The Innovative James Wong Howe

Few cinematographers were as influential as James Wong Howe. Not only did he work in over 130 movies, but he made several innovations to cinematography, some of which are still widely used to this day. His impact on making movies is still being felt to this day.

James Wong Howe was born Wong Tung Jim in Taishan, Guangdong, Qing China on August 28 1999. His father, Wong Howe, migrated to the United States to work on the Northern Pacific Railway,. It was in 1904 that he sent for his family, including young Wong Tung Jim. The family settled in Pasco, Washington. It was there that a teacher called him "James Howe." Wong Tung Jim would then be known as James Wong Howe for the rest of his life. It was a Brownie camera bought at the local drug store that would spur his interest in photography.

After his father's death James Wong Howe lived for a time in Oregon with an uncle and then in the San Francisco Bay area. From there he moved to Los Angeles. He worked various odd jobs there until getting a job as part of the cleaning staff at Famous Players-Lasky. It was with the film The Little American (1917) that he became a clapper boy. It would be Cecil B. DeMille who would promote him to a camera assistant. At the same time, James Wong Howe would make extra money as a photographer taking still photographs of movie stars.

It would be still photographs of movie star Mary Miles Minter that would lead to James Wong Howe becoming a cinematographer. Miss Minter's eyes were a pale blue, which would appear washed out in photos due to the orthochromatic film of the time. James Wong Howe figured out that Mary Miles Minter's eyes could be made to look more natural if he used black velvet mounted around the camera in a frame. This lead to James Wong Howe being hired as a cinematographer for Miss Minter's film Drums of Fate (1923).

It was also during the Silent Era that James Wong Howe would use an early version of the crab dolly. It was on the film The Rough Riders (1927), directed by Victor Fleming and centred on the military unit led by Theodore Roosevelt during the Spanish American War. For those unfamiliar with crab dollies, they have four wheels and a movable arm that supports the camera. This allows for smooth, sideways movement.

James Wong Howe  also pioneered deep focus cinematography ten years before Gregg Toland used it in Citizen Kane (1941). It was as early as 1931 that Mr. Howe used wide-angle lens, deep focus on the movie Transatlantic. James Wong Howe would continue to use deep focus throughout his career, on such films as Sweet Smell of Success (1957) and Hud (1963).

James Wong Howe also pioneered the use of hand-held cameras. Although he is well-known for his use of hand-held cameras on Seconds (1966), he had used hand-held cameras as early as Air Force in 1943. He used a hand-held  Eyemo camera for some scenes in an effort to make them look more like something from a newsreel. He also used hand-held cameras on the boxing movie Body and Soul (1947), on which he also reportedly wore roller skates to capture the final, climatic bout in the movie.

James Wong Howe would also be known for his low-key lighting and his use of shadows. He utilised low-key lighting early in his career on the film Peter Pan (1924). James Wong Howe would use low-key lighting in several of his films, including The Thin Man (1934), Body and Soul (1947), The Rose Tattoo (1955), and Hud (1963). James Wong Howe's low-key lighting and use of shadows would prove influential on the look of film noir.

James Wong Howe died on July 12 1976 at the age of 76. He left behind a career filled with innovations, more than the ones mentioned here. It is fully possible that he was the most influential cinematographer of all time. Regardless, his impact is still being held to this day.