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James Wong Howe

James Wong Howe

Cinematographer, also director · Died July 12, 1976, aged 76 · Guangzhou, China

James Wong Howe, ASC (born Wong Tung Jim, Chinese: 黃宗霑; August 28, 1899 – July 12, 1976) was a Chinese American cinematographer who worked on over 130 films. A master at the use of shadow, he was one of the first to use deep-focus cinematography, photography in which both foreground and distant planes remain in focus. During the 1930s and 1940s he was one of the most sought after cinematographers in Hollywood. He was nominated for ten Academy Awards for cinematography, winning twice. Howe was judged to be one of history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 27, 1899
Died
July 12, 1976 (aged 76)
From
Guangzhou, China
Works as
Cinematographer, also director
Titles
74 on MovieCove · 135 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

What are James Wong Howe's films like?

Across their 72 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama29 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 75th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Biography7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Action5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
28%
Bonds
27%
Self
16%
Power
10%
Survival
9%
Society
6%
Ideas
4%
Romantic love26 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice13 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom12 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition12 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth8 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal10 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 72 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 25 · Serious 16 · Dark 31

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 43 · Stylized 23 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 14 · Charged 33 · Intense 25

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 30 · Shifting 37 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 49 · Some laughs 18 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 37 · Even-paced 33 · Relentless 2

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 30 · Engaged 39 · Full focus 3

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 21 · Affecting 26 · Heavy 25

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 60 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
47
Melancholic
34
Romantic
26
Warm
19
Hopeful
19
Other
55

How their films linger

Bittersweet30 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful26 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy26
  • Bittersweet35
  • Tragic9
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Wong Howe's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 74 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Wong Howe's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

135 credits, 74 with a MovieCove page; 7 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Rickshaw Boy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Cinematographer

  • Funny Lady(1975)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Horsemen(1971)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Molly Maguires(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots(1970)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Hombre(1967)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Seconds(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • This Property Is Condemned(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Glory Guys(1965)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • The Outrage(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Hud(1963)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Small World: The Gypsy Children of Granada (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • 87th Precinct (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · Director

  • Tess of the Storm Country(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Checkmate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Show 2 episodes · Director

  • Song Without End(1960)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Story on Page One(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Last Angry Man(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Bell Book and Candle(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Avenger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Director

  • The Old Man and the Sea(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sweet Smell of Success(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • A Farewell to Arms(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Armored Attack! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Cinematographer

  • Drango(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Death of a Scoundrel(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Rose Tattoo(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Picnic(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Autumn in Rome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Cinematographer

  • Go Man Go(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Jennifer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Cinematographer

  • Main Street to Broadway(1953)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • Stazione Termini(1953)

    Additional Director of Photography

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Come Back, Little Sheba(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The World of Dong Kingman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • The Lady Says No(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • The Fighter(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Behave Yourself! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • He Ran All the Way(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Brave Bulls (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • The Eagle and the Hawk(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Baron of Arizona(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Time of Your Life(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Body and Soul(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Pursued(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Nora Prentiss(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • My Reputation(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Danger Signal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Confidential Agent(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Counter-Attack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Objective, Burma!(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Passage to Marseille(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The North Star(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Hangmen Also Die!(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Air Force(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Hard Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Cinematographer

  • Yankee Doodle Dandy(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Kings Row(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Navy Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • Out of the Fog(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Shining Victory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Cinematographer

  • The Strawberry Blonde(1941)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fantasia(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • A Dispatch from Reuters(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • City for Conquest(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Torrid Zone(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Saturday's Children (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Cinematographer

  • Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Abe Lincoln in Illinois(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • My Love Came Back(1940)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Dust Be My Destiny(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Daughters Courageous(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Oklahoma Kid(1939)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • They Made Me a Criminal(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Comet Over Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Cinematographer

  • The Adventures of Tom Sawyer(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Algiers(1938)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Prisoner of Zenda(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Under the Red Robe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Fire Over England(1937)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Farewell Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Cinematographer

  • Three Live Ghosts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Cinematographer

  • Whipsaw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Rendezvous(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • O'Shaughnessy's Boy(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The Flame Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Mark of the Vampire(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Night Is Young(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Biography of a Bachelor Girl(1935)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Have a Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Camera Operator

  • Stamboul Quest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • The Thin Man(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Party(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Manhattan Melodrama(1934)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Viva Villa! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • The Show-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Cinematographer

  • The Power and the Glory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Beauty for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Hello, Sister!(1933)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Chandu the Magician (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Man About Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Young America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Amateur Daddy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • After Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Shanghai Express(1932)

    Additional Photography · Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Dance Team (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Yellow Ticket (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Spider (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Transatlantic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • The Criminal Code(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Today (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Inevitable Urge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Director

  • Desert Nights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Perfect Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Laugh, Clown, Laugh (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Sorrell and Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Rough Riders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • Padlocked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Mantrap (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Not So Long Ago (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • The Charmer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Cinematographer

  • Peter Pan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Side Show of Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Breaking Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • The Call of the Canyon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • The Spanish Dancer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • To the Last Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • Drums of Fate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • The Siren Call (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Second Assistant Camera

  • The Woman Who Walked Alone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Second Assistant Camera

  • Told in the Hills (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Assistant Camera

  • Puppy Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Assistant Camera

Career shape

A full career of 132 titles from 1919 to 1981.

Biggest box office

Fantasia (1940)

$76M worldwide

Highest rated

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

Fantasia (1940)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing7 of 132: 5 only directing, 2 with another roleCinematography121 of 132: 119 only cinematography, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score75thOther crew6 of 132: 6 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1910s2 · crew1920s18 · crew1930s43 · crew1940s28 · crew1950s24 · crew1960s12 · crew1970s4 · crew1980s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do James Wong Howe's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 74; across their 72 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 71st percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

71stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 72

Midcredits score across 74 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up36
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th16
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

44 of their 74 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Crowd Pleaser44
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed9

Most divisive · cinematographer

Main Street to Broadway (1953)

59th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

Midcredits 97th · 85% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 75/100 in their films, across 64 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as a cinematographer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Wong Howe's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore5 titles29–55 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles10–43 · median 22 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles4–27 · median 24 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 60 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 55 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Wong Howe work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Wong Howe's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hal B. Wallis shares the most, 16.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles