Lee Garmes, a pioneering cinematographer, started his career on the East Coast with the New York Motion Picture Company, but was soon persuaded by director Thomas H. Ince to join him in Hollywood.
Garmes quickly climbed the ranks, from painter's assistant to prop boy, and eventually became a camera assistant. He collaborated with director Malcolm St. Clair, working on one- and two-reel shorts, many of which were shot on a shoestring budget and required clever improvisation.
Garmes introduced incandescent tungsten filament Mazda lights as a cost-saving venture and went on to work at Paramount, First National, and Warner Brothers. He perfected his craft and became known for his ability to naturally light sets from a northward orientation.
Garmes' work was influenced by the paintings of Rembrandt, and he showcased his flair for chiaroscuro, light, and shade in films like Morocco and Shanghai Express. The latter film earned him an Academy Award and solidified his reputation as one of the top cinematographers in the industry.
Garmes' career suffered a setback when he was replaced by David O. Selznick during the production of Gone with the Wind, despite having shot the first hour of the film. He went on to work on many seminal films of the 1940s and 1950s, including Lydia, The Jungle Book, and Detective Story.
Garmes was one of the few cinematographers to be given additional responsibilities in directing and production, and he became an advocate for the use of videotape in filmmaking. He received the Eastman Kodak Award twice and served as president of the American Society of Cinematographers from 1960 to 1961.
