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Robert Krasker

Robert Krasker

Cinematographer · Died August 16, 1981, aged 67 · Alexandria, Egypt

Robert Krasker, BSC was a cinematographer and feature film Director of Photography who worked on more than sixty films in his career. He was born in Alexandria, Egypt during a business trip by his parents Mathilde and Leon Krasker from Western Australia to Europe and back and his birth was registered in Perth, Western Australia after their return. The Krasker family lived and operated their pearl trading business out of Denham in Shark Bay and Subiaco in Perth. After Leon died in an accident in Shark Bay, Mathilde had to consider the children's educational needs so moved the family back to Paris where she and Leon had been educated as refugees from eastern Europe. Krasker completed his secondary schooling in Paris then studied art there in 1929 before enrolling in Professor Robert Luther's celebrated photograph course at the Photohändler Schule of the Technische Hochschule, later Technische Universität, in Dresden. He credited his education there for his fast start in the film industry at Les Studios Paramount in Joinville-le-Pont in the south-east of Paris and rapid ascension as the youngest Director of Photography of his era. Krasker moved to England from Paris in 1931 and worked there in that year on his last film as camera assistant to Philip Tannura, Service for Ladies, produced and directed by Alexander Korda. Korda invited him to work at Korda's London Films, where he was apprenticed to French Director of Photography Georges Périnal , becoming a senior camera operator then a Director of Photography in his own right. To say that Krasker's work was "strongly influenced by film noir and German Expressionism" is an oversimplification. It elides his art and photography education in Paris and his apprenticeship to Georges Périnal working as his camera operator on a range of very different films including The Rise of Catherine the Great (1933), Things to Come (1935), Rembrandt (1936), I, Claudius (1937 but unreleased), The Drum (1937), The Four Feathers (1938), The Thief of Bagdad (1939) and more. Robert Krasker's most notable films as Director of Photography included Henry V (1944) for Laurence Olivier, Uncle Silas (1947), directed by Charles Frank and The Third Man (1949), for which he won an Oscar, and Odd Man Out (1947), both for director Carol Reed, as well as Brief Encounter (1945) for David Lean and Another Man's Poison (1951) for Irving Rapper, and more. Despite Krasker's brilliant and atmospheric work on Brief Encounter (1945), Lean sacked him from his next film, Great Expectations (1945), because he and producer Ronald Neame were unhappy with the handling of Krasker's much-celebrated marsh scenes at the beginning of the film. Robert Krasker's later films included Romeo and Juliet (1953) for Renato Castellani, Senso (1953) for Luchino Visconti and The Quiet American (1957) for Joseph L. Mankiewicz and The Criminal (1960) for Joseph Losey as well as the widescreen black and white drama Billy Budd (1961) for Peter Ustinov and the widescreen Technicolor epics Alexander the Great (1955) for Robert Rossen, Trapeze (1955) for Carol Reed, El Cid (1961) for Anthony Mann, The Fall of the Roman Empire (1963) for Anthony Mann and The Heroes of Telemark (1965) also for Anthony Mann.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 21, 1913
Died
August 16, 1981 (aged 67)
From
Alexandria, Egypt
Works as
Cinematographer
Titles
27 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 16% in 30 days

What are Robert Krasker's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 79th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 47th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
33%
Bonds
24%
Power
12%
Self
11%
Survival
9%
Society
8%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 5 · Dark 14

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 11 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 7

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 6 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 7 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 18 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 10 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 15 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 11

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 16 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
19
Melancholic
14
Romantic
8
Dread
6
Contemplative
4
Other
14

How their films linger

Bittersweet12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy2
  • Bittersweet10
  • Tragic9
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Robert Krasker's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 19 of their 27 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (12).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Robert Krasker's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

45 credits, 27 with a MovieCove page.

  • Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Cinematographer

  • The Trap(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Heroes of Telemark(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Collector(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Fall of the Roman Empire(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Running Man(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Billy Budd(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Guns of Darkness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Cinematographer

  • El Cid(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Romanoff and Juliet(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Insight: Anthony Asquith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Actor

  • The Criminal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Cinematographer

  • Libel(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Doctor's Dilemma (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Cinematographer

  • Behind the Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Cinematographer

  • The Quiet American(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Rising of the Moon(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Trapeze(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Alexander the Great(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • That Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Romeo and Juliet(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Senso(1954)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Malta Story(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Never Let Me Go(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Another Man's Poison(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Wonder Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Cry, the Beloved Country (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • The Great Manhunt(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Angel with the Trumpet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Third Man(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Bonnie Prince Charlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Cinematographer

  • Uncle Silas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Cinematographer

  • Odd Man Out(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Caesar and Cleopatra(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Brief Encounter(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Henry V(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Lamp Still Burns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • The Gentle Sex (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Rose of Tralee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Camera Operator

  • Old Bill and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Camera Operator

  • The Challenge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Camera Operator

  • Men Are Not Gods(1936)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Rembrandt (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Camera Operator

  • Things to Come(1936)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Rise of Catherine the Great(1934)

    Camera Operator

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 45 titles from 1934 to 1976.

Biggest box office

The Third Man (1949)

$1.4M worldwide

Highest rated

The Third Man (1949)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

Brief Encounter (1945)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 45: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleCinematography37 of 45: 37 only cinematography, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thOther crew7 of 45: 7 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s5 · crew1940s11 · crew1950s17 · crew1960s11 · 1 acting · 10 crew1970s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Robert Krasker's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 69th percentile, the median of all 27; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 27 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th10
  • 25th to 49th5

Shape of the crowd

None of their 27 titles divides audiences: 16 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Crowd Pleaser16
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most loved · cinematographer

The Third Man (1949)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 75/100 in their films, across 23 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Robert Krasker's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 27 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles13–30 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity3 titlesmedian 3 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Robert Krasker work with?

People who share at least 2 of Robert Krasker's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Carol Reed shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles