Franz Planer

Film cinematographer Franz Planer, A.S.C. (March 29, 1894 - January 10, 1963) was born in Karlsbad, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic), the Planer family were very influential, and owned large tracts of farmland, businesses, libraries, and shops in Austria-Hungary, and several properties in and around Vienna(some of which were stolen by certain officers for their own use in the 1930s using false papers, and threats). Planer trained as a portrait painter, realising that photography was becoming very popular, and would replace talented artists. Therefore he changed direction and began his career as a director of photography for films in Germany and later throughout Europe in the early 1900s before beginning work in Hollywood in 1937. He shot over 130 movies, including the color films The Big Country and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Notable films

• Maskerade (1934)
• Holiday (1938)
• Secret Command (1944)
• The Chase (1946)
• One Touch of Venus (1948)
• Criss Cross (1949)
• Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
• The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953)
• The Caine Mutiny (1954)
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
• Not as a Stranger (1955)
• The Pride and the Passion (1957)
• King of Kings (1961)
• The Children's Hour (1961)
• Something's Got to Give (1962) (unfinished, restarted a year later as Move Over, Darling, with a different cast and technical staff)

Academy Award Nominations

• Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1949: Champion
• Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1951: Death of a Salesman
• Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1953: Roman Holiday
• Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1959: The Nun's Story
• Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1961: The Children's Hour

References

• Robert Müller: Alpträume in Hollywood. Franz Planer: Eine Karriere zwischen Berlin, Wien und Los Angeles. In: Christian Cargnelli, Michael Omasta (eds.): Schatten. Exil. Europäische Emigranten im Film noir. PVS, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-901196-26-9