Joseph Walker, A.S.C. (August 22, 1892 – August 1, 1985) was an American

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

who worked on 145 films during a career that spanned 33 years.

Life and work

Born Joseph Bailey Walker in Denver, Colorado, Walker worked as a wireless telephone engineer, inventor, and photographer of documentaries for the Red Cross during World War IJoseph Walker at FilmReference.com
/ref> before starting his feature film career in 1919 with the Canadian film '' Back to God's Country'', which was filmed near the Arctic Circle. For the next seven years, he freelanced at various studios, working for noted directors

W.S. Van Dyke Woodbridge Strong Van Dyke II (Woody) (March 21, 1889 – February 5, 1943) was an American film director and writer who made several successful early sound films, including ''Tarzan the Ape Man'' in 1932, ''The Thin Man'' in 1934, ''San Franci ...

, Francis Ford, George B. Seitz, and others. He joined

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

in 1927 and worked almost exclusively at the studio until he retired in 1952. Walker collaborated with director

Frank Capra Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer and writer who became the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s ...

on 20 films, including ''

Ladies of Leisure ''Ladies of Leisure'' is a 1930 American pre-Code romantic drama film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ralph Graves. The screenplay by Jo Swerling is based on the 1924 play ''Ladies of the Evening'' by Milton Herber ...

'' (1930), ''

Lady for a Day ''Lady for a Day'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy-drama film directed by Frank Capra. The screenplay by Robert Riskin is based on the 1929 short story "Madame La Gimp" by Damon Runyon. It was the first film for which Capra received an Acade ...

'' (1933), ''

The Bitter Tea of General Yen ''The Bitter Tea of General Yen'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama war film directed by Frank Capra and starring Barbara Stanwyck, and featuring Nils Asther and Walter Connolly. Based on the 1930 novel of the same name by Grace Zaring Stone, th ...

'' (1933), ''

It Happened One Night ''It Happened One Night'' is a 1934 pre-Code American romantic comedy film with elements of screwball comedy directed and co-produced by Frank Capra, in collaboration with Harry Cohn, in which a pampered socialite (Claudette Colbert) tries ...

'' (1934), ''

Lost Horizon ''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called ''Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamaser ...

'' (1937), ''

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town ''Mr. Deeds Goes to Town'' is a 1936 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Frank Capra and starring Gary Cooper and Jean Arthur in her first featured role. Based on the 1935 short story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland, which ...

'' (1936), '' You Can't Take It with You'' (1938), '' Mr. Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939), and ''

It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas by medium#Films, Christmas Fantasy film, fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern se ...

'' (1946). In addition to his film work, Walker held 20 patents on various camera-related inventions he devised,Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences archives
/ref> including the Double Exposure System, several zoom lenses, the Duomar Lens for both motion picture and television cameras, the Variable Diffusion Device, the Facial Make-Up Meter, lightweight camera blimps, and optical diffusion techniques. In 1994 many of Walker's inventions, lenses, devices and patents were purchased by ASC Museum Curator Steve Gainer, ASC ASK and are on display at the ASC clubhouse in Hollywood. Walker was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work on one particular motion picture. History In its first film season, 1927–28, this award (like others such as the acting awards) ...

four times. He was the first recipient of the

Gordon E. Sawyer Award The Gordon E. Sawyer Award is an Honorary Award given by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to "an individual in the motion picture industry whose technological contributions have brought credit to the industry." The award is named in ...

, presented to him in recognition of his technological contributions to the film industry by the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...

in 1982. Walker collaborated on his 1984 autobiography ''The Light on Her Face'', with his second wife Juanita Walker. He died in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Partial filmography

* '' Back to God's Country'' (1919) * ''

The Grub-Stake ''The Grub-Stake'' is a 1923 American silent Western film produced by and starring Nell Shipman. It was directed by Shipman's partner Bert Van Tuyle. It is considered an independent film. Cast * Nell Shipman as Faith Diggs * Alfred Allen as M ...

'' (1923) * ''

Richard the Lion-Hearted Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...

'' (1923) * ''

What Shall I Do? ''What Shall I Do?'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Dorothy Mackaill, John Harron, and Louise Dresser. Synopsis After an accident, a man suffers from amnesia and leaves his wife and child to retur ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Clash of the Wolves ''The Clash of the Wolves'' is a 1925 American silent Western film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. Directed by Noel M. Smith, the film stars canine actor Rin Tin Tin, Charles Farrell and June Marlowe. It was filmed on location in Cha ...

'' (1925) * '' The Girl on the Stairs'' (1925) * ''

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...

