Born in New York City. Newsreel cameraman from 1913 to 1918, when he arrived in Hollywood and began working as an assistant photographer. Milner went on to become one of Hollywood's foremost cinematographers of the 1930s through the 40s, mostly with Paramount. He enjoyed a fruitful multi-film association with directors Ernst Lubitsch, Henry King, Raoul Walsh and C. B. De Mille. Some of Milner's notable non-nominated credits include ONE HOUR WITH YOU (1932), THE SONG OF SONGS, LUXURY LINER and DESIGN FOR LIVING (all 1933), ALL OF ME (1934), THE GILDED LILY (1935), THE PLAINSMAN (1936), ARTISTS & MODELS (1937), UNION PACIFIC (1939), THE LADY EVE (1941), THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942), THE STORY OF DR. WASSELL and THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE (both 1944), WONDER MAN (1945), THE STRANGE LOVE OF MARTHA IVERS and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (uncredited) (both 1946), UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948), DARK CITY (1950), MY FAVORITE SPY (1951), CARRIE (1952) and his last film, JEOPARDY (1953).  Nominated for Cinematography 1929-30: THE LOVE PARADE  Cinematography 1934: CLEOPATRA  Nominated for Cinematography 1935: THE CRUSADES  Nominated for Cinematography 1936: THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN  Nominated for Cinematography 1938: THE BUCCANEER  Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1939: THE GREAT VICTOR HERBERT  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1940: NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE (w. W. Howard Greene)  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1942: REAP THE WILD WIND (w. William V. Skall)  Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1950: THE FURIES 9 nominations, 1 Award