---
name: "James Crabe"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/james-crabe"
fi1m_id: "james-crabe"
imdb_id: "nm0185583"
tmdb_id: 14843
wikidata_id: "Q167853"
roles: ["Cinematographer"]
born: "19 August 1931"
died: "2 May 1989"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-10-04T19:27:58.090099+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# James Crabe

## Identity

James Crabe

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/james-crabe
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** james-crabe
- **IMDb ID:** nm0185583
- **TMDB ID:** 14843
- **Wikidata ID:** Q167853
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Crabe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q167853, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185583/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14843

Cinematographer. Born 19 August 1931 in Los Angeles, California, USA. Died 2 May 1989.

## Details

- **Work:** Cinematographer
- **Born:** 19 August 1931, Los Angeles, California, USA
- **Died:** 2 May 1989
- **Active:** 1976–1986
- **Also known as:** James Aubrey Crabe, James Crabbe, Jim Crabbe, James A. Crabe, Jimmy Crabe, Jim Crabe
- **Frequently works with:** [John G. Avildsen](https://film.one/person/john-g-avildsen.md), [Jerry Weintraub](https://film.one/person/jerry-weintraub.md), [Pat Morita](https://film.one/person/pat-morita.md), [Ralph Macchio](https://film.one/person/ralph-macchio.md), [Robert Mark Kamen](https://film.one/person/robert-mark-kamen.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (1), 1980s 62 (3)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action 2, Family 2, Sport 2, Adventure 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 7 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $379m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Crabe, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q167853, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185583/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14843

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*The Karate Kid*](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid.md) (81), [*The Karate Kid Part II*](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid-part-ii.md) (62)
- **AMC+:** [*Rocky*](https://film.one/film/rocky.md) (85)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

James Crabe (also credited as James Aubrey Crabe) was an American cinematographer. He worked extensively with director John G. Avildsen on films including *Save the Tiger* (1973), *Rocky* (1976), *The Formula* (1980), *The Karate Kid* (1984), *The Karate Kid Part II* (1986) and *For Keeps* (1988). His other credits include *The China Syndrome* (1979), *Thank God It's Friday* (1978), *Night Shift* (1982) and *Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment* (1985).

Crabe was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for *The Formula*. He won two Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Cinematography, for *The Letter* (1982) and an episode of *The New Mike Hammer* (1984). He was also involved in the 1960s underground film collective Gay Girls Riding Club, for which he photographed several amateur spoofs.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, nybooks.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *The Karate Kid Part II* (1986), Fi1m 62, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid-part-ii.md)
- *Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment* (1985), Fi1m 42, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-2-their-first-assignment.md)
- *The Karate Kid* (1984), Fi1m 81, Cinematography, Director of Photography — [page](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid.md)
- *Rocky* (1976), Fi1m 85, Director of Photography, Cinematography — [page](https://film.one/film/rocky.md)

## Complete filmography (51)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Karate Kid Part III* (1989), In Memory Of
- *Baby M* (1988), series, Director of Photography
- *For Keeps* (1988), Director of Photography
- *Happy New Year* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Her Secret Life* (1987), Director of Photography
- *Deadly Care* (1987), Director of Photography
- *When the Bough Breaks* (1986), Director of Photography
- *George Washington II: The Forging of a Nation* (1986), Director of Photography
- *The Karate Kid Part II* (1986), Director of Photography — Fi1m 62, [page](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid-part-ii.md)
- *Covenant* (1985), Director of Photography
- *The Hugga Bunch* (1985), Director of Photography
- *Police Academy 2: Their First Assignment* (1985), Director of Photography — Fi1m 42, [page](https://film.one/film/police-academy-2-their-first-assignment.md)
- *Concrete Beat* (1984), Director of Photography
- *The Karate Kid* (1984), Director of Photography — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-karate-kid.md)
- *Family Secrets* (1984), Director of Photography
- *Two Kinds of Love* (1983), Director of Photography
- *Night Shift* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Letter* (1982), Director of Photography
- *The Formula* (1980), Director of Photography
- *How to Beat the High Cost of Living* (1980), Director of Photography
- *The Baltimore Bullet* (1980), Director of Photography
- *Players* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Strangers: The Story of a Mother and Daughter* (1979), Director of Photography
- *The China Syndrome* (1979), Director of Photography
- *Thank God It's Friday* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Sextette* (1978), Director of Photography
- *A Death in Canaan* (1978), Director of Photography
- *Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years* (1977), Director of Photography
- *Rocky* (1976), Director of Photography — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/rocky.md)
- *The Disappearance of Aimee* (1976), Director of Photography
- *F. Scott Fitzgerald in Hollywood* (1975), Director of Photography
- *W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Dead Don't Die* (1975), Director of Photography
- *The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Rhinoceros* (1974), Director of Photography
- *Save the Tiger* (1973), Director of Photography
- *The Great American Beauty Contest* (1973), Director of Photography
- *All About Alice* (1972), Cinematography
- *The Honkers* (1972), Director of Photography
- *Sweet, Sweet Rachel* (1971), Director of Photography
- *A Step Out of Line* (1971), Director of Photography
- *Lost Flight* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Zig Zag* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Sole Survivor* (1970), Director of Photography
- *Agent for H.A.R.M.* (1966), Director of Photography
- *The Bold Men* (1965), Cinematography
- *Everybody Loves It* (1964), Director of Photography
- *What Really Happened to Baby Jane* (1963), Director
- *The Roman Springs on Mrs. Stone* (1963), Director
- *Always on Sunday* (1962), Director
- *The Proper Time* (1960), Director of Photography

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1981: Best Cinematography (nominated), for *The Formula*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/james-crabe