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Lee Garmes

Lee Garmes

Cinematographer, also producer · Died August 31, 1978, aged 80 · Peoria, Illinois, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lee Garmes, A.S.C. (May 27, 1898 – August 31, 1978) was an American cinematographer. During his career, he worked with directors Howard Hawks, Max Ophüls, Josef von Sternberg, Alfred Hitchcock, King Vidor, Nicholas Ray and Henry Hathaway, whom he had met as a young man when the two first came to Hollywood in the silent era. He also co-directed two films with legendary screenwriter Ben Hecht: Angels Over Broadway and Actor's and Sin. Born in Peoria, Illinois, Garmes first came to Hollywood in 1916. His first job was as an assistant in the paint department at Thomas H. Ince Studios, but he soon became a camera assistant before graduating to full-time cameraman. His earliest films were comedy shorts, and his career did not fully take off until the introduction of sound. Garmes was married to film actress Ruth Hall from 1933 until his death in 1978. He is interred in the Grand View Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California. Garmes was one of the earliest proponents of video technology, which he advocated as early as 1972. That year, he had been hired by Technicolor to photograph the short film Why, which was intended to test whether video was a viable technology for shooting feature films. According to American Cinematographer magazine, "Although officially unaccredited, Lee Garmes photographed a considerable portion of Gone with the Wind. Many consider the famous railroad yard sequence among his finest cinematic efforts." Garmes was one of many Hollywood veterans from the silent era interviewed by Kevin Brownlow for the television series Hollywood (1980).

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 27, 1898
Died
August 31, 1978 (aged 80)
From
Peoria, Illinois, USA
Works as
Cinematographer, also producer
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 104 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 38 days to Oct 27Up 34% in 30 days

What are Lee Garmes' films like?

Across their 52 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Drama25 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 60th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 62nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: 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
Bonds
32%
Self
20%
Morality
18%
Power
9%
Society
9%
Survival
9%
Ideas
2%
Romantic love21 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds10 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed6 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice7 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 52 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 18 · Serious 18 · Dark 16

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

A split, not a type: Grounded 25 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 8

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

Gentle 9 · Charged 31 · Intense 12

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

Steady 22 · Shifting 25 · Whiplash 5

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

Straight-faced 39 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 7

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 27 · Even-paced 23 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 30 · Engaged 22 · Full focus 0

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

Easy watch 19 · Affecting 20 · Heavy 13

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

Resolved 43 · Open-ended 8 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
32
Melancholic
25
Romantic
17
Joyful
10
Hopeful
10
Other
44

How their films linger

Bittersweet24 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet18
  • Tragic8
  • Ambiguous5

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 Lee Garmes' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 22 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Prime Video (11).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lee Garmes' 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

104 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Shame, Shame on the Bixby Boys(1978)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Why? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Cinematographer

  • How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life(1968)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • A Big Hand for the Little Lady(1966)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Lady in a Cage(1964)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Hemingway's Adventures of a Young Man(1962)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Misty(1961)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Big Fisherman(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Happy Anniversary(1959)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Never Love a Stranger(1958)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • The Big Boodle(1957)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Sharkfighters(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • D-Day the Sixth of June(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • The Bottom of the Bottle(1956)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Man with the Gun(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Desperate Hours(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Land of the Pharaohs(1955)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Abdullah's Harem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Cinematographer

  • Hannah Lee: An American Primitive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer

  • Thunder in the East(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Lusty Men(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Actors and Sin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Co-Director · Cinematographer

  • The Captive City(1952)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Detective Story(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • That's My Boy(1951)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Saturday's Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Cinematographer

  • Our Very Own (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Cinematographer

  • The Furies(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • My Friend Irma Goes West(1950)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • My Foolish Heart(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Roseanna McCoy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Cinematographer

  • The Fighting Kentuckian(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Caught(1949)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Portrait of Jennie(1948)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • The Paradine Case(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare Alley(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty(1947)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Duel in the Sun(1946)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Searching Wind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Specter of the Rose(1946)

    Co-Director · Cinematographer · Co-Producer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Young Widow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Cinematographer

  • Love Letters(1945)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Paris Underground (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Cinematographer

  • Guest in the House(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Since You Went Away(1944)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • None Shall Escape (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Cinematographer

  • Flight for Freedom(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Forever and a Day(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Jack London(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Stormy Weather(1943)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • China Girl(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Footlight Serenade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Cinematographer

  • The Jungle Book(1942)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Lydia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Associate Producer · Cinematographer

  • Angels Over Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Co-Director · Director · Cinematographer

  • Beyond Tomorrow(1940)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Once in a Blue Moon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • The Scoundrel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Cinematographer

  • Crime Without Passion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director · Cinematographer

  • I Am Suzanne! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • My Lips Betray (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Shanghai Madness (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Zoo in Budapest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Face in the Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Cinematographer

  • Strange Interlude(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Call Her Savage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Cinematographer

  • Smilin' Through(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Dreaming Lips (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Producer · Technical Supervisor

  • Scarface(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Shanghai Express(1932)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Conquest of the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • An American Tragedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • City Streets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Cinematographer

  • Dishonored(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Fighting Caravans(1931)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Kiss Me Again (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Camera Operator

  • Morocco(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Whoopee!(1930)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Bright Lights (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Song of the Flame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Spring Is Here (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • The Other Tomorrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Lilies of the Field (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Cinematographer

  • Disraeli (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Great Divide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Say It with Songs(1929)

    Cinematographer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Prisoners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • Love and the Devil (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • His Captive Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Cinematographer

  • The Barker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Waterfront (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • The Yellow Lily (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Cinematographer

  • Rose of the Golden West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Cinematographer

  • The Popular Sin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • Crack O' Dawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • The Show Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Cinematographer

  • The Lighthouse by the Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Find Your Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Money to Burns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Cinematographer

  • Fighting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • Fighting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • Fighting Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Cinematographer

  • I'll Get Him Yet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Cinematographer

  • Nobody Home(1919)

    Cinematographer

Career shape

A full career of 100 titles from 1919 to 1978.

Biggest box office

Duel in the Sun (1946)

$20M worldwide

Highest rated

Scarface (1932)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Detective Story (1951)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing5 of 100: 0 only directing, 5 with another roleProducing6 of 100: 2 only producing, 4 with another roleCinematography96 of 100: 90 only cinematography, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rdOther crew2 of 100: 1 only other crew, 1 with another role

100 titles, 7 with more than one role — cinematography and producing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1910s1 · crew1920s19 · crew1930s27 · crew1940s23 · crew1950s23 · crew1960s5 · crew1970s2 · 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 Lee Garmes' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 64th percentile, the median of the 51 of 52 with a score; across their 52 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 63rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

63rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Approval · how many liked their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Reach · how many have seen their films

58thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Midcredits score across 51 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up18
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th12
  • Below 25th6

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 51 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed7
  • Mixed11

Most divisive · producer

Shame, Shame on the Bixby Boys (1978)

92nd percentile spread · 29% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · cinematographer

Scarface (1932)

Midcredits 95th · 83% liked

Reviewers score the cinematography 71/100 in their films, across 48 reviewed titles; fans 79, detractors 58. 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 Lee Garmes' work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore3 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles13–28 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

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 Lee Garmes work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lee Garmes' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ben Hecht shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles