Born: 28 August 1899, Kwangchow [also Canton; now Guangzhou], China, as Wong Tung
Jim. Died: 12 July 1976, West Hollywood,
Calif., USA.
Career: When he was five his family emigrated to the United States and settled in Pasco, Washington, where his father, Wong How, owned a general store. His grade-school teacher gave him the name James Wong Howe. When he was sixteen, Howe pursued a brief career as a professional boxer in Oregon, but he soon left the ring and moved to Los Angeles in 1917. Became delivery boy for Raymond Stagg, a commercial photographer in Los Angeles. Was hired by the Lasky-Famous Players Studios to pick up scraps of nitrate stock and wrapping paper from the floor of the camera room. Graduated to clapper boy for Cecil B. DeMille and Alvin Wyckoff. 'I got in front and held this slate. But in those days I always smoked cigars. Somehow I found the money to buy a cigar, and I'd have this big cigar in my mouth with this slate in front and I looked bewildered, and it was quite comical. And Mr. DeMille saw this strange face every time a scene number would come up and I'd be peeking over and wondering what's going on. "Alvin," he said, "who's that?" "Well," he said" it's Jimmy Howe. He's one of the extra assistants put on." Mr. DeMille said: "He looks very funny. It gives me a laugh. Keep him on with me." So that's how I became one of the permanent assistants on his staff there.' [From interview with George C. Pratt, 1958.] From 1917-22 asst to Alvin Wyckoff and Henry Kotani. He was also active as 2nd cameraman [he duplicated the shots of the 1st cameraman in order to make the so-called foreign negative, because, at that time, duplication was not possible]. His breakthrough came in 1922, when he was able to take still photographs of actress Mary Miles Minter in which he made her pale blue eyes register on the film by having her look at a dark surface. Shortly after that, Howe was named a head cameraman and soon earned a reputation for original lighting methods and photographic creativity on such films as 'The Trail of the Lonesome Pine' [Paramount, 1923] and 'The Alaskan' [Paramount, 1924]. Late in 1928 he was in China shooting a doc [unfinished]. 'I tried to do something with this film, put it together, try to make travelogues. So I was out for a while. That's the reason for the lack of credits in this period.' A lot of his footage was later used in 'Around the World [in 80 Minutes] with Douglas Fairbanks' & 'Shanghai Express'. When sound came in, everybody in Hollywood had to re-establish himself. Howe got re-established with 'Transatlantic'. Was known as James Howe or James How until 1933, when Majestic Pictures and Fox publicized him as a Chinese cameraman. Under contract to Fox [1931-33], MGM [1933-35] and Warner [until 1948]. Became freelance in 1948. Married the novelist Sanora Babb in 1937 in Paris, though the marriage was not legalized in California until 1957 because of the State Miscegenation Law, which prohibited interracial marriage. Similarly, the state's restrictive immigration rules prevented Howe from being naturalized as a citizen until 1958. Retired in 1969. For the last seven years of his life he was sick and frequently hospitalized. He was reportedly offered the first two 'The Godfather' films, but just wasn't strong enough to accept. In 1974, producer Ray Stark and director Herbert Ross wanted a replacement for cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond on 'Funny Lady'. They contacted Howe because they believed he could make Barbra Streisand look her best. Howe's health was stable, and the day after Ray Stark called, he was on the set ready to shoot. But a short time later, he collapsed on the set and had to be rushed to the hospital. Ernest Laszlo substituted for him until Howe recovered and returned to finish the film. Filmed commercials for Texaco, Eastern Airlines. Was member of the ASC. Appeared in the doc's 'James Wong Howe' [1965, Theodore Taylor], 'James Wong Howe, ASC: A Lesson in Light' [1973, Arthur Kaye] & 'James Wong Howe' [1974, Beulah Quo].
Courtesy of the American Society of Cinematographers http://www.theasc.com/
James Wong Howe was nominated for 10 Academy Awards for Best Cinematography. He won in that category twice, for The Rose Tattoo in 1955 & Hud in 1963. A complete listing of Howe's films can be found here.
James Wong Howe behind the camera for Peter Pan, 1924
Howe in later years filming Seconds, 1966
-Maureen Lang
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