EL
Elgin Lessley
Actor, Additional Credits
Born January 10, 1883Died February 8, 1944 (61 years)
Elgin Lessley (also credited as Lesly, Lessly, and Leslie) (June 10, 1883 - January 10, 1944) 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.
Lessley's most striking effects were in The Playhouse (1921) and Sherlock Jr. (1924). In The Playhouse, through use of a specially shuttered lens and repeated back-cranking and re-cranking, Lessley allowed Keaton to appear as up to nine characters simultaneously, interacting with one another. In Sherlock Jr., Lessley's careful positioning of camera and actor in various locations produced the effect of a man stuck in a movie where his location keeps changing as he struggles to keep up. Lessley retired from filmmaking after shooting The Cameraman with Buster Keaton in 1928.
Lessley's most striking effects were in The Playhouse (1921) and Sherlock Jr. (1924). In The Playhouse, through use of a specially shuttered lens and repeated back-cranking and re-cranking, Lessley allowed Keaton to appear as up to nine characters simultaneously, interacting with one another. In Sherlock Jr., Lessley's careful positioning of camera and actor in various locations produced the effect of a man stuck in a movie where his location keeps changing as he struggles to keep up. Lessley retired from filmmaking after shooting The Cameraman with Buster Keaton in 1928.
Elgin Lessley Filmography
| 1926 | The General · as Union General Who Gives Command To Cross Bridge (uncredited) |
| 2026 | R.E.M x Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr · as Director Of Photography |
| 1928 | The Cameraman · as Director Of Photography |
| 1928 | The Chaser · as Cinematographer |
| 1927 | Three's a Crowd · as Cinematographer |
| 1927 | Long Pants · as Director Of Photography |
| 1926 | The Strong Man · as Director Of Photography |
| 1926 | Tramp, Tramp, Tramp · as Cinematographer |
| 1925 | |
| 1925 | Seven Chances · as Director Of Photography |
| 1924 | The Navigator · as Director Of Photography |
| 1924 | Sherlock Jr. · as Director Of Photography |
| 1923 | Our Hospitality · as Director Of Photography |
| 1923 | Three Ages · as Director Of Photography |
| 1923 | The Love Nest · as Cinematographer |
| 1923 | The Balloonatic · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | Day Dreams · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | The Electric House · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | The Frozen North · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | The Blacksmith · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | My Wife's Relations · as Cinematographer |
| 1922 | Cops · as Director Of Photography |
| 1922 | The Paleface · as Cinematographer |
| 1921 | The Boat · as Cinematographer |
| 1921 | The Play House · as Cinematographer |
| 1921 | The Goat · as Director Of Photography |
| 1921 | The 'High Sign' · as Director Of Photography |
| 1921 | Hard Luck · as Director Of Photography |
| 1921 | The Haunted House · as Director Of Photography |
| 1920 | Neighbors · as Director Of Photography |
| 1920 | The Scarecrow · as Director Of Photography |
| 1920 | Convict 13 · as Cinematographer |
| 1920 | |
| 1920 | The Garage · as Director Of Photography |
| 1919 | The Hayseed · as Director Of Photography |
| 1919 | Back Stage · as Cinematographer |
| 1918 | The Bell Boy · as Director Of Photography |