Wikipedia

James Glennon

James "Jim" Glennon ASC (August 29, 1942 – October 19, 2006) was an American cinematographer.[1]

James Glennon
Born(1942-08-29)August 29, 1942
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedOctober 19, 2006(2006-10-19) (aged 64)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
OccupationCinematographer
Years active1970–2006
SpouseCharmaine Witus (m. 1977)
Children4
ParentBert Glennon (father)

Career

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Born in Los Angeles, California, Glennon was the son of cinematographer Bert Glennon and script supervisor Mary Coleman.[2] In 1968, he received a bachelor's degree in filmmaking from UCLA.[2] Glennon started off working in the Warner Bros. mail room where he became close with Jack Warner, being the only mail clerk not afraid of the studio head.[2] When a set PA on Gilligan's Island didn't show up for work, Glennon was given his first on-set job.[citation needed] From there, he aimed to move into camera, like his father.[1] Following the advice of Jack Warner, Glennon bought a motion picture camera and rented it out, offering his own services as operator and DP for free.[2] Thus, Glennon initiated his career as a cinematographer with Jaws of Death (1977).[1]

Glennon continued to work as a camera operator on other cinematographers' films, including The Conversation (1974), Ordinary People (1980), and Altered States (1980), before coming to notice as cinematographer on El Norte (1983).[3] He worked steadily thereafter, including heading the American unit for Return of the Jedi (1983), as DP for all location scenes in the desert and forest (credited as Location Director of Photography).[3]

He filmed My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn (1985), the story of the actor his own father had photographed in four films.[4][5][6][7][8]

In 1986, Glennon shot Flight of the Navigator.[2] The film is notable for being one of the first Hollywood films to use extensive computer-generated imagery (CGI) effects.[9] Specifically, it was the first use of reflection mapping and an early use of morphing in a motion picture.[9][10]

In 1987, he photographed a sequence in Paul Verhoeven's RoboCop, the interior scenes in the steel mill, and was also responsible for a large number of pickup and insert shots, including all the shots showing the robotic thigh-holster.[citation needed]

He partnered with director Alexander Payne on three films: Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt.[2]

In 2005, his work on the HBO television series Deadwood earned him an Emmy Award.[2] Glennon also worked as director of photography on a number of other television movies and program series, such as The West Wing, along with Carnivàle and Big Love for HBO.[4]

Personal life

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Jim was one of five Glennon boys: Bert, John, Jim, Michael, and Greg.

Gannon was married to Charmaine Glennon; they had four children.[1] He had widely varied interests. He served repeatedly as a judge in the Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.

He operated Malibu Water Resources, a water aeration program that sold windmills and provided free information on how to naturally purify water. He donated windmills to those in need, including an orphanage in Vietnam.

He farmed geoduck clams in the Pacific Northwest, owned a boar hunting ranch, restored old cars, and trained parrots.

Glennon died unexpectedly on October 19, 2006, from complications (a blood clot) during surgery for prostate cancer. Jim is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery with his wife Charmaine.

Selected filmography

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As cinematographer

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Year Film Director Notes
1977 Jaws of Death Richard Martin Documentary[1]
1981 Prisoners Peter Werner
1983 El Norte Gregory Nava Credited as Jim Glennon[3]
Return of the Jedi Richard Marquand Location Director of Photography
1984 Up the Creek Robert Butler [3]
1985 Smooth Talk Joyce Chopra [3]
1986 One More Saturday Night Dennis Klein
Flight of the Navigator Randal Kleiser [3]
1987 RoboCop Paul Verhoeven Uncredited[11]
1988 A Time of Destiny Gregory Nava [3]
1990 A Show of Force Bruno Barreto [3]
1992 Me Myself & I Pablo Ferro
1996 Citizen Ruth Alexander Payne [3]
1997 Best Men Tamra Davis
1999 The Runner Ron Moler
Election Alexander Payne [3]
2000 South of Heaven, West of Hell Dwight Yoakam [3]
Playing Mona Lisa Matthew Huffman
2001 Viva Las Nowhere Jason Bloom
2002 About Schmidt Alexander Payne [3]
Local Boys Ron Moler
Life Without Dick Bix Skahill Straight-to-DVD
2003 The United States of Leland Matthew Ryan Hoge [3]
2005 The Big White Mark Mylod [3]
Madison William Bindley [3]
2006 Room 10 Jennifer Aniston
Andrea Buchanan		 Short Film

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cinematographer James Glennon Dies". Television Academy. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "James Glennon, 64; cinematographer won an Emmy for the HBO series 'Deadwood'". Los Angeles Times. 2006-11-04. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "James Glennon". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  4. 1 2 "James M. Glennon". Variety. 2006-10-27. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  5. ↑ "Dive Bomber". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  6. ↑ "Desperate Journey". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  7. ↑ "They Died with Their Boots On". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  8. ↑ "San Antonio". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  9. 1 2 Nissley, Trey (2022-12-31). "9 Groundbreaking Movies in the Early History of CGI". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  10. ↑ "Flight of the Navigator". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
  11. ↑ "RoboCop credits". Metacritic. Retrieved 2026-05-03.
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