who "imbued all of his characters with honor and integ ...

unit. Throughout his career, he worked as a second cameraman for 17 films for

. He also later worked with the Constance Talmage Company, and at large production companies like

, and he went to

in 1925. Later Milner became known for the epic look he lent to

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of American cinema and the most co ...

film productions. He worked with DeMille for ten years, and helped him direct movies in Technicolor. Milner also worked with other icons in the film industry including

Victor Fleming Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were the historical drama ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'', for which he won an A ...

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent cinema actor George Walsh. He wa ...

Preston Sturges Preston Sturges (; born Edmund Preston Biden; August 29, 1898 – August 6, 1959) was an American playwright, screenwriter, and film director. He is credited as being the first screenwriter to find success as a director. Prior to Sturges, other ...

, and

Ernst Lubitsch Ernst Lubitsch (; ; January 29, 1892November 30, 1947) was a German-born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; a ...

. Milner was captured for three days by Russians with his son, Victor Milner Jr., in 1949. The two were on a trip in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

after Milner worked on a film project in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, when they were arrested by Soviet officials. They had gotten lost and asked a Russian soldier for directions. They were well-treated, however. Milner retired in 1953 after he completed the film '' Jeopardy''. He died in 1972, having worked on over 130 films throughout his career.

Awards and accomplishments

Milner was nominated for nine

during his career, winning one for cinematography in 1934 for the film ''

''. Milner received several nominations for in the category of cinematography in the Academy Awards, including ''

The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

'' in 1935, ''

The General Died at Dawn ''The General Died at Dawn'' is a 1936 American drama film that tells the story of a mercenary who meets a beautiful girl while trying to keep arms from getting to a vicious warlord in war-torn China. The movie was written by Charles G. Booth a ...

'' in 1936, and '' The Buccaneer'' in the 1938 awards. Milner was also an honorary member of the American Institute of Cinematography. Milner was a founding member of the

American Society of Cinematographers The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), founded in Hollywood in 1919, is a cultural, educational, and professional organization that is neither a labor union nor a guild. The society was organized to advance the science and art of cinem ...

and became its president from 1937 to 1939. Milner was featured on the cover of the ''Who's Who'' in 1934, and appeared on the cover of ''American Cinematographer: The Motion Picture Camera Magazine'' in April 1935.

Filmography

* ''

Hiawatha Hiawatha ( , also : ), also known as Ayenwatha or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accounts, he ...

'' (1913) * ''The Giants-White Sox Tour'' (1914) * ''The Inspirations of Harry Larrabee'' (1917) * '' The Velvet Hand'' (1918) * ''The Cabaret Girl'' (1918) * '' The Sealed Envelope'' (1919) * '' Haunting Shadows'' (1919) * '' Uncharted Channels'' (1920) * ''Out of the Dust'' (1920) * '' One Hour Before Dawn'' (1920) * '' Felix O'Day'' (1920) * ''Half a Chance'' (1920) * '' Her Unwilling Husband'' (1920) * '' Dice of Destiny'' (1920) * '' When We Were 21'' (1921) * '' Live Wires'' (1921) * '' Play Square'' (1921) * '' What Love Will Do'' (1921) * '' Shadows of Conscience'' (1921) * '' The Cave Girl'' (1921) * '' Her Night of Nights'' (1922) * ''Go Get 'Em, Gates!'' (1922) * ''Unmasked'' (1922) * '' Human Hearts'' (1922) * ''Dead Game'' (1922) * ''Tracked Down'' (1922) * ''The Gypsy Trail'' (1922) * '' The Kentucky Derby'' (1922) * '' The Lavender Bath Lady'' (1922) * '' A Dangerous Game'' (1922) * '' The Love Letter'' (1923) * ''

Gossip Gossip is idle talk or rumor, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling. Etymology The word is from Old English ''godsibb'', from ''god (word), god'' and ''sibb'', the term for the ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Town Scandal ''The Town Scandal'' is a 1923 American comedy film directed by King Baggot from a screenplay written by Hugh Hoffman. It was based on the novel ''The Chicken That Came Home to Roost'' by Frederic Arnold Kummer. The film stars Gladys Walton, Edw ...

'' (1923) * ''What Love Will Do'' (1923) * '' Cause for Divorce'' (1923) * '' Thy Name Is Woman'' (1924) * '' The Red Lily'' (1924) * '' Her Night of Romance'' (1924) * '' On the Stroke of Three'' (1924) * '' The Spaniard'' (1925) * ''

East of Suez ''East of Suez'' is a term used in United Kingdom, British military and political discussions in reference to interests east of the Suez Canal, and may or may not include the Middle East.

