James Wong Howe

James Wong Howe

Cinematographer. Born 27 August 1899 in Guangzhou, China. Died 12 July 1976.

CinematographerChinese American
12
Titles on Fi1m
78
Average Fi1m score
2
Oscars2 won · 7 nominated
Born
27 August 1899, Guangzhou, China
Died
12 July 1976
Active
1932–1967

Biography

James Wong Howe was a Chinese-born American cinematographer who worked on more than 130 films. Born Wong Tung Jim in Guangdong, China, on 28 August 1899, he immigrated to the United States at the age of five and grew up in Washington state. He began his career in Hollywood in the silent era and became one of the most sought-after cinematographers of the 1930s and 1940s.

Howe received ten Academy Award nominations for cinematography and won twice, for The Rose Tattoo (1955) and Hud (1963). His credits include Fantasia (1940), The Thin Man (1934), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Bell, Book and Candle (1958), Seconds (1966) and Hombre (1967). In a survey by the International Cinematographers Guild he was named among the ten most influential cinematographers in history. He died on 12 July 1976.

On Fi1m