Victor Milner
Encyclopedia
Victor Milner, A.S.C. (sometimes Victor Miller) was an American cinematographer. He was nominated for ten cinematography Academy Awards
, winning once for 1934's Cleopatra
. Milner worked on more than 130 films, including dramas (Broken Lullaby
), comedies (Unfaithfully Yours
), film noir
(Dark City
), and Westerns (The Furies
).
Milner began his career in the film industry as a lab assistant at the age of 15. He then worked as a projectionist
and a newsreel
cameraman until 1914 when he became a full-time cinematographer. Later he became known for the epic look he lent to Cecil B. DeMille
film productions. Milner was a founding member of the American Society of Cinematographers
and president of the ASC from 1937 to 1939.
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
, winning once for 1934's Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1934 film)
Cleopatra is a 1934 epic film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and distributed by Paramount Pictures, which retells the story of Cleopatra VII of Egypt....
. Milner worked on more than 130 films, including dramas (Broken Lullaby
Broken Lullaby
Broken Lullaby is an American drama film directed by Ernst Lubitsch and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay by Samson Raphaelson and Ernest Vajda is based on the 1930 play L'homme que j'ai tué by Maurice Rostand and its 1931 English-language adaptation, The Man I Killed, by Reginald...
), comedies (Unfaithfully Yours
Unfaithfully Yours
Unfaithfully Yours is a 1948 American screwball comedy film written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Rudy Vallee and Barbara Lawrence. The film is a black comedy about a man's failed attempt to murder his wife, who he believes has been unfaithful to him...
), film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
(Dark City
Dark City (1950 film)
Dark City is a 1950 film noir. The casting of Charlton Heston—in his first Hollywood film appearance—as a petty hood is unusual in light of his subsequent career. The film also features Jack Webb and Harry Morgan, who both went on to co-star in Dragnet. The musical score was composed by Franz...
), and Westerns (The Furies
The Furies (film)
The Furies is a Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Barbara Stanwyck, Wendell Corey, and, in his last performance, Walter Huston.In 2008, the film was released on DVD in the U.S. by the Criterion Collection.-Plot:T.C...
).
Milner began his career in the film industry as a lab assistant at the age of 15. He then worked as a projectionist
Projectionist
A Projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector. In the strict sense of the term this means any movie projector and therefore could include someone who operates the projector in a home video show or school. In common usage the term is generally understood to describe a paid employee of...
and a newsreel
Newsreel
A newsreel was a form of short documentary film prevalent in the first half of the 20th century, regularly released in a public presentation place and containing filmed news stories and items of topical interest. It was a source of news, current affairs and entertainment for millions of moviegoers...
cameraman until 1914 when he became a full-time cinematographer. Later he became known for the epic look he lent to Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
film productions. Milner was a founding member of the American Society of Cinematographers
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is an educational, cultural, and professional organization. It is not a labor union, and it is not a guild. Membership is by invitation and is extended only to directors of photography and special effects experts with distinguished credits in the film...
and president of the ASC from 1937 to 1939.