* 1895 Cleveland, OH - † 1970

Opleiding: USC

One of the most distinguished lighting cameramen in the history of American cinema, he was a brilliant innovator who varied his style from picture to picture, to match each film's theme as well as each director's vision.

Daniels began as assistant camera operator with the Triangle company in 1917 and became first operator at Universal in 1918 and director of photography in 1919. He achieved outstanding mood effects on films of Erich von Stroheim in the early 20s and reached a peak of personal prestige during his long employment (1924-43) with MGM.

In the 30s he became known as "Garbo's cameraman." He worked on most of the star's pictures and was not only able to capture her unique features glowingly but also to win her confidence and trust. Out of consideration for her fears and temperament, he insisted that all Garbo scenes be shot on closed sets with no one but the essential crew present. In 1947, after a period of illness, Daniels joined Universal. The following year he won an Academy Award for the starkly realistic photography of Jules Dassin's THE NAKED CITY (1948).

In both the 50s and 60s, he demonstrated a skill with color photography no less impressive than his celebrated work in black and white. President of American Society of Cinematographers 1961-63.

Academy Awards - A.M.P.A.S.
Nominated for Cinematography 1929 - 1930: ANNA CHRISTIE
Cinematography - Black & White 1948 THE NAKED CITY
Nominated for Cinematography - Color 1958: CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF
Nominated for Cinematography - Color 1963: HOW THE WEST WAS WON

Filmografie
1919   BLIND HUSBANDS                        photography
1920   THE DEVIL'S PASSKEY                 photography
1922   Foolish Wives (as William Daniels)         co-photographer
1923   Merry-Go-Round (as William Daniels) co-photographer
1924   Helen's Babies                          photography

1925   GREED (as Wm. H. Daniels)            cinematographer

1925   THE MERRY WIDOW                     co-photographer

Als Fotorgrafisch regisseur
1926   Bardelys the Magnificent          
1926   The Boob  (as Wm. Daniels)                                    
1926   Dance Madness                          
1926   Monte Carlo                             
1926   The Temptress  (as William Daniels)                         
1926   Torrent (as William Daniels)                          
1927   Flesh and the Devil (as William Daniels)         
1927   Love (as William Daniels)                                         
1928   The Actress                                       
1928   Bringing Up Father                  
1928   The Mysterious Lady (as William Daniels)                          
1928   A Woman of Affairs (photographed by) (as William Daniels)          
1929   The Kiss  (as William Daniels)                                  
1929   The Last of Mrs. Cheyney  (as William Daniels)        
1929   The Trial of Mary Dugan (as William Daniels)  
1929   Wild Orchids  (as William Daniels)                           
1930   Anna Christie (as William Daniels)                  cinematographer
1930   Romance  (as William Daniels)                 photographer
1931   A Free Soul (as William Daniels)            cinematographer
1931   The Great Meadow                                     cinematographer
1931   Inspiration (as William Daniels)            cinematographer
1931   Strangers May Kiss (as William Daniels) photograppher                
1931   Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)(as William Daniels) cinematographer
1932   As You Desire Me (as William Daniels)     cinematographer

Als cinematographer
1932   Grand Hotel (as William Daniels)                    

1932   Mata Hari  (as William Daniels)                                
1932   Rasputin and the Empress  (as William Daniels)        
1932   Skyscraper Souls  (as William Daniels)                    
1933   Broadway to Hollywood  (as William Daniels)

1933   Dinner at Eight  (as William Daniels)  

1933 Queen Christina  (as William Daniels) QUEEN CHRISTINA                   

 
1933   The Stranger's Return            
1933   The White Sister (as William Daniels)                      
1934   The Barretts of Wimpole Street (as William Daniels)
            AKA: FORBIDDEN ALLIANCE
1934   The Painted Veil (as William Daniels)     

1935   Anna Karenina (1935) (Als William Daniels)

 
Als: Cinematographer
1935   Naughty Marietta (as William Daniels)                     
1935   Rendezvous (as William Daniels)                     
1936   Romeo and Juliet (as William Daniels)                      
1936   Rose-Marie /INDIAN LOVE CALL   
1937   Broadway Melody of 1938 (as William Daniels)

