James Wong Howe Biography

orig. Wong Tung Jim

(1899 - 1976)

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(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).


Copyright © 1994-2008 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

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