'' (1925) * '' Learning to Love'' (1925) * ''

Brand of Cowardice ''Brand of Cowardice'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by John P. McCarthy and starring Bruce Gordon (actor/director), Bruce Gordon, Carmelita Geraghty and Harry Lonsdale (actor), Harry Lonsdale. C ...

'' (1925) * '' The Wanderer'' (1925) * '' The Lucky Lady'' (1926) * '' You Never Know Women'' (1926)'' * '' The Cat's Pajamas'' (1926) * ''

Kid Boots ''Kid Boots'' is a musical with a book by William Anthony McGuire and Otto Harbach, music by Harry Tierney, and lyrics by Joseph McCarthy. The show was staged by Edward Royce. Produced by Florenz Ziegfeld, the Broadway production, opened o ...

'' (1926) * '' The Lady of the Harem'' (1926) * '' Blonde or Brunette'' (1927) * '' Children of Divorce'' (1927) * '' Rolled Stockings'' (1927) * ''

The Way of All Flesh ''The Way of All Flesh'' (originally titled ''Ernest Pontifex or the Way of All Flesh'') is a semi-autobiographical novel by Samuel Butler that attacks Victorian-era hypocrisy. Written between 1873 and 1884, it traces four generations of the ...

'' (1927) * '' The Spotlight'' (1927) * '' The Showdown'' (1928) * ''

Three Sinners ''Three Sinners'' (1928) is a silent film directed by Rowland V. Lee, starring Pola Negri, and co-starring Warner Baxter, Olga Baclanova, and Paul Lukas. The film was produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Picture ...

'' (1928) * '' Half a Bride'' (1928) * '' Loves of an Actress'' (1928) * '' The Woman from Moscow'' (1928) * '' Sins of the Fathers'' (1928) * '' The Wolf of Wall Street'' (1929) * '' The Wild Party'' (1929) * '' The Studio Murder Mystery'' (1929) * ''

River of Romance ''River of Romance'' is a 1929 American drama film directed by Richard Wallace and written by Ethel Doherty, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Dan Totheroh and John V.A. Weaver. The film stars Charles "Buddy" Rogers, Mary Brian, June Collyer, Henry B. ...

'' (1929) * ''

Charming Sinners ''Charming Sinners'' is a 1929 American pre-Code comedy film directed by Robert Milton and Dorothy Arzner (who was uncredited), with a screenplay by Doris Anderson adapted from the 1926 play '' The Constant Wife'' written by W. Somerset Maug ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Love Parade ''The Love Parade'' is a 1929 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code musical comedy film, directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Maurice Chevalier and Jeanette MacDonald, involving the marital difficulties of Queen Louise of Sylvania (MacDonal ...

'' (1929) * ''

The Marriage Playground ''The Marriage Playground'' is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Lothar Mendes, and written by Doris Anderson, J. Walter Ruben, and Edith Wharton. The film stars Mary Brian, Fredric March, Lilyan Tashman, Huntley Gordon, K ...

'' (1929) * '' Paramount on Parade'' (1930) * ''

True to the Navy ''True to the Navy'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle for Paramount Pictures. The film stars Clara Bow as a counter girl at a San Diego drugstore with a predilection for sailors. Eventually, she sets her ...

'' (1930) * '' The Texan'' (1930) * '' Let's Go Native'' (1930) * ''

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo ( ; ; or colloquially ; , ; ) is an official administrative area of Monaco, specifically the Ward (country subdivision), ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is located. Informally, the name also refers to ...

'' (1930) * '' Paramount op parade'' (1930) * '' No Limit'' (1931) * '' Ladies' Man (1931) * '' Kick In'' (1931) * '' I Take This Woman'' (1931) * '' Daughter of the Dragon'' (1931) * '' Broken Lullaby'' (1932) * '' One Hour with You'' (1932) * '' This is the Night'' (1932) * ''

Love Me Tonight ''Love Me Tonight'' is a 1932 American pre-Code musical comedy film produced and directed by Rouben Mamoulian, with music by Rodgers and Hart. It stars Maurice Chevalier as a tailor who poses as a nobleman and Jeanette MacDonald as a princ ...

'' (1932) * '' Trouble in Paradise'' (1932) * '' Under-Cover Man'' (1932) * '' Luxury Liner'' (1933) * ''

The Song of Songs The Song of Songs (), also called the Canticle of Canticles or the Song of Solomon, is a biblical poem, one of the five ("scrolls") in the ('writings'), the last section of the Tanakh. Unlike other books in the Hebrew Bible, it is erotic poe ...

