James Crawford Van Trees (August 13, 1890 – April 11, 1973)grave of James Van Trees; findagrave.com
Retrieved April 10, 2017 was an American

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the photographing or recording of a film, television production, music video or other live action piece. The cinematographer is the ch ...

in Hollywood whose career spanned the silent and sound eras.

Biography

His father was Franklin S. Van Trees (1866-1914), a society architect, best known for his mansions in the Pacific Heights area of San Francisco, such as the Baron Edward S. Rothschild house on Jackson Street. His mother was silent era scriptwriter

Julia Crawford Ivers Julia Crawford Ivers (October 3, 1869 – May 8, 1930) was an American motion picture pioneer. Biography Born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1869, her family arrived a year later in Los Angeles. Her father was a dentist. Her mother died in 1876, whe ...

. Mother and son worked together on a few films more than likely becoming the first mother and son to direct and film productions. Van Trees was the President of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) during 1923–1924. His son James Van Trees, Jr. was a cameraman and worked for

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

with his father.

Partial filmography

*'' The Wild Olive'' (1915) *'' The Code of Marcia Gray'' (1916) *''

David Garrick David Garrick (19 February 1717 – 20 January 1779) was an English actor, playwright, theatre manager and producer who influenced nearly all aspects of European theatrical practice throughout the 18th century, and was a pupil and friend of Sa ...

'' (1916) * '' The Shuttle'' (1918) * ''

Sauce for the Goose ''Sauce for the Goose'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film directed by Walter Edwards and starring Constance Talmadge, Harrison Ford, and Vera Doria.Basinger p. 163 Cast * Constance Talmadge as Kitty Constable * Harrison Ford as John Const ...

'' (1918) * ''

Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots ''Mrs. Leffingwell's Boots'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film directed by Walter Edwards and starring Constance Talmadge, Harrison Ford and George Fisher.Goble p.877 Cast * Constance Talmadge as Mrs. Leffingwell * Harrison Ford as Mr. L ...

'' (1918) *''

Widow by Proxy ''Widow by Proxy'' is a 1919 American silent romantic comedy film produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a 1913 Broadway play by Catherine Chisholm Cushing that starred May Irwin. Julia Crawford Iver ...

'' (1919) *'' Happiness a la Mode'' (1919) *''

The Thirteenth Commandment ''The Thirteenth Commandment'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Robert G. Vignola and written by Alice Eyton. The film stars Ethel Clayton, Charles Meredith, Monte Blue, Anna Q. Nilsson, Irving Cummings and Winter Hall. It is b ...

'' (1920) *''

Judy of Rogue's Harbor ''Judy of Rogue's Harbor'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and starring Mary Miles Minter. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Grace Miller White, with a scenario by Clara Beranger. It was ...

'' (1920) *''

Jenny Be Good ''Jenny Be Good'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by William Desmond Taylor and starring Mary Miles Minter, based on a novel by Wilbur Finley Fauley and adapted for the screen by Julia Crawford Ivers. It is the last of Minter's fi ...

'' (1920) *'' The Furnace'' (1920) *''

Sacred and Profane Love ''Sacred and Profane Love'' ( it, Amor Sacro e Amor Profano) is an oil painting by Titian, probably painted in 1514, early in his career. The painting is presumed to have been commissioned by Niccolò Aurelio, a secretary to the Venetian Counci ...

'' (1921) *''

Wealth Wealth is the abundance of Value (economics), valuable financial assets or property, physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for financial transaction, transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the ...

'' (1921) *'' The Young Rajah'' (1922) *''

The White Flower (''For a similar-sounding film from the same year by D. W. Griffith, see The White Rose'') ''The White Flower'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film written and directed by Julia Crawford Ivers and starring Betty Compson and Edmund Low ...

'' (1923) *'' Lilies of the Field'' (1924) *''

Single Wives ''Single Wives'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by George Archainbaud and produced by and starring Corinne Griffith. It was distributed by First National Pictures. Cast Preservation status ''Single Wives'' is preserved at the ...

'' (1924) * ''

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It stretches north from Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village to West 143rd Street in Harlem. It is one of the most expensive shopping stre ...

'' (1926) *''

The Prince of Pilsen ''The Prince of Pilsen'' is a lost 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Paul Powell and starring Anita Stewart and George Sidney. David Belasco produced the film. It was based on a 1903 Broadway musical, ''The Prince of Pilsen' ...

'' (1926) *''

Don Juan's Three Nights ''Don Juan's Three Nights'' also known as ''Don Juan's 3 Nights'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film directed by John Francis Dillon and starring Lewis Stone, Shirley Mason, and Malcolm McGregor. It was produced by Henry Hobart an ...

'' (1926) *'' Midnight Lovers'' (1926) *'' The Prince of Headwaiters'' (1927) *'' The Noose'' (1928) *''

Sinner's Parade ''Sinner's Parade'' is a lost 1928 American silent crime film directed by John G. Adolfi and starring Victor Varconi, Dorothy Revier, and John Patrick.Langman & Finn p. 249 The film's sets were designed by the art director Harrison Wiley. ...

'' (1928) *'' The Whip'' (1928) *'' The Lone Wolf's Daughter'' (1929) *'' So Long Letty'' (1929) * '' The Sacred Flame'' (1929) *'' The Green Goddess'' (1930) *''

The Man from Blankley's ''The Man from Blankley's'' is a lost 1930 American pre-Code comedy film, directed by Alfred E. Green. It starred John Barrymore and Loretta Young. The film was based on the 1903 play by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, writing under the pseudonym "F. An ...

'' (1930) *''

Viennese Nights ''Viennese Nights'' is a 1930 American all-talking pre-Code musical operetta film directed by Alan Crosland and starring Alexander Gray, Vivienne Segal, Walter Pidgeon, Jean Hersholt, Bela Lugosi and Louise Fazenda. It was photographed entirely ...

'' (1930) *'' Star Witness'' (1931) *'' The Heart of New York'' (1932) *'' Heroes for Sale'' (1933) *''

Midnight Mary ''Midnight Mary'' is a 1933 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, and Franchot Tone. Plot The very scary story begins with an indifferent Mary Martin (Young) sitting in a c ...

'' (1933) *''

Baby Face Babyface or Baby Face can refer to: Nicknames * Lester Joseph Gillis a.k.a. Baby Face Nelson, an infamous 1930s bank robber * Roosevelt "Baby Face" Willette (1933–1971), an American hard bop and soul-jazz musician * "Baby Face", Jimmy McLarnin ...

'' (1933) *''

The Girl from 10th Avenue ''The Girl from 10th Avenue'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Alfred E. Green. The screenplay by Charles Kenyon is based on the 1914 play ''Outcast'' by Hubert Henry Davies. The film was released in the United Kingdom as ''Men on Her ...

'' (1935) *'' The Bishop Misbehaves'' (1935) *''

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

'' (1935) *'' Palm Springs'' (1936) *''

Her Master's Voice ''Her Master's Voice'' is a 1936 film directed by Joseph Santley and based on the 1933 play '' Her Master's Voice'' by Clare Kummer. The film's sets were designed by the art director Alexander Toluboff. Plot A wealthy woman moves her niece to h ...

'' (1936) *'' The Gorilla Man'' (1943) * '' Nine Girls'' (1944)

References

External links

*
1961 audio interview
for the

ASC ASC may refer to: Educational institutions * Anglican Schools Commission, Australia * Andres Soriano Colleges of Bislig, located in Surigao del Sur, Philippines * Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia Organizations Australia * Australian Singing ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trees, James Van 1890 births 1973 deaths American cinematographers