# James Glennon

James "Jim" Glennon ASC (August 29, 1942 – October 19, 2006) 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 (1977).
Jim 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 the groundbreaking El Norte (1983). He worked steadily thereafter, including heading the American splinter unit for Return of The Jedi (1983), as DP for all the desert and forest scenes (uncredited).
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.
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 (a blood clot) during surgery for prostate cancer. He was survived by his four children (by Charmaine Witus): Meghan Tilley (2006 actress as Meghan Glennon), Allison Glennon (producer), Andrew Glennon (reality TV personality), and Juliet Glennon.
Jim was also survived by his brothers, Bert Glennon (Los Angeles Supreme Court Judge of 35 years), John Glennon (National Champion in long-range rifle competition, founder of Valley Sound servicing all A-list bands in the 60s-80's, including: The Beatles, Jackson Five, David Bowie, Jimmy Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones, and co-inventor of the wah-wah pedal), and Greg Glennon (Military Veteran and AA sponsor to 1000's of people in Los Angeles in the course of his life).
Jim is buried at the Santa Barbara Cemetery with his wife Charmaine.

## Selected filmography
### As cinematographer

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