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 22 films (1918–1928) — matched by name in the Creator or Credits field. Also mentioned in 2 other records (descriptions, transcriptions, copyright notes).