1937   Camille (as William Daniels)                                 

1937   Double Wedding (as William Daniels)                        
1937   The Last Gangster (as William Daniels)          
1937   Personal Property (as William Daniels)          
1938   Dramatic School (as William Daniels)                      
1938   Marie Antoinette (as William Daniels)                      
1938   Three Loves Has Nancy (as William Daniels)             
1939   Another Thin Man (as William Daniels)                     
1939   Idiot's Delight (as William Daniels)                  

1939   Ninotchka (as William Daniels) (director of photography)                         

 
1940   The Mortal Storm (as William Daniels)                     
1940   New Moon/Lover come Back                        

1940   The Shop Around the Corner  (as William Daniels)    
 

1941   Back Street (as William Daniels)                                        
1941   Design for Scandal (as William Daniels)                   
1941   Shadow of the Thin Man (director of photography)     
1941   So Ends Our Night         
1941   They Met in Bombay (as William Daniels)                   
1942   Dr. Kildare's Victory (director of photography)(as William Daniel)   
1942   For Me and My Gal  (director of photography) (as William Daniels)
1942   Keeper of the Flame (as William Daniels)                           
1943   Girl Crazy (director of photography) (as William Daniels)
1947   Brute Force (as William Daniels)                              
1947   Lured (1947) (as William Daniels)                                       
1948   Family Honeymoon (as William Daniels)                    
1948   For the Love of Mary (as William Daniels)                         
1948   The Life of Riley (as William Daniels)                                
1948   The Naked City (as William Daniels)                          
1949   Abandoned (as William Daniels)                                          
1949   The Gal Who Took the West  (director of photography)                 
1949   Illegal Entry (as William Daniels)                            
1949   Woman in Hiding (as William Daniels)                                 
1950   Deported (1950) (as William Daniels)                                             

1950   Harvey (as William Daniels)     
                               

1950   Winchester '73 (director of photography) (as William Daniels)
1951   Bright Victory (as William Daniels)                                             
1951   The Lady Pays Off                                           
1951   Thunder on the Hill (as William Daniels)                                     
1952   Glory Alley                                               
1952   Never Wave at a WAC (1952)                                

1952   Pat and Mike (as William Daniels)                                       

1952   Plymouth Adventure (as William Daniels)                                   
1952   When in Rome                                             
1953   Forbidden                                         
1953   Thunder Bay (as William Daniels)                                       
1953   War Arrow  (as William Daniels)   (director of photography)  
1954   The Glenn Miller Story (as William Daniels)                                
1955   The Benny Goodman Story (as William Daniels)                            
1955   The Far Country (director of photography) (as William Daniels)
1955   Foxfire director of photography) (as William Daniels)                      
1955   The Girl Rush                                   
1955   The Shrike                                                 
1955   Six Bridges to Cross                        
1955   Strategic Air Command (director of photography) (William Daniels)
1956   Away All Boats (director of photography) (as William Daniels)        
1956   The Unguarded Moment  (as William Daniels)                               
1957   Interlude  (as William Daniels)                                                   
1957   Istanbul (1957)              director of photography  
1957   My Man Godfrey                                         
1957   Night Passage  (as William Daniels)                                             

1958   Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (director of photography)(as William Daniels) 
                         

1958   Some Came Running (director of photography)                             

1958   Voice in the Mirror  (as William Daniels)                                    

1959   A Hole in the Head           director of photography  
1959   Never So Few                                             
1959   A Stranger in My Arms (as William Daniels)                                 
1960   All the Fine Young Cannibals                       
1960   Can-Can                                           
1960   Ocean's Eleven (director of photography)                                    
1961   Come September (as William Daniels)                                           
1962   Billy Rose's Jumbo                   
1962   How the West Was Won (1962) (segment "The Plains")                                         co-director of photography
1963   Come Blow Your Horn             
1963   The Prize   (director of photography)     
1964   Robin and the 7 Hoods  associate producer,
1965   Marriage on the Rocks                      producer,
1965   The Impossible Years                                  associate producer
1965   Von Ryan's Express   (director of photography)         
1966   Assault on a Queen                                    associate producer
1967   In Like Flint                                      
1967   Valley of the Dolls                           director of  photography
1969   The Maltese Bippy                              director of  photography
1969   Marlowe                                                    
1970   Move