'' (1933) * '' One Sunday Afternoon (1933) * ''

Design for Living ''Design for Living'' is a comedy play written by Noël Coward in 1932. It concerns a trio of artistic characters, Gilda, Otto and Leo, and their complicated three-way relationship. Originally written to star Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt and C ...

'' (1933) * '' All of Me'' (1934) * ''

Wharf Angel ''Wharf Angel'' is a 1934 American drama film directed by William Cameron Menzies and George Somnes and starring Victor McLaglen, Dorothy Dell, David Landau, and Preston Foster. ''Wharf Angel'' was the first screenplay of Stephen Morehouse A ...

'' (1934) * ''

'' (1934) * '' The Gilded Lily'' (1935) * '' So Red the Rose'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

Desire Desires are states of mind that are expressed by terms like "wanting", "wishing", "longing" or "craving". A great variety of features is commonly associated with desires. They are seen as propositional attitudes towards conceivable states of affa ...

'' (1936) * '' Give Us This Night'' (1936) * '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) * ''

'' (1936) * '' The Plainsman'' (1936) * '' Bulldog Drummond Escapes'' (1937) * ''

High, Wide and Handsome ''High, Wide and Handsome'' is a 1937 American musical western film starring Irene Dunne, Randolph Scott, Alan Hale Sr., Charles Bickford and Dorothy Lamour. The film was directed by Rouben Mamoulian and written by Oscar Hammerstein II and Ge ...

'' (1937) * ''

Artists and Models ''Artists and Models'' is a 1955 American musical romantic comedy film in VistaVision directed by Frank Tashlin, marking Martin and Lewis's 14th feature together as a team. The film co-stars Shirley MacLaine and Dorothy Malone, with Eva Gabor ...

'' (1937) * '' The Buccaneer'' (1938) * '' College Swing'' (1938) * '' Hunted Men'' (1938) * ''

Give Me a Sailor ''Give Me a Sailor'' is a 1938 American musical comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent and starring Martha Raye, Bob Hope, Betty Grable and Jack Whiting. This was Raye and Hope's third film together, the first in which they played the leads ...

'' (1938) * '' Touchdown, Army'' (1938) * '' Say It in French'' (1938) * ''

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF, ...

'' (1939) * '' Our Leading Citizen'' (1939) * '' What a Life'' (1939) * '' The Great Victor Herbert'' (1939) * '' Seventeen'' (1940) * '' Those Were the Days!'' (1940) * '' Northwest Mounted Police'' (1940) * '' Christmas in July'' (1940) * ''

The Monster and the Girl ''The Monster and the Girl'' is a 1941 American black-and-white horror film directed by Stuart Heisler and released by Paramount Pictures. Plot The film revolves around a small-town church organist named Scott Webster ( Philip Terry) attemptin ...

'' (1941) * '' The Lady Eve'' (1941) * '' The Man Who Lost Himself'' (1941) * '' My Life with Caroline'' (1941) * ''

Reap the Wild Wind ''Reap the Wild Wind'' is a 1942 American adventure film produced and directed by Cecil B. DeMille and starring Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Paulette Goddard, with a supporting cast featuring Raymond Massey, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Pres ...

'' (1942) * '' The Palm Beach Story'' (1942) * '' Hostages (1943) * ''

The Story of Dr. Wassell ''The Story of Dr. Wassell'' is a 1944 American World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on a book of the same name by ...

'' (1944) * '' The Great Moment'' (1944) * '' The Princess and the Pirate'' (1944) * ''

Wonder Man Wonder Man (Simon Williams) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in '' The Avengers'' #9 (October 1964). The character, wh ...

'' (1945) * ''

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' is a 1946 American noir tragedy film directed by Lewis Milestone and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Van Heflin and Lizabeth Scott. Kirk Douglas appears in his film debut. It follows a man who is reunited with ...

'' (1946) * '' It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) (uncredited) * '' The Other Love'' (1947) * '' You Were Meant For Me (1948) * '' Unfaithfully Yours'' (1948) * '' The Furies'' (1950) * ''

September Affair ''September Affair'' is a 1950 American romantic drama film directed by William Dieterle and starring Joan Fontaine, Joseph Cotten, and Jessica Tandy. It was produced by Hal B. Wallis. Plot Marianne "Manina" Stuart (Joan Fontaine), a prominent c ...

'' (1950) (European scenes) * '' Dark City'' (1950) * '' My Favorite Spy'' (1951) * '' Carrie'' (1952) * '' Jeopardy'' (1953)

References

External links

*
Victor Milner papers, MSS 1965
a
L. Tom Perry Special Collections

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Milner, Victor 1893 births 1972 deaths Artists from Philadelphia American cinematographers Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) Best Cinematographer Academy Award winners Presidents of the American Society of Cinematographers