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- Vernon is the son of Minnie Belle LaRue & Edward R Walker.
. 1923 Jul 5 - An American special effects artist and cinematographer. He was nominated for four Academy Awards for Best Special Effects. He worked on more than 220 films during his career, starting out as a head cameraman for Otis B. Thayer's Art-O-Graf Film Company in 1919. Bio by Kaleigh Jones-Clark.
. 1945 Camera Ace. Detroit Rises to Top in Hollywood as Expert in Trick Photography, By Jerry Ross.
Hollywood When it comes to magical sills, the folks who pull rabbits & bird out of hats will have to yield ground whenever Vernon L Walker, of Detroit, draws on his store of camera pics or motion picture. ferns, as he is called by his care cronies, heads the Special Effects Dept. at RKO studios.
Whenever there is some sort of storm, battle, or explosion needed in a scene, Walker is called into devise the desired effect so that Mr Mrs Movie Fan won't known the difference anyway. "We Really don't try to fool the public", explained the man who first learned about cameras when he was a schoolboy in Detroit. "The only time we dub-in our tricks is when the locale is inaccessible for us to shoot with our cameras or when it endangers members of the cast. Without the correct camera angles, the tick dubbing in & carefully planned methods of creating desired effects, the picture might do a blip back at the box offices.
Walker was born in Detroit some 50 odd years ago. As a young boy getting his education in local public schools & the Detroit University School, he displayed a deep interest in the movies & camera which were somebody to become his livelihood. "I used all my spending money in those days, going to the Detroit picture shows, the heave set, jovial RKO executive recalled. It was really in Denver that laker began his photographic career. He help pioneer the newsreel field in Colorado & Wyoming. Later he returned to Detroit where he became a free-lance newsreel photographer for Pathe News. He is credited with having turned the crank on some of the historic events in the city.
In 1919 the soft-spoken Walker, after a tour of Army duty, moved into the Hollywood scene as a Pathe newsreel man. He later worked with Mack Sennett, where he acquired his special effects kills, then Warner Brothers. At the latter studio he became one of the industry's first sound cameramen & shot Al Jolson's historic,The jazz Singer. Walker has been with RKO since 1930.
He & his wife live in Balboa, a beach town several miles from Hollywood. Walker's special hobby is boating & he is an official of several California yacht clubs.
Photo gray hair man in a pinstriped jacket, white shirt, & tie. He is apparently a movie script. Film canisters are in the background.
Re: Detroit Free Press.
. Obituary: Vernon L Walker
1948 Mar 14 - Masonic funeral services for Vernon L Walker, 53y. Old photographic expert who died at his Balboa Island home Sunday, will be conduct at 11 am tomorrow in Grace Chapel, Inglewood Park Centre, Walker a former RKO studios photographer & onetime commodore of Hollywood Yacht Club, leaves his widow, Mrs Mary Alice Walker, a daughter, Mrs. Don Pickard, 2 brothers, Maurice & Pierre Walker.
Ref: Los Angeles Times Newspaper.
Verify identity & if he is V F Walker, JUNIOR. ?
. 1950 Jan 25, Vernon Walker Presented highest Award
Harbor District Boy Scout commissioner Vernon Walker was presented with the Silver Beaver award, scouting's highest honor to an adult leader at the 35th annual meeting of the Lost Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of American held last night at the Ambassador Hotel in LA. 12 other adult leaders throughout the LA.
Black & white photo of Vernon shows a middle age man, dark hair, clean shaven, suit jacket with a white shirt & tie.
. 1950 Jun 23, Photo of Vernon Walker inspected the anchor Parol of Harbor District Boy Scout Jamboree Group 8. - also a photo of Scout Robert Walker in the photo.
Vernon L Walker, long identified with community civic work & in change of Coast Fisheries accounting department, was elected President Wilmington Rotary club for 1952-3.
. 1952 Jun 30 - [Dark group photo is not completely clear which is Veron.] President Vernon Walker receive the Wilmington Rotary Club gavel from outing President Crandall, at a dinner dance at the Lakewood country club Sat. night. Over 300 member, families & friends . Highlight of the dinner dance program were numerous piano selections by popular piano virtuoso, Liberace.
. 1954 Jan 11, Vernon Walker had Local Red Cross Drive, Vernon Walker, of Coast Fisheries, division of Quaker Oats, today accepted the chairmanship of the Wilmington Area 1954 fund campaign for the American Red Corps.
Walker is auditor & controller of Coast Fisheries with whom he had been connected for the last 17 days. A resident of the Harbor district since 1923, he has ben active in the Boy S outs of America for 15 years. currently, Walker is serving as chairman n of camping& outdoor activities of the Boy Scouts.
All 4 of his boys, Robert, 17, Darryl 12, Russell,10 & Donald - are in the Scouts. Walker is particularly interested in extending the Red Cross funds for more gamma globulin to aid in the prevention of polio.
. 1957 Aug 27 - Vernon Walker Names Fund Campaign Auditor of the Harbor Osteopathic Hospital.
Ref: Wilmington Daily Press Journal, Cal. - - -
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1894 - 1948 (53 years)