Oscar Profile #119: William H. Daniels

Born December 1, 1901 in Cleveland, Ohio, William H. Daniels got his first job in the movie business as an assistant cameraman with Triangle Film Corporation/Kay-Bee at the age of 15. For $12 per week he carried a camera and held a slate. He also loaded the film magazines and carried all the equipment to the set. When the studio folded, he moved to Universal where he graduated to the big time as lead cameraman or cinematographer with Erich von Stroheim’s 1922 classic, Foolish Wives when he was just 21. By the time he photographed von Stroheim’s 1924 epic, Greed his reputation grew to the extent that other cinematographers studied and freely stole his innovations with light and shadow.

After photographing Greta Garbo in 1926’s The Temptress, she insisted on him for all her films. His photographing of Swedish sphinx as she was previously known in that and subsequent films is legendary. Credited with creating the “Garbo face”, Daniels himself claims he never did any such thing, that he merely accented her eyes.

In addition to his legendary lighting of Garbo, he also created indelible images of numerous other stars including John Barrymore and Joan Crawford in Grand Hotel; Helen Hayes and Clark Gable in The White Sister; Marie Dressler and Jean Harlow in Dinner at Eight; Norma Shearer in The Barretts of Wimpole Street, Romeo and Juliet and Marie Antoinette; Jeanette MacDonald in Naughty Marietta and Rose Marie; Margaret Sullavan in The Shop Around the Corner, The Mortal Storm and Back Street; James Stewart in two of those as well as such films as Winchester 73 and Harvey; Deanna Durbin in her farewell appearance in For the Love of Mary ;Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Frank Sinatra in all his major films from Some Came Running on.

He was also adept at city landscapes as evidenced by his Oscar win for his brilliant evocation of New York City in 1948’s The Naked City and his Oscar nominated cinematography of the western plains in 1963’s How the West Was Won. Oddly, his unforgettable work with Garbo produced just one Oscar nomination for her first talkie, 1930’s Anna Christie, but nothing for Grand Hotel; Queen Christina; Anna Karenina; Camille or Ninotchka. His first color nomination came for 1958’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

In his later years Daniels became a producer on four films in which he was also the director of photography. All four starred Frank Sinatra who had by that time insisted on him on all his films as Garbo had thirty years earlier.

Celebrated in his lifetime, Daniels is all but forgotten today. The only comment on his Internet Movie Database page is an inquiry from his great-grandson asking for information on the great cinematographer who died on June 14, 1970 at the age of 68.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

ANNA CHRISTIE (1930), directed by Clarence Brown

Daniels’ lighting of Garbo was never more important than in her first scene in her first talkie about thirty minutes into the film when she walks up to the bar and says, “Gif me a visky, ginger ale on the side, and don’ be stingy, baby.”

He was also the man who photographed her waking around the room, unforgettably fondling all the objects in 1933’s Queen Christina; throwing herself to her doom in front of the train in 1935’s Anna Karenina; valiantly dying of consumption in 1937’s Camille and laughing her heart out in 1939’s Ninotchka.

GRAND HOTEL (1932), directed by Edmund Goulding

Daniels not only makes 27 year-old Garbo look ravishing in this one, he makes 50 year-old John Barrymore look at least fifteen years younger in their love scenes together. His best, though, is reserved for a luminous Joan Crawford who has never looked more gorgeous on screen.

His innovative camera movements within the large hotel are also something to cheer.

THE NAKED CITY (1948), directed by Jules Dassin

Shot in semi-documentary style mostly on the streets of New York, this early police procedural won Daniels his only Oscar in his long career. If he could only win for one film, this the one he should have won for, something that can’t be said about the majority of Oscar winners.

Images of New York captured by Daniels’ camera still bring nostalgic tears to many who remember the city as it was through the 1960s.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (1937), directed by Richard Brooks

Daniels’ capture of Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman at the peak of their physical perfection belies Daniels’ reputation as an old-time cinematographer whose great claim to fame was photographing Greta Garbo in all her Hollywood films. He roved with this one once again that he could bring out the best in everyone.

Taylor’s husband Mike Todd was killed at the peak of his fame and popularity during the making of this film, but thanks to the actress’ skill and Daniels’ lensing of her you can’t tell which scenes were shot while she was still in the throes of newly married bliss and which were filmed while she was in mourning.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967), directed by Mark Robson

One of the trashiest films in cinema history, but you wouldn’t know it from Daniels’ dazzling cinematography which almost, but not quite, gives this poorly written and acted film a reason for being.

His photographing of Barbara Parkins in particular is reminiscent of his lighting of stars three and four decades earlier.