Whuzzat (Art and Cars) #38 - James Wong Howe and the Howe Coupe

[Ray B.]

Who is he, and what what car can he be connected with?

Art and cars. Painters, writers, musicians, actors, movie makers: in a nutshell, artists. Cars of special importance in their work, or in their life.

Rule is: you identify the artist, you have one week to find the rest of the answer. After that, the hunt is opened and anyone can rob you of your point.
Thanks!

[Ray B.]

 

[Otto Puzzell]

Singer?

[Allemano]

hawaiian?

[Ray B.]

Not a singer, not an hawaïan.

[Allemano]

Actor?

[Allemano]

 American citizen with Asian roots?

[Ray B.]

An american citizen with asian origins indeed.

Not an actor, but in the same business.

[Allemano]

Art director?

[Ray B.]

No

[Ray B.]

I guess that pnegyesi will take care of this one when he's through with the rest.

[pnegyesi]

Problem is- Wednesday is getting closer

[Ray B.]

That's why you seem to be in such a hurry !

[Ray B.]

This man could also be loosely connected with a pink Cadillac. Very loosely, so it's not the car we're after.

[Ray B.]

This man could also be loosely connected with a pink Cadillac. Very loosely, so it's not the car we're after.

At least we're told its a pink Cadillac, because it can only be seen in black and white.

[Ray B.]

Did I hear somebody speak of a pink Cadillac? 

[Ray B.]

I hear that some rookies and experts might be interested in this one. I don't see why I should rebuke them.

[streamliner]

That would be the reknowned black and white cinematographer of Hud (the pink Cadillac reference) and winner of two Oscars out of 10 nominations, James Wong Howe.  The car must be his Coachcraft-built 1939 Ford, one of the first hardtop convertible/coupes, "The Howe Coupe".

Incidentally, Howe filmed your favorite martian, Ray Walston, in 1967's Satan's Waitin'...

[Ray B.]

Did you know the car (and what a stunning car), or stumble upon it? That may have made things easier.

Or did you recognize the man or found the "Hud" reference, and made your way up to the car, which may have been tougher?

Anyway, this kind of answer is music to my ears. And worth two points.

[Ray B.]

Incidentally, Howe filmed your favorite martian, Ray Walston, in 1967's Satan's Waitin'...

Where did you find this? On IMDB I do find Walston credited in this episode of Summer Playhouse (1964) but not Howe.

[streamliner]

The stream of Google conciousness went:  pink Cadillac => Paul Newman's B/W photo => Hud => maybe the director? => IMDB => Howe => the coachcraft cars

Then, the initial connection to Walston was at the Pierce Bros. Westwood cemetary where Howe is burried (Howe's earlier photo) and also happens to be where Walston was cremated.  I figured this was where you found Howe in the first place (?) and wondered what other clues may be burried there to other puzzles.  So I looked for other Walston-Howe connections and stumbled upon the story "Lunch with Ray Walston - I make a few mistakes" from the book "From my three sons to major dad: my life as a TV producer" by John G. Stephens where he describes the making of the movie "Satan's Waitin'" with both Walston and Howe.  

Lots of detours and coincidences, but it was the black and white pink Cadillac that brought me there...

[Ray B.]

Wow! You did it the hard way. VERY well done!