James Wong Howe

ActorCrewCinematographerDirector Aug 27 (died age 76) Guangzhou, China 1919–2024 (105 year career)

6.1 avg rating

Biography

James Wong Howe, ASC, was a Chinese American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films. A master at the use of shadow, he was one of the first to use deep-focus cinematography, photography in which both foreground and distant planes remain in focus. During the 1930s and 1940s he was one of the most sought after cinematographers in Hollywood. He was nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, winning twice. Howe was judged to be one of history's ten most influential cinematographers i…

Known For

Film

Fantasia

Director of Photography

Film

Sweet Smell of Success

Director of Photography

Film

The Thin Man

Director of Photography

Film

Seconds

Director of Photography

Film

Hud

Director of Photography

Film

Hombre

Director of Photography

Film

Shanghai Express

Additional Photography

Film

Yankee Doodle Dandy

Director of Photography

Filmography

Acting (7)

Movies (4)

Against All Odds: The Life of Cinematographer James Wong Howe

2024

as Self (archive footage)

The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo

2007

as Self (archive footage)

6.0

Visions of Light

1992

as Self (archive footage)

7.0

James Wong Howe: Cinematographer

1973

as Self

Television (3)

The Dick Cavett Show

as Self - Guest

The Oscars

as Self

The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self

Crew (136)

Movies (134)

The Rickshaw Boy

1981

Cinematography

Funny Lady

1975

Director of Photography

The Horsemen

Cinematography

The Molly Maguires

Director of Photography

6.3

Last of the Mobile Hot Shots

1970

Director of Photography

4.2

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter

1968

Director of Photography

7.5

Hombre

1967

Director of Photography

7.1

Seconds

1966

Director of Photography

7.3

This Property Is Condemned

1966

Director of Photography

6.4

The Glory Guys

1965

Director of Photography

6.5

The Outrage

1964

Director of Photography

6.0

Hud

1963

Director of Photography

7.3

The Small World: The Gypsy Children of Granada

1963

Director

The Small World: The Gypsy Children of Granada

1963

Director of Photography

Song Without End

1960

Director of Photography

4.6

Tess of the Storm Country

1960

Director of Photography

The Last Angry Man

1959

Director of Photography

6.9

The Story on Page One

1959

Director of Photography

4.3

Bell, Book and Candle

1958

Director of Photography

6.5

The Old Man and the Sea

1958

Director of Photography

6.5

The Invisible Avenger

1958

Director

5.1

Sweet Smell of Success

1957

Director of Photography

7.6

Armored Attack!

1957

Director of Photography

6.2

Drango

1957

Director of Photography

5.4

Death of a Scoundrel

1956

Director of Photography

5.8

Picnic

1955

Director of Photography

6.3

The Rose Tattoo

1955

Director of Photography

6.9

Autumn in Rome

1954

Director of Photography

Go Man Go

1954

Director

5.7

The World of Dong Kingman

1953

Director

The World of Dong Kingman

1953

Director of Photography

Come Back, Little Sheba

1953

Director of Photography

7.2

Indiscretion of an American Wife

1953

Additional Director of Photography

5.9

Jennifer

1953

Director of Photography

5.8

Main Street to Broadway

1953

Director of Photography

6.5

The Lady Says No

1952

Director of Photography

4.5

Behave Yourself!

1951

Director of Photography

6.0

He Ran All the Way

1951

Director of Photography

The Brave Bulls

Cinematography

The Baron of Arizona

Director of Photography

6.7

The Eagle and the Hawk

1950

Director of Photography

5.4

Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House

1948

Director of Photography

7.0

The Time of Your Life

1948

Director of Photography

5.5

Pursued

1947

Director of Photography

6.6

Nora Prentiss

1947

Director of Photography

6.1

Body and Soul

1947

Director of Photography

6.7

My Reputation

1946

Director of Photography

7.1

Confidential Agent

1945

Director of Photography

5.5

Danger Signal

1945

Director of Photography

5.8

Objective, Burma!

1945

Director of Photography

6.8

Counter-Attack

1945

Director of Photography

6.1

Passage to Marseille

1944

Director of Photography

6.5

Air Force

1943

Director of Photography

6.5

The Hard Way

1943

Director of Photography

6.3

The North Star

1943

Director of Photography

6.1

Hangmen Also Die!

