Oscar Profile #583: Robert Krasker

Born August 21, 1913 in Alexandria, Egypt, his birth registered in Perth, Australia, where he was raised by his Australian parents, Robert Krasker studied photography in Paris and Dresden in his youth, briefly working for Paramount in their Dresden studio before moving to London in 1932 where he was hired by Alexander Korda’s London Films at Denham Studios.

Starting out as a camera operator, Krasker worked in that capacity from 1932 through 1942 on such British classics as Korda’s The Rise of Catherine the Great and The Private Life of Don Juan, William Cameron Menzies’ Things to Come, Korda’s The Man Who Could Work Miracles and Rembrandt, Zoltan Korda’s The Four Feathers, Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell and Tim Whelan’s The Thief of Bagdad, and Powell and Emeric Pressberger’s One of Our Aircraft Is Missing.

Working as a cinematographer from 1942 on, Krasker was director of cinematography for such 1940s British classics as Laurence Olivier’s Henry V, David Lean’s Brief Encounter, Gabriel Pascal’s Caesar and Celopatra, and Carol Reed’s Odd Man Out and The Third Man for which he won an Oscar.

Krasker’s early 1950s films included Zoltan Korda’s Cry, the Beloved Country and Irving Rapper’s Another Man’s Poison. He received a BSC (British Society of Cinematographers) award for 1954’s Romeo and Juliet made in Italy for Renato Castellani where he also made Senso for Luchino Visconti.

The ace cinematographer’s late 1950s films included Robert Rossen’s Alexander the Great, Reed’s Trapeze, David Miller’s The Story of Esther Costello, Joseph L. Mankieiwcz’ The Quiet American, and Anthony Asquith’s The Doctor’s Dilemma and Libel.

In the 1960s, Krasker worked on Peter Ustinov’s Romanoff and Juliet, Anthony Mann’s El Cid, Asquith’s Guns of Darkness, Ustinov’s Billy Budd, Reed’s The Running Man for which he received a BAFTA nomination, Mann’s The Fall of the Roman Empire, William Wyler’s The Collector, Mann’s The Heroes of Telemark and Sidney Hayers’ The Trap after which failing health and disenchantment with younger directors such as Ken Russell forced him into early retirement.

Krasker came out of retirement to make two short films, 1976’s Red and 1980’s Cry Wolf. He died of aortic stenosis on August 16, 1981, three days after his 68th birthday.

Despite his contributions to some of the greatest films made between 1932 and 1965, Robert Krasker is sadly mostly forgotten today.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945 U.K., 1946 U.S.), directed by David Lean

Krasker was known for his flair in all photographic media. His mastery was apparent as he went from the gaudy color pageantry of the prior year’s Henry V to softly lit, subtle black-and-white cinematography of this film. The film was nominated for three Oscars for Best Actress (New York Film Critics Award winner Celia Johnson), Director and Screenplay, Krasker’s lack of a nomination was a serious omission on the Academy’s part. He had been overlooked the previous year for Henry V and would be overlooked again the following year for Odd Man Out.

THE THIRD MAN (1949 U.K., 1950 U.S.), directed by Carol Reed

This hugely popular thriller was a British-American co-production produced by Alexander Korda for the U.K. and David O. Selznick for the U.S. Nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Director, Film Editing and Black-and-White Cinematography, Krasker’s win was the film’s only one. Joseph Cotton starred as the American pulp novelist who travels to post-war Vienna in order to investigate the death of his friend (Orson Welles). Trevor Howard and Alida Valli co-star. The film is famous for its climactic Ferris Wheel scene and for the use of the zither throughout.

ROMEO AND JULIET (1954), directed by Renato Castellani

This first color version of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy was nominated for three BAFTAs – Best British Film, British Screenplay, Film from any Source. Cinematography was not yet awarded by BAFTA but Krasker did win the year’s Best Cinematography award from the British Society of Cinematographers. Laurence Harvey was Romeo in one of his earliest leading roles. Susan Shentall, the non-professional teenage actress who played Juliet, was spotted by director Castellani working in a pub. It was her only film. The supporting cast included Flora Robson, Norma Wooland, Mervyn Johns, Bill Travers, and John Gielgud.

EL CID (1961), directed by Anthony Mann

Krasker won his second award from the British Society of Cinematographers for his work on this film exemplified by the famous scene of the dead hero riding away tied upright on his horse. Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, Raf Vallone, Genevieve Page, John Frsser, Gary Raymond, and Hurd Hatfield led the film’s huge cast. Three years later, Krasker did the cinematography for Mann’s equally star-studded The Fall of the Roman Empire in which Loren led a cst that included Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland, Omar Sharif, and Mel Ferrer.

THE COLLECTOR (1965), directed by William Wyler

Three Oscar nominations went to Wyler’s film of John Fowles’ bestseller for Best Actress (Samantha Eggar), Director, and Adapted Screenplay. It missed out on possible nominations for Best Picture despite a Golden Globe nomination for Best Picture-Drama, Best Actor Terence Stamp in the title role of the disturbed butterfly collector who kidnaps Eggar for the pleasure of having her there, and Best Cinematography for Krasker’s atmospheric color cinematography, the last great work of his career. He would retire after making just two more films, The Heroes of Telemark and The Trap.