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Born in Chino, CA. He started out as a special effects expert for Warner Bros., working in that capacity on many prestige pictures from 1944 to 1949 (e.g., ARSENIC AND OLD LACE, 1944; PRIDE OF THE MARINES, 1945; NIGHT AND DAY and THE BIG SLEEP, both 1946; POSSESSED and MY WILD IRISH ROSE, both 1947; ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS and KEY LARGO, both 1948; and JOHN LOVES MARY, 1949). He then became a top-ranking director of photography, for Warners and later for Paramount, providing the camera work for most of Alfred Hitchcock's films in the 50s and the 60s. Equally proficient in color or black & white, he won an Academy Award for the color photography of Hitchcock's TO CATCH A THIEF (1955). Notable non-nominated credits include THE FOUNTAINHEAD and BEYOND THE FOREST (both 1949), COME FILL THE CUP (1951), THE DESERT SONG and HONDO (both 1953), DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954), THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and THE WRONG MAN (both 1956), THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS (1957), VERTIGO (1958), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), THE GREAT IMPOSTER (1961), THE MUSIC MAN (1962), THE BIRDS (1963), MARNIE (1964) and his last film, WATERHOLE #3 (1967).
Burks died in a house fire in Newport Beach, CA, in 1968.
4 nominations, 1 Award |
Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 
Cinematography (Color)