Virgil Miller
Encyclopedia
Virgil Miller was an American
cinematographer who was the director of photography for 157 films between 1917 and 1956.
Born in Coffeen, Illinois
, Miller's credits include The Phantom of the Opera (1924), Navajo (1952), Danger - Love at Work
, Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
, The Mummy's Curse
, Crazylegs
, and six Charlie Chan
films.
Miller published his autobiography
, Splinters from Hollywood Tripods, in 1964. Prior to working for Universal Studios and, eventually, most other major studios, Miller was a graduate from and a professor at Kansas State University
teaching physics and electrical engineering. In 1913, Miller became the first director and founder of the electrical department of Universal Studios.. Best known for being one of the first to use electrical lights to film indoors and at night.. In 1915, he filmed on location in San Francisco, CA for the World's Fair; one of the earliest "on location" scenes filmed. He also coordinated very early special effects including filming stampedes, explosions, and shrinking people. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary, Navajo in 1952..
He was first married to Myrtle Bower. Together they had 5 boys: Joaquin, Wendell, Harlan "Lee", Lauren, and Donald. He and Myrtle divorced and Miller later remarried. He died in Hollywood, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cinematographer who was the director of photography for 157 films between 1917 and 1956.
Born in Coffeen, Illinois
Coffeen, Illinois
Coffeen is a city in Montgomery County, Illinois, United States. The population was 709 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Coffeen is located at ....
, Miller's credits include The Phantom of the Opera (1924), Navajo (1952), Danger - Love at Work
Danger - Love at Work
Danger - Love at Work is a 1937 American screwball comedy film directed by Otto Preminger. The screenplay by James Edward Grant and Ben Markson focuses on an attorney's frustrating efforts to deal with a wildly eccentric family.-Plot:...
, Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance is the fourth in a series of eight films starring Peter Lorre as Mr. Moto. The film is based on the character of Mr. Moto created by John P. Marquand, and an original story by Norman Foster and Willis Cooper called Look Out, Mr. Moto.-Plot:Over the ruins of Angkor Wat in...
, The Mummy's Curse
The Mummy's Curse
The Mummy's Curse is the 1944 horror film follow-up to The Mummy's Ghost which was also released in 1944. This film marks Lon Chaney, Jr.'s final appearance as Kharis, the Egyptian mummy. The Universal Mummy series boasts of a parallel-earth kind of timeline...
, Crazylegs
Crazylegs (film)
Crazylegs is a 1953 film about Elroy Hirsch's football career. In college his unconventional dynamic running style allowed him to change directions in a multitude of ways. The media dubbed him "Crazylegs". The name stuck all through his professional career and life. The bulk of this film is...
, and six Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
films.
Miller published his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Splinters from Hollywood Tripods, in 1964. Prior to working for Universal Studios and, eventually, most other major studios, Miller was a graduate from and a professor at Kansas State University
Kansas State University
Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
teaching physics and electrical engineering. In 1913, Miller became the first director and founder of the electrical department of Universal Studios.. Best known for being one of the first to use electrical lights to film indoors and at night.. In 1915, he filmed on location in San Francisco, CA for the World's Fair; one of the earliest "on location" scenes filmed. He also coordinated very early special effects including filming stampedes, explosions, and shrinking people. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary, Navajo in 1952..
He was first married to Myrtle Bower. Together they had 5 boys: Joaquin, Wendell, Harlan "Lee", Lauren, and Donald. He and Myrtle divorced and Miller later remarried. He died in Hollywood, California.
External links
- http://movies.nytimes.com/person/102901/Virgil-E-Miller Virgil Miller at Movies, New York Times