'' (1925) * ''

Let Women Alone ''Let Women Alone'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Paul Powell and starring Pat O'Malley, Wanda Hawley and Wallace Beery.Munden p.430 Plot After her husband is reportedly drowned at sea, his wife supports herself and their c ...

'' (1925) * ''

Tentacles of the North ''In the Tentacles of the North'' is a 1926 American silent adventure film directed by Louis Chaudet and starring Gaston Glass, Alice Calhoun and Joseph W. Girard.Munden p.791 Two ships, on a journey lead by Captin Van Horn, become trapped in i ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Baited Trap ''The Baited Trap'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Stuart Paton and starring Ben F. Wilson, Neva Gerber and Al Ferguson. Cast * Ben F. Wilson as Jim Banning * Neva Gerber as Helen Alder * Al F ...

'' (1926) *''

The Flying U Ranch ''The Flying U Ranch'' is a 1927 American silent Western film directed by Robert De Lacey and starring Tom Tyler, Nora Lane and Bert Hadley. Cast * Tom Tyler as Señor Miguel García * Nora Lane as Sally Denson * Bert Hadley as Chip Benn ...

'' (1927) * ''

Stage Kisses ''Stage Kisses'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Albert H. Kelley and starring Kenneth Harlan, Helene Chadwick and Phillips Smalley.Munden p.761 Synopsis A wealthy man falls in love with an actress and marries her despite the ...

'' (1927) * '' Fire and Steel'' (1927) * ''

Shanghaied Shanghaied may refer to: *Shanghaiing, or forced conscription * ''Shanghaied'' (1915 film), a film starring Charlie Chaplin * ''Shanghaied'' (1927 film), a 1927 American silent film * ''Shanghaied'' (1934 film), an animated short film starring Mi ...

'' (1927) * '' The Fighting Stallion'' (1927) * ''

Say It with Sables ''Say It with Sables'' is a 1928 silent drama film directed by Frank Capra and produced by Harry Cohn for Columbia Pictures. Columbia no longer has a negative or print of this film, so the film is considered a lost film. Various film festivals ...

'' (1928) * ''

Submarine A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...

'' (1928) * '' Restless Youth'' (1928) * ''

Virgin Lips ''Virgin Lips'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Elmer Clifton and starring Olive Borden, John Boles and Arline Pretty.Munden p.859 Synopsis American mining interests in a Central American country hire an American aviator to h ...

'' (1928) * ''

Modern Mothers ''Modern Mothers'' is a 1928 American silent drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Helene Chadwick, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Ethel Grey Terry, and was released on May 13, 1928. Cast list * Helene Chadwick as Adele Dayton * Douglas F ...

'' (1928) * '' Object: Alimony'' (1928) * ''

Around the Corner ''Around the Corner'' is a 1930 American comedy-drama film directed by Bert Glennon and starring George Sidney, Charles Murray and Joan Peers.Fetrow p.25 It was produced and distributed by Columbia Pictures. Cast * George Sidney as Kaplan * C ...

'' (1930) * ''

Dirigible An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Final Edition ''The Final Edition'' is a 1932 American crime drama film directed by Howard Higgin and starring Pat O'Brien, Mae Clark and Morgan Wallace. Made by Columbia Pictures, it is based on a story by Roy Chanslor.Langman p.127 Synopsis The squabblin ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Girl Friend ''The Girl Friend'' is a musical comedy with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart and book by Herbert Fields. This was the longest running show for the trio to that date.Secrest, Meryle. ''Somewhere for me:a biography of Richard Rodge ...

'' (1935) * ''

Let's Live Tonight ''Let's Live Tonight'' is a 1935 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Lilian Harvey, Tullio Carminati and Janet Beecher. The film was made as part of an unsuccessful attempt to establish Harvey, who was a top ...

'' (1935) * '' Eight Bells'' (1935) * ''

The Music Goes 'Round ''The Music Goes 'Round'' is a 1936 American musical comedy film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Harry Richman, Rochelle Hudson and Walter Connolly Walter Connolly (April 8, 1887 – May 28, 1940) was an American character ac ...

'' (1936) * ''

Theodora Goes Wild ''Theodora Goes Wild'' is a 1936 American screwball comedy film that tells the story of the residents in a small town who are incensed by a risqué novel, unaware that the book was written under a pseudonym by a member of the town's leading fami ...

'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * ''

The Awful Truth ''The Awful Truth'' is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant. Based on the 1923 play ''The Awful Truth'' by Arthur Richman, the film recounts how a distrustful rich couple begins d ...

'' (1937) * '' You Can't Take It with You'' (1938) (Academy Award nomination) * ''

There's That Woman Again ''There's That Woman Again'' is a 1938 American comedy mystery film directed by Alexander Hall. It is the sequel to ''There's Always a Woman'', released the same year. In both films, Melvyn Douglas stars as a private investigator whose wife involv ...

'' (1938) * ''

Only Angels Have Wings ''Only Angels Have Wings'' is a 1939 American adventure drama film directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Jean Arthur, and is based on a story written by Hawks. Its plot follows the manager of an air freight company in a remote South ...

'' (1939) (Academy Award nomination) * ''

His Girl Friday ''His Girl Friday'' is a 1940 American screwball comedy directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell and featuring Ralph Bellamy and Gene Lockhart. It was released by Columbia Pictures. The plot centers on a newspaper edito ...

'' (1940) * ''

He Stayed for Breakfast ''He Stayed for Breakfast'' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by Alexander Hall, based on the 1934 play ''Ode to Liberty'' by Sidney Howard, itself adapted from the French play ''Liberté provisoire'' by Michel Duran. Plot In Par ...

'' (1940) * ''

Penny Serenade ''Penny Serenade'' is a 1941 American melodrama film directed by George Stevens starring Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as a loving couple who must overcome adversity to keep their marriage and raise a child. Grant was nominated for the Academy Awa ...

'' (1941) * '' Here Comes Mr. Jordan'' (1941) (Academy Award nomination) * ''

Bedtime Story A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare the child for sleep. The bedtime story has long been considered "a definite institution in many families".Dickson, Marguerite Stockm ...

'' (1941) * ''

They All Kissed the Bride ''They All Kissed the Bride'' is a 1942 American screwball comedy film directed by Alexander Hall and starring Joan Crawford and Melvyn Douglas. The plot follows a trucking firm executive who falls in love. Crawford took over the title role a ...

'' (1942) * ''

Tales of Manhattan ''Tales of Manhattan'' is a 1942 American anthology film directed by Julien Duvivier. Thirteen writers, including Ben Hecht, Alan Campbell, Ferenc Molnár, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Donald Ogden Stewart, worked on the six stories in this film. Ba ...

'' (1942) * ''

My Sister Eileen ''My Sister Eileen'' is a series of autobiographical short stories by Ruth McKenney, originally published in ''The New Yorker'', which eventually inspired many other works: her 1938 book ''My Sister Eileen'', a play, a musical, a radio play (a ...

'' (1942) * ''

First Comes Courage ''First Comes Courage'' is a 1943 American war film, the final film directed by Dorothy Arzner, one of the few female directors in Hollywood at the time. The film was based on the 1943 novel ''Commandos'' by Elliott Arnold, adapted by George Skla ...

'' (1943) * '' A Night to Remember'' (1943) * ''

Tars and Spars ''Tars and Spars'' is a 1946 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Alfred E. Green and starring Alfred Drake, Janet Blair, and Marc Platt. Plot Howard Young is a coast guardsman who has been on shore duty for three years despite ...

'' (1946) * ''

It’s a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loo ...

'' (1946) * ''

The Jolson Story ''The Jolson Story'' is a 1946 American musical biography film which purports to tell the life story of singer Al Jolson. It stars Larry Parks as Jolson, Evelyn Keyes as Julie Benson (approximating Jolson's wife, Ruby Keeler), William Demares ...

'' (1946) (Academy Award nomination) * ''

The Guilt of Janet Ames ''The Guilt of Janet Ames'' is a 1947 American sentimental film noir directed by Henry Levin, based on a story by Lenore Coffee, and starring Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas. Plot War widow Janet Ames (Rosalind Russell) is stricken unconsc ...

'' (1947) * ''

The Velvet Touch ''The Velvet Touch'' is a 1948 American film noir drama directed by Jack Gage and starring Rosalind Russell, Leon Ames, Leo Genn and Claire Trevor. Plot Broadway leading lady Valerie Stanton (Russell) accidentally kills her producer and former ...

'' (1948) * ''

Harriet Craig ''Harriet Craig'' is a 1950 American drama (film and television), drama film starring Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Anne Froelick and James Gunn (screenwriter, born 1920), James Gunn was based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1925 play ''Craig's ...

'' (1950) * '' Born Yesterday'' (1950) * ''

Affair in Trinidad ''Affair in Trinidad'' is a 1952 American film noir directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. It was produced by Hayworth's Beckworth Corporation and released by Columbia Pictures. It is notable as Hayworth's "comebac ...

'' (1952)

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Joseph (cinematographer American cinematographers Artists from Denver Recipients of the Gordon E. Sawyer Award 1892 births 1985 deaths 20th-century American inventors Inventors from Colorado