Warren Miller: Legendary Skier, Filmmaker, Sport Builder, & Navy Veteran
When people think of the legendary filmmaker Warren A. Miller, they might think of his films, which touched so many people’s lives, his iconic voice, and the exciting start of each snow sports season, often celebrated with his annual film premiere, including many special guests and snow sports stars. But did you know that Warren Miller was a United States Navy veteran? This year for Veterans Day, we want to share more about Warren’s service during World War II and how that impacted his film career.
PC Warren Miller Documentary
Legendary skier, filmmaker, artist, newspaper columnist, and book author, Warren Miller has established himself as a unique American icon who is a constant source of inspiration to everyone who meets him, young and old.
Born and raised in Hollywood, California during the Depression, Warren took his early inspiration from Walt Disney, who was on eleven-year-old Warren’s newspaper route. It was Disney’s critics-be-damned attitude that at least partially inspired Miller to follow his dreams. In fact, Warren’s signature emulates that of the late Disney.
In 1937, Warren traded $2 and a pair of roller skates for his first set of Spalding pine skis. In junior high school woodshop in 1938, Warren built his first surfboard.
Warren graduated from high school sixty days after Pearl Harbor was bombed and joined the Navy at the age of 18 in 1942. He enrolled in the University of Southern California (USC) and joined the Naval Officer's Training Program. Warren went on to serve as a naval officer in the Pacific during World War II.
He completed six semesters of college (changing his major every semester) before going to an officer’s training school in Chicago. While at USC, he self-published his first book, “The Navy Goes to College.” During 1943, paper was hard to come by so the book was printed as a class project of a friend who taught print shop at a local junior college. Warren only had to pay for the spiral binding of the book. It cost twenty-one cents a copy and he sold a thousand copies for a dollar each.
Warren’s overseas duty was in the backwaters of the war in the Pacific. His boat sank in a hurricane traveling from Guadalcanal (one of the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific) to Pearl Harbor. Warren led the evacuation of his crew when their submarine chaser sank. As the hurricane swamped the aft end of his ship, it flooded and was sinking. Warren railed the stricken crew together and organized them to make it safely across the pitching seas to a rescue ship. In a book Warren wrote later in life in 2016, “Freedom Found: My Life Story,” Warren finally told his tale (on pages 96 to 102).
With the $100 bonus he received when he was discharged in 1946, Warren bought his first 8mm Bell & Howell motion picture camera and cashed in his war bonds to publish two thousand copies of his second book, “Are My Skis on Straight?” This was a collection of cartoons that he drew while on leave from the Navy, skiing at Yosemite during Christmas of 1945. The book cost sixty-five cents per copy to print and he sold each copy for two dollars.
The idea of becoming a ski filmmaker was slowly developing in his mind and Warren spent the 1949-1950 winter at Squaw Valley shooting footage for his first ski movie. This was the beginning of a 50-year career devoted to bringing the mountains to the masses. His experiences in the Navy shaped his perspective on storytelling and filmmaking. His works often reflected themes of adventure and camaraderie.
“All of a sudden, I was being invited to free tuna casserole dinners if I’d bring my projector and show the films.”
After his service, Warren began producing, directing, and narrating ski films until 1988. He founded Warren Miller Entertainment in 1949 and has produced over 750 films, including a profitable feature-length film each year for several decades. Shooting all over the world, his movies are known for radical skiing, plenty of powder snow shots, and his very own brand of humor.
Warren was inducted into our Hall of Fame in 1995 as a Sport Builder and was a supporter of the Colorado Snowsports Museum from its inception. Warren enjoyed giving back to tomorrow’s adventure seekers whenever he could.
The Colorado Snowsports Museum is working hard behind the scenes planning an upcoming Warren Miller exhibit, dedicated to the life of Warren Miller. If you’d like to contribute to supporting the development of this exhibition, we invite you to become a Museum Member or to make a one-time donation in honor of Warren. Funds will be used towards the development, fabrication, and installation of this exhibit, including the creation of his Hall of Fame tribute video to be included in the display.
Our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure.
Mock up from Condit Exhibits.
Sources:
· US Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum Biography on Warren Miller (Ben Rinaldo)
· “Legendary ski-film maker, Warren Miller, dies at 93” by Bill Hamilton Special to Sky-Hi News
· “Warren Miller, Ski Bum Turned Filmmaker, Is Dead at 93” by Matt Higgins with the New York Times
About the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame:
Founded in 1975 and located in Vail, Colorado, our mission is to celebrate Colorado snow sports by telling stories that educate and inspire others to seek adventure. The priceless artifacts we collect and display tell the story of the birth, rise and explosion of skiing and snowboarding in Colorado. The Museum features displays including Climb to Glory about the 10th Mountain Division, Vail’s DNA, The Colorado Snowboard Archive, and The Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame, among many others. Learn more and consider supporting the Museum by becoming a member: www.snowsportsmuseum.org.
Media Contacts:
Colorado Snowsports Museum:
Jen Mason | Dana Mathios
jen@snowsportsmuseum.org | dana@snowsportsmuseum.org
(970) 476-1876