James Wong Howe
(born Aug. 28, 1899, Canton, China — died July 12, 1976, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.) U.S. cinematographer. At age five he emigrated with his family from China to the U.S. He worked in Hollywood from 1917 and became a cameraman for
Cecil B. DeMille. He developed innovations in lighting in the 1920s and pioneered the use of the wide-angle lens, deep focus, and the handheld camera. His low-key cinematography is seen in such films as
Kings Row (1942),
Body and Soul (1947),
Picnic (1956),
The Rose Tattoo (1955, Academy Award), and
Hud (1963, Academy Award).
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