1943

Director of Photography

6.9

Yankee Doodle Dandy

1942

Director of Photography

7.0

Kings Row

1942

Director of Photography

7.3

Navy Blues

1941

Cinematography

4.0

The Strawberry Blonde

1941

Director of Photography

6.9

Out of the Fog

1941

Director of Photography

6.2

Shining Victory

1941

Director of Photography

5.9

Fantasia

1940

Director of Photography

7.3

City for Conquest

1940

Director of Photography

6.7

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet

1940

Director of Photography

6.5

A Dispatch from Reuters

1940

Director of Photography

6.1

Abe Lincoln in Illinois

1940

Director of Photography

6.8

Saturday's Children

1940

Director of Photography

6.3

Torrid Zone

1940

Director of Photography

6.5

Dust Be My Destiny

1939

Director of Photography

6.2

Daughters Courageous

1939

Director of Photography

6.2

They Made Me a Criminal

1939

Director of Photography

6.2

The Oklahoma Kid

1939

Director of Photography

Comet Over Broadway

Cinematography

Comet Over Broadway

Director of Photography

5.0

Algiers

1938

Director of Photography

6.3

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

1938

Director of Photography

6.6

Under the Red Robe

1937

Director of Photography

6.3

The Prisoner of Zenda

1937

Director of Photography

7.5

Fire Over England

1937

Director of Photography

6.2

Farewell Again

1937

Director of Photography

5.0

Three Live Ghosts

1936

Director of Photography

5.0

The Flame Within

1935

Director of Photography

4.5

Whipsaw

1935

Director of Photography

6.2

Mark of the Vampire

1935

Director of Photography

6.1

O'Shaughnessy's Boy

1935

Director of Photography

6.0

Rendezvous

1935

Director of Photography

4.3

The Night Is Young

1935

Director of Photography

5.7

Biography of a Bachelor Girl

1935

Director of Photography

Have a Heart

Camera Operator

Manhattan Melodrama

Director of Photography

7.0

The Thin Man

1934

Director of Photography

7.5

Stamboul Quest

1934

Director of Photography

5.0

Hollywood Party

1934

Director of Photography

5.8

Viva Villa!

1934

Director of Photography

6.2

The Show-Off

1934

Director of Photography

5.7

Hello, Sister!

1933

Director of Photography

5.8

Beauty for Sale

1933

Director of Photography

7.0

The Power and the Glory

1933

Director of Photography

5.7

Shanghai Express

1932

Additional Photography

7.0

Amateur Daddy

1932

Director of Photography

Chandu the Magician

1932

Director of Photography

6.3

Dance Team

1932

Director of Photography

Man About Town

1932

Director of Photography

After Tomorrow

1932

Director of Photography

5.8

Young America

1932

Director of Photography

5.0

The Criminal Code

1931

Director of Photography

6.0

The Yellow Ticket

1931

Director of Photography

4.7

Surrender

1931

Director of Photography

5.0

The Spider

1931

Director of Photography

6.0

Transatlantic

1931

Director of Photography

5.5

The Inevitable Urge

1930

Director

Today

1930

Director of Photography

1.0

Desert Nights

1929

Director of Photography

5.2

Laugh, Clown, Laugh

1928

Director of Photography

7.3

The Perfect Crime

1928

Cinematography

The Perfect Crime

1928

Director of Photography

The Rough Riders

1927

Director of Photography

4.0

Sorrell and Son

1927

Director of Photography

5.7

Padlocked

1926

Director of Photography

6.0

Mantrap

1926

Director of Photography

6.0

The Charmer

1925

Director of Photography

Not So Long Ago

1925

Director of Photography

Peter Pan

1924

Director of Photography

6.8

The Breaking Point

1924

Director of Photography

The Side Show of Life

1924

Director of Photography

To the Last Man

1923

Director of Photography

The Spanish Dancer

1923

Director of Photography

4.0

The Call of the Canyon

1923

Director of Photography

Drums of Fate

1923

Director of Photography

The Siren Call

1922

Second Assistant Camera

The Woman Who Walked Alone

1922

Second Assistant Camera

Told in the Hills

1919

Assistant Camera

Puppy Love

1919

Assistant Camera

Television (2)

87th Precinct

Director

Checkmate

Director