Elgin Lessley
American cinematographer (1883–1944)
Elgin Lessley was an American hand-crank cameraman of the silent film era—a period of filmmaking when virtually all special effects work had to be produced inside the camera during filming. Though Lessley worked earlier with Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, and later with Harry Langdon, he is best known for the groundbreaking effects he produced with Buster Keaton, who dubbed him "the human metronome" for his ability to crank consistently at any requested speed.
Filmography in the catalog
Credited on 9 films (1922–1926) — matched by name in the Creator or Credits field. Also mentioned in 2 other records (descriptions, transcriptions, copyright notes).
| Year ▲ | Title | Creator | Length | Format | Color | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | Cops | First National Pictures Inc. | 18 min | 16mm | B&W | sound |
| 1922 | Day Dreams | Universal Pictures Corporation | 18 min | 16mm | B&W | silent |
| 1922 | My Wife's Relations | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. | 22 min | 16mm | B&W | sound |
| 1922 | The blacksmith. | Comique Film Co. Inc. | 2 reels | 16mm | B&W | |
| 1924 | SHERLOCK, JR. | Joseph M. Schenck | 5 reels | B&W | ||
| 1924 | THE NAVIGATOR. | Goldwyn Pictures Corp. | 6 reels | B&W | ||
| 1925 | GO WEST. | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. | 7 reels | B&W | ||
| 1925 | SEVEN CHANCES. | Buster Keaton Productions Inc. | 6 reels | B&W | ||
| 1926 | THE STRONG MAN. | First National Pictures Inc. | 7 reels | B&W |