James Wong Howe

Common card · No. 222068

James Wong Howe, ASC (born Wong Tung Jim, Chinese: 黃宗霑; August 28, 1899 – July 12, 1976) was a Chinese-born American cinematographer and film director, who worked on over 130 films during the Golden Age of Hollywood and well into the 1970s. During the 1930s and 1940s, he was one of the most sought after cinematographers in Hollywood due to his innovative filming techniques. Howe was known as a master of the use of shadow and one of the first to use deep-focus cinematography. Born in Guangdong, Howe immigrated to the United States at age five and grew up in Washington. He was a professional boxer during his teenage years, and later began his career in the film industry as an assistant to Cecil B. DeMille. Howe pioneered the use of wide-angle lenses and low-key lighting, as well as the use of the crab dolly. Despite the success of his professional life, Howe faced significant racial discrimination in his private life. He became an American citizen only after the repeal of the Chinese Exclusion...

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