Vernon L. "Vern" Walker started out as assistant to cinematographer Fred Jackson in the camera effects department (later known as "special effects") at First National studios. In the early 1930s, Walker moved to RKO Radio, where he was appointed the successor of camera-effects supervisor Lloyd Nechtel. Walker's ordeal-by-fire was the special-effects smorgasbord King Kong (1933); his later projects included Flying Down to Rio (1933), She (1935) and Citizen Kane (1941). Thanks to the expertise of Walker and his brilliant crew, the RKO product contained some of the best special effects and back-projection work in the business: even such minor efforts as the 58-minute Behind the Headlines (1938) had a look of clash and polish. After working on the complicated "parachute jump" sequence in Hitchcock's Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941), Walker received the highest accolade of all, a rave review from his peers at American Cinematographer magazine: "His work here is excellent, for although you know it must be a process shot, you are never forcefully reminded of the fact." Vernon L. Walker remained at RKO until his death in 1948.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mourning Becomes Electra
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Sinbad the Sailor
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Tycoon
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Deadline at Dawn
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
From This Day Forward
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Genius at Work
Cinematographer, Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Notorious
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Sister Kenny
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
The Bamboo Blonde
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
The Spiral Staircase
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Without Reservations
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Back to Bataan
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Bedlam
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Experiment Perilous
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
First Yank into Tokyo
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
George White's Scandals
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Having Wonderful Crime
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Johnny Angel
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Man Alive
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Pan-Americana
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Radio Stars on Parade
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
The Brighton Strangler
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
The Enchanted Cottage
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
The Spanish Main
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Those Endearing Young Charms
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Two O'clock Courage
Special Effects |
1945 | |||
|
Action in Arabia
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Betrayal from the East
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
China Sky
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Gildersleeve's Ghost
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Girl Rush
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Heavenly Days
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Mademoiselle Fifi
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Murder, My Sweet
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
My Pal, Wolf
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
None But the Lonely Heart
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Passport to Destiny
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Seven Days Ashore
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Step Lively
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
The Falcon in Mexico
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
The Woman in the Window
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Youth Runs Wild
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
A Lady Takes a Chance
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Behind the Rising Sun
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Bombardier
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Flight for Freedom
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Forever and a Day
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Gangway for Tomorrow
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Government Girl
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Marine Raiders
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Mr. Lucky
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Tender Comrade
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
The Falcon and the Co-Eds
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
The Fallen Sparrow
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
The Ghost Ship
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
The Sky's the Limit
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
This Land Is Mine
Special Effects |
1943 | |||
|
Call out the Marines
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Hitler's Children
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Journey into Fear
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
My Favorite Spy
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Once Upon a Honeymoon
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Powder Town
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Seven Days Leave
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
The Big Street
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
The Great Gildersleeve
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
The Magnificent Ambersons
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
The Navy Comes Through
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
The Tuttles of Tahiti
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
Valley of the Sun
Special Effects |
1942 | |||
|
A Girl, a Guy and A Gob
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Citizen Kane
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Four Jacks and a Jill
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Look Who's Laughing
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
My Life with Caroline
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Obliging Young Lady
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Parachute Battalion
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Playmates
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Repent at Leisure
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Sunny
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Suspicion
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Tall in the Saddle
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
The Devil and Daniel Webster
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
The Devil and Miss Jones
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
They Met in Argentina
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Tom, Dick and Harry
Special Effects |
1941 | |||
|
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Dance, Girl, Dance
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
I'm Still Alive
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Irene
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Kitty Foyle
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Laddie
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Lucky Partners
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Men Against the Sky
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Millionaire Playboy
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Millionaires in Prison
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Play Girl
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Primrose Path
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Swiss Family Robinson
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
The Saint's Double Trouble
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
The Stranger on the Third Floor
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
They Knew What They Wanted
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Tom Brown's School Days
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Too Many Girls
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Wildcat Bus
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
You'll Find Out
Special Effects |
1940 | |||
|
Bachelor Mother
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Five Came Back
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Gunga Din
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
In Name Only
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Love Affair
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Nurse Edith Cavell
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Pacific Liner
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Panama Lady
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Reno
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
That's Right - You're Wrong
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
The Flying Irishman
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Way Down South
Special Effects |
1939 | |||
|
Boy Slaves
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Bringing Up Baby
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Carefree
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Go Chase Yourself
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Having Wonderful Time
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
I'm from the City
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Joy of Living
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Radio City Revels
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
Sky Giant
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
The Maid's Night Out
Special Effects |
1938 | |||
|
A Damsel in Distress
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Annapolis Salute
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Crashing Hollywood
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Don't Tell the Wife
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Flight from Glory
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
High Flyers
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Music for Madame
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
New Faces of 1937
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Sea Devils
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Shall We Dance?
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Super Sleuth
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
The Life of the Party
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
The Man Who Found Himself
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
The Toast of New York
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
The Woman I Love
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
There Goes My Girl
Special Effects |
1937 | |||
|
Follow the Fleet
Special Effects |
1936 | |||
|
Grand Jury
Cinematographer, Special Effects |
1936 | |||
|
Mary of Scotland
Special Effects |
1936 | |||
|
Swing Time
Special Effects |
1936 | |||
|
Winterset
Special Effects |
1936 | |||
|
Without Orders
Cinematographer |
1936 | |||
|
By Your Leave
Cinematographer |
1935 | |||
|
Murder on a Honeymoon
Special Effects |
1935 | |||
|
She
Special Effects |
1935 | |||
|
The Last Days of Pompeii
Special Effects |
1935 | |||
|
The Three Musketeers
Special Effects |
1935 | |||
|
Top Hat
Cinematographer, Special Effects |
1935 | |||
|
Anne of Green Gables
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
Down to Their Last Yacht
Cinematographer, Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
Of Human Bondage
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
Romance in Manhattan
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
Stingaree
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
The Gay Divorcee
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
The Little Minister
Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
The Silver Streak
Cinematographer, Special Effects |
1934 | |||
|
Christopher Strong
Special Effects |
1933 | |||
|
Flying Down to Rio
Special Effects |
1933 | |||
|
King Kong
Cinematographer |
1933 | |||
|
Lucky Devils
Special Effects |
1933 | |||
|
Son of Kong
Cinematographer |
1933 | |||
|
The Monkey's Paw
Special Effects |
1933 | |||
|
Melody Cruise
Special Effects |
1932 | |||
|
Ten Nights in a Bar-Room
Cinematographer |
1931 | |||
|
The Man from Hardpan
Cinematographer |
1927 | |||
|
The Fortieth Door
Cinematographer |
1924 | |||
|
Range Rider: 100% Nerve
Cinematographer |
1923 | |||
|
Robin Hood, Jr.
Cinematographer |
1923 | |||
|
A Front Page Story
Cinematographer |
1922 | |||
|
The Last Straw
Cinematographer |
1920 |




















