text: robert kurrle robert kurrle , also known as robert b. kurrle was an american cinematographer during the silent and early talking film eras . prior to entering the film industry , he was already experimenting with aerial photography . considered a very prominent cinematographer , even his early work received notice and praise from both critics and other industry professionals . the advent of sound film did not abate his continued rise , and he became the top director of photography at warner brothers by 1932 . he shot 70 films over the sixteen years of his career , working with such prominent directors as william wellman , raoul walsh , michael curtiz , archie mayo , and william dieterle . he was a member of the american society of cinematographers by 1921 , and he was also one of the inaugural members of the international photographers branch of ( international alliance of theatrical stage employees ) . in october 1932 , at the height of his career , he suddenly fell ill after wrapping a film . hospitalized , his condition quickly worsened and within a week he was dead of an infection to the brain . early life born robert bard kurrle in port hueneme , california on february 2 , 1890 , kurrle had at least one sibling , ernest w. kurrle . prior to his entry into the film industry , kurrle was already an innovative filmmaker . in 1909 , flying in a curtiss open cockpit bi - plane , he photographed the panama canal from the air . in 1913 , kurrle would become the first photographer to take an aerial photograph of the city of oakland , california . describing the experience , kurrle said " ... we went along just as smoothly as if we were riding on velvet " . film career metro years and freelancing kurrle 's first foray into the film industry was on the 1916 film , her great price , directed by edwin carewe . he later collaborated with carewe on a number of pictures during the 1920s . he began his career working for metro pictures , where he stayed at until 1921 . metro was one of the film companies which merged in 1924 to form metro - goldwyn - mayer . the quality of kurrle 's work was noticed even early in his career . his filming of 1919 's lion 's den was called " spectacular " . kurrle 's work the following year on the right of way was described by some as " ... remarkable even in this day of almost perfect cinematography . " by 1921 , kurrle was already a member of the american society of cinematographers ( asc ) . early that year , he followed carewe and left metro to become a freelance cinematographer . fifteen of the twenty - four films kurrle worked on during 1921 - 27 were directed by carewe . in 1922 , while filming a carewe picture , i am the law , kurrle successfully tested a new high - speed film from eastman . the new film allowed interior filming with less lighting , reducing both equipment and staffing costs . over the course of his career , received numerous positive criticism and attention from other industry members and publications . he was highlighted in american cinematographer on many occasions , the first time being in the 1922 edition , where he was called a " valued member " of the asc . when he was selected to man the camera for fellow asc member phil rosen 's film , abraham lincoln , a prominent industry magazine stated that 's career had been " brilliant " up to that point . in july 1924 , after kurrle 's return from north africa where he shot a son of the sahara , american cinematographer called him " ... a master of his profession . " for 1926 's wings of the storm , kurrle 's exterior shots in mt . rainier national park received positive comments from industry trade papers . in 1927 kurrle was lauded for his camerawork on the film adaptation of tolstoy 's resurrection , which was directed by his long - term collaborator . the following year , in the first ever american cinematographer poll of the top hollywood directors , kurrle was selected as one of the top 10 cinematographers in the industry . that same year , 1928 , his camera work on sadie thompson , was lauded as " ... beautifully done , and the settings are completely in the mood of the story " . universal and warner brothers by 1928 kurrle was being called a " camera ace " , a reference not only to his skill behind the camera , but also to the fact that he was one of the few people in hollywood to own their own plane . in 1928 he worked exclusively with universal pictures , before returning to freelance the following year . in mid - 1930 , kurrle signed a contract with warner brothers . over the next two years he rose to become their top cinematographer . during his sixteen - year career , he worked with such notable directors as john ince , william wellman , raoul walsh , michael curtiz , archie mayo , and william dieterle ( who directed the final film kurrle photographed ) . in 1928 kurrle was one of the inaugural members of the international photographers branch of the international alliance of theatrical stage employees ( ) . even when the film was given less than stellar press , kurrle 's work was often praised , as in the case of the 1929 film her majesty , love , where it was noted , " the story is negligible , the cast , though capable , has nothing to do , and the direction is heavy handed and slow . but robert kurrle 's cinematography is outstanding . " that same year , his camerawork on another carewe film , an adaptation of longfellow 's evangeline , was deemed as " beautiful " by the film daily . the magazine also rated his photography as " excellent " for merian cooper 's version of the classic tale , the four feathers . there were times when his work only garnered average reviews in some papers , such as 1930 's hit the deck , while still gaining praise in others . kurrle was behind the camera for lloyd bacon 's 1930 version of moby dick , for which his work received high praise , being called " ... one of the three outstanding elements of the entire work . " in 1931 , his work on resurrection was described as " ... brilliant and sweeping " . during 1932 , kurrle was the director of photography on ten feature films which were released that year . in september and october 1932 , he worked on back to back films . the first was the match king , featuring warren william and lily damita , followed by lawyer man , starring william powell and joan blondell . lawyer man was his final film . death following the completion of his work on lawyer man , he went to the hospital for treatment of a persistent cold . this developed into a sinus infection , which further worsened into an infection in his brain . he remained in the hospital for over a week , fighting the infection , but eventually died from it . his death at the age of 42 on october 27 , 1932 , shocked the film industry . later it was reported that the infection was meningitis . the last two films he worked on were released posthumously . upon his death , american cinematographer said , " the motion picture industry lost one of its greatest cinematographers and finest gentlemen ... " his memorial service was held at the little church of the flowers in glendale , california , after which he was interred in forest lawn memorial park , also in glendale . filmography ( per afi database )