Jean Yarbrough
Encyclopedia
Jean Yarbrough was an American
film director
.
, the seat of Lee County in southeastern Arkansas
. After attending the University of the South in Sewanee
, Tennessee
, he entered the film business in 1922, first as a propman, but he steadily rose in the ranks to assistant director. Beginning with 1936, he was a bona fide director, first doing comedy and musical shorts for RKO, but in 1938, he already directed his first feature, Rebellious Daughters. His greatest success came in the 1940s, when he directed films that are even today fondly remembered such as The Devil Bat
, King of the Zombies
, She-Wolf of London
, or any number of Abbott and Costello
and Bowery Boys
comedies. In the 1950s, when the traditional B-movie
was on the decline, he had few problems switching to television and directed episodes for many TV-series throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including producing and directing The Abbott and Costello Show
. He directed some episodes of The Silent Service
and Navy Log
, two 1950s military dramas based on true stories of the United States Navy
. He also subsequently directed episodes of Walter Brennan
's western
series, The Guns of Will Sonnett
.
Yarbrough's last film, Hillbillys in a Haunted House
from 1967, a mix of comedy, horror and country music, was a sad swan song
to his career.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
.
Biography
He was born in MariannaMarianna, Arkansas
Marianna is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Arkansas, United States, along the L'Anguille River. The community was established by Col. Walter H. Otey in 1848 and was known as Walnut Ridge until 1852 when it became known as Marianna...
, the seat of Lee County in southeastern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. After attending the University of the South in Sewanee
Sewanee, Tennessee
Sewanee is an unincorporated locality in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States, treated by the U.S. Census as a census-designated place . The population was 2,361 at the 2000 census...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, he entered the film business in 1922, first as a propman, but he steadily rose in the ranks to assistant director. Beginning with 1936, he was a bona fide director, first doing comedy and musical shorts for RKO, but in 1938, he already directed his first feature, Rebellious Daughters. His greatest success came in the 1940s, when he directed films that are even today fondly remembered such as The Devil Bat
The Devil Bat
The Devil Bat is a black-and-white comedy-horror movie which was produced by Producers Releasing Corporation and directed by Jean Yarbrough...
, King of the Zombies
King of the Zombies
- Plot :During World War II, a small plane somewhere over the Caribbean runs low on fuel and is blown off course by a storm. Guided by a faint radio signal, they crash-land on an island. The passenger, his manservant and the pilot take refuge in a mansion owned by a doctor...
, She-Wolf of London
She-Wolf of London (film)
She-Wolf of London is a 1946 horror film produced by Universal Studios, directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring June Lockhart and Don Porter. The title evokes the earlier Werewolf of London , although, unlike its forebear, it is concerned more with mystery and suspense than supernatural horror...
, or any number of Abbott and Costello
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
and Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys
The Bowery Boys were fictional New York City characters who were the subject of feature films released by Monogram Pictures from 1946 through 1958....
comedies. In the 1950s, when the traditional B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
was on the decline, he had few problems switching to television and directed episodes for many TV-series throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including producing and directing The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show
The Abbott and Costello Show is an American television sitcom starring the popular comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello that premiered in syndication in the fall of 1952 and ran until May 1954....
. He directed some episodes of The Silent Service
The Silent Service (TV series)
The Silent Service was a 1957–1958 syndicated anthology television series based on actual events in the submarine section of the United States Navy. The Silent Service was narrated by Rear Admiral Thomas M. Dykers, who retired from the Navy in 1949 after twenty-two years of service...
and Navy Log
Navy Log
Navy Log is an American anthology series that initially aired on CBS. The series featured over 70 regular guests and told about the greatest survival war stories in the history of the United States Navy. This series premiered on September 20, 1955. The following year, it was moved to ABC, where it...
, two 1950s military dramas based on true stories of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. He also subsequently directed episodes of Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
's western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
series, The Guns of Will Sonnett
The Guns of Will Sonnett
The Guns of Will Sonnett is a Western television series set in the 1870s which ran on the ABC television network from 1967 to 1969. The series was the first production collaboration between Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas, who would later go on to produce one of ABC's most-memorable hits, The Mod...
