Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing ''

The War of the Worlds ''The War of the Worlds'' is a science fiction novel by English author H. G. Wells, first serialised in 1897 by ''Pearson's Magazine'' in the UK and by ''Cosmopolitan (magazine), Cosmopolitan'' magazine in the US. The novel's first appear ...

'' (1953), one of many films where he teamed with producer

George Pal George Pal (born György Pál Marczincsak; ; February 1, 1908 – May 2, 1980) was a Hungarian-American animator, film director and producer, principally associated with the fantasy and science-fiction genres. He became an American citizen after ...

Career

Haskin was born in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

, where his father was employed as a schoolteacher. Both Haskins' mother and father were natives of California. Haskin was raised primarily in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

. He graduated from the

University of California The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Franci ...

. He went out to Hollywood in 1917 and became the apprentice of cameraman H. Lyman Broening. He was hired as the cinematographer in 1922 for ''

Hurricane's Gal ''Hurricane's Gal'' is a 1922 American silent adventure film produced, written and directed by Allen Holubar and starring his wife Dorothy Phillips. It was distributed through Associated First National Pictures. Cast *Dorothy Phillips as Lola ...

''. In his early career, he was also a special effects artist, with a number of credits on

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

films, eventually becoming the head of the studio's special effects department (1937–1945). During his tenure there, he earned four

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

nominations for his effects work, all shared with

Nathan Levinson Nathan Levinson (July 15, 1888 – October 18, 1952) was an American sound engineer. He won an Oscar in the category Sound Recording for the film ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' and was nominated for 16 more in the same category. He was also nominat ...

: * ''

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex ''The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex'' is a 1939 American historical romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bette Davis, Errol Flynn, and Olivia de Havilland. Based on the play '' Elizabeth the Queen'' by Maxwell Anders ...

'' (1939) * ''

The Sea Hawk ''The Sea Hawk'' is a 1915 novel by Rafael Sabatini. The story is set over the years 1588–1593 and concerns a retired Cornish seafaring gentleman, Sir Oliver Tressilian, who is villainously betrayed by a jealous half-brother. After being ...

'' (1940) * ''

The Sea Wolf Seawolf, Sea wolf or Sea Wolves may refer to: Animals * Sea wolf, a wolf subspecies found in the Vancouver coastal islands * Seawolf (fish), a marine fish also known as wolffish or sea wolf * A nickname of the killer whale * South American sea ...

'' (1941) * ''

Desperate Journey ''Desperate Journey'' is a 1942 American World War II action and aviation film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Errol Flynn and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Raymond Massey, Alan Hale Sr., and Arthur Kennedy. The melodramatic f ...

'' (1942) In 1938, he and the Warner Bros. special effects department were awarded a

Academy Scientific and Technical Award The Scientific and Technical Awards are three different Honorary Awards that are given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) during the annual Academy Awards season. The Awards have been presented since the 4th Academy Awards ...

for developing a rear-projection system useful in effects photography. In the late 1940s, he returned to directing, having directed four films in 1927. He helmed two

film-noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarde ...

thrillers: ''

I Walk Alone ''I Walk Alone'' is a 1947 film noir directed by Byron Haskin and starring Burt Lancaster and Lizabeth Scott, with a supporting cast featuring Wendell Corey and Kirk Douglas. This was the first of five films that Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas ...

'' (1947), starring Burt Lancaster,

Lizabeth Scott Lizabeth Virginia Scott (born Emma Matzo; September 29, 1921 – January 31, 2015) was an American actress, singer and model for the Walter Thornton Model Agency, known for her "smoky voice" and being "the most beautiful face of film noir durin ...

and Kirk Douglas, and ''

Too Late for Tears ''Too Late for Tears'' is a 1949 film noir directed by Byron Haskin and starring Lizabeth Scott, Arthur Kennedy, Dan Duryea, and Don DeFore. It concerns a ruthless femme fatale's murderous attempt to hold on to a suitcase containing US$60,000 ($ ...

'' (1949), starring

Hal B. Wallis Harold Brent Wallis (born Aaron Blum Wolowicz; October 19, 1898 – October 5, 1986) was an American film producer. He is best known for producing '' Casablanca'' (1942), '' The Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1938), and ''True Grit'' (1969), along ...

had previously sent the then-unknown Lancaster to audition for Haskin; this led to him being signed by Wallis and cast as the male lead in ''

The Killers The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in t ...

'' (1946), the role which made him a star. Amongst Haskin's other prominent films as director was ''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1950), one of Walt Disney's earliest live-action features. Following ''The War of the Worlds'', he continued his collaboration with George Pal with ''

The Naked Jungle ''The Naked Jungle'' is a 1954 American adventure film directed by Byron Haskin, and starring Charlton Heston and Eleanor Parker. Telling the story of an attack of army ants on a Brazilian cocoa plantation, it was based on the 1937 short story " ...

'' (1954), ''

Conquest of Space ''Conquest of Space'' is a 1955 American Technicolor science fiction film from Paramount Pictures, produced by George Pal, directed by Byron Haskin, that stars Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, and Mickey Shaughnessy. The film's storyline concern ...

'' (1955), and '' The Power'' (1968). His other significant film is the science fiction adventure '' Robinson Crusoe on Mars'' (1964). Haskin also worked as a cinematographer and producer, as well as an occasional visual effects artist, notably doing the animation of photos of ships patterned after the Martian ships in ''War of the Worlds'' for his later film ''Robinson Crusoe on Mars''. His career in television included directing six episodes of '' The Outer Limits'' (1963–65), including the episodes "

The Architects of Fear "The Architects of Fear" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on 30 September 1963, during the first season. Introduction Certain that the Cold War will lead to mankind's destruction, a cabal of sc ...

" (1963) and "

Demon with a Glass Hand "Demon with a Glass Hand" is an episode of the American television series '' The Outer Limits'', the second to be based on a script by Harlan Ellison, which Ellison wrote specifically with actor Robert Culp in mind for the lead role. It originally ...

" (1964). He also co-produced the original '' Star Trek'' pilot episode, " The Cage" (1965). He retired in 1968. Haskin appeared as an interviewee in a documentary series '' Hollywood'' (1980), about the silent film era, which was co-produced by

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

. Haskin died in Montecito, California, six days before his 85th birthday.

Personal life

Haskin was married twice. He was survived by his second wife, the former Terry Gates; and a daughter from his first marriage, Shirley Flynn. His daughter married actor Joe Flynn.

Selected filmography

Cinematographer

Director

:''Complete listing.''

Special effects

References

Sources

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haskin, Byron 1899 births 1984 deaths Artists from Portland, Oregon Film directors from Oregon American television directors Science fiction film directors Special effects people American cinematographers Filmmakers from Portland, Oregon Film producers from Oregon Burials at Santa Barbara Cemetery Academy Award for Technical Achievement winners