James Glennon


James "Jim" Glennon was an American cinematographer.

Career

Born in Los Angeles, California, Glennon was the son of cinematographer Bert Glennon and script supervisor Mary Coleman. Jim 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 fiery studio head. When a set PA on Gilligan's Island didn't show up for work, Jim was given his first on-set job. From there, he aimed to move into camera, like his father. Following the advice of Jack Warner, Jim bought a motion picture camera and rented it out, offering his own services as operator and DP for free. Thus, Jim initiated his career as a cinematographer with Jaws of Death.
Jim continued to work as a camera operator on other cinematographers' films, including The Conversation, Ordinary People, and Altered States, before coming to notice as cinematographer on the groundbreaking El Norte. He worked steadily thereafter, including heading the American unit for Return of The Jedi, as DP for all location scenes in the desert and forest.
He filmed My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Legend of Errol Flynn, the story of the actor his own father had photographed in four films.
In 1986 Glennon shot his most famous film Flight of the Navigator. The film is notable for being one of the first Hollywood films to use extensive computer-generated imagery effects. Specifically, it was the first use of image-based lighting and an early use of morphing in a motion picture.
In 1987, he photographed one of the most striking sequences 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.
He partnered with director Alexander Payne on three films:Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt and others including.
In 2005, his work on the HBO television series Deadwood earned him an Emmy Award. 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.
He was extraordinarily beloved of his crews and casts for his eternal optimism and unstinting praise and encouragement.

Personal life

Jim was one of five Glennon boys: Bert, John, Jim, Michael, and Greg.
Jim 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. For example, to help people living in middle America, or anyone with arsenic in their well water, he found that as iron rusted, it would take the dangerous metal out of suspension. As a hobbyist / self-taught engineer, he could guild people through a cost effective way of making drinking water safer using simple tools anyone can afford—like a handful of iron nails. He gave advice to people in need all around the world, taking calls from farmers in Iraq to Australia. He even donated windmills to those in need, including an orphanage in the Vietnam. Sadly, after his passing, his information site was taken down and his guidance lost to the world.
He farmed clams in the Pacific Northwest, owned a boar hunting ranch, restored old cars, and trained parrots.

Death

Glennon died unexpectedly on October 19, 2006, from complications during surgery for prostate cancer. He was survived by his four children : Meghan Tilley, Allison Glennon, Andrew Glennon, and Juliet Glennon.
Jim was also survived by his brothers, Bert Glennon, John Glennon, and Greg Glennon.
Jim is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery with his wife Charmaine.