.
Yarbrough's last film, Hillbillys in a Haunted House
Hillbillys in a Haunted House
Hillbillys in a Haunted House is a 1967 American horror comedy film starring Ferlin Husky and Joi Lansing, and directed by Jean Yarbrough. The film is a sequel to The Las Vegas Hillbillys , with Joi Lansing replacing Mamie Van Doren in the role of "Boots Malone".-Plot:Country singers are headed to...
from 1967, a mix of comedy, horror and country music, was a sad swan song
Swan song
"Swan song" is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement. The phrase refers to an ancient belief that the Mute Swan is completely silent during its lifetime until the moment just before death, when it sings one beautiful song...
to his career.
filmography
- The Devil BatThe Devil BatThe Devil Bat is a black-and-white comedy-horror movie which was produced by Producers Releasing Corporation and directed by Jean Yarbrough...
(1940) - King of the ZombiesKing of the Zombies- Plot :During World War II, a small plane somewhere over the Caribbean runs low on fuel and is blown off course by a storm. Guided by a faint radio signal, they crash-land on an island. The passenger, his manservant and the pilot take refuge in a mansion owned by a doctor...
(1941) - The Gang's All HereThe Gang's All Here (1941 film)The Gang's All Here is an American black-and-white feature film starring Frankie Darro and Mantan Moreland in a story about a trucking company targeted by saboteurs. The film was directed by Jean Yarbrough, produced by Lindsley Parsons, and is one of several that paired Darro and Moreland...
(1941) - Father Steps OutFather Steps Out (1941 film)Father Steps Out is a 1941 American comedy film directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring Frank Albertson, Jed Prouty, Lorna Gray and Frank Faylen. It was a remake of the 1934 film City Limits.-Cast:* Frank Albertson - Jimmy Dugan...
(1941) - In SocietyIn SocietyIn Society is a 1944 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was the first of five Abbott and Costello films to be directed by Jean Yarbrough. It was re-released in 1953.-Plot:...
(1944) - Here Come The Co-EdsHere Come the Co-EdsHere Come The Co-Eds is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:Three friends, Oliver Quackenbush , Molly McCarthy , and her brother Slats work for the Miramar Ballroom as taxi dancers. Slats plants a phony article in the local newspaper that declares Molly's ambition to...
(1945) - House of HorrorsHouse of HorrorsHouse of Horrors was a low-budget horror film released by Universal Pictures, starring Rondo Hatton as a madman, named "The Creeper." It was also known as Murder Mansion and in the United Kingdom as Joan Medford is Missing.-Plot:...
(1946) - She-Wolf of LondonShe-Wolf of London (film)She-Wolf of London is a 1946 horror film produced by Universal Studios, directed by Jean Yarbrough and starring June Lockhart and Don Porter. The title evokes the earlier Werewolf of London , although, unlike its forebear, it is concerned more with mystery and suspense than supernatural horror...
(1946) - Cuban PeteCuban Pete (film)Cuban Pete is a 1946 black-and-white musical comedy film released in the United States. It was directed by Jean Yarbrough and starred the Cuban-born actor and musician Desi Arnaz....
(1946) - The Brute ManThe Brute ManThe Brute Man is a 1946 American horror thriller film starring Rondo Hatton as the Creeper, a murderer seeking revenge against the people he holds responsible for the disfigurement of his face. Directed by Jean Yarbrough, the film features Tom Neal and Jan Wiley as a married pair of friends the...
(1946) - Jack and the BeanstalkJack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)Jack and the Beanstalk is a 1952 American family comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a comic revision of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale.-Plot:...
(1952) - The Naughty NinetiesThe Naughty NinetiesThe Naughty Nineties is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is significant for containing perhaps the best-known recorded rendition of the team's classic "Who's on First?" routine, as it is this version of the routine that is shown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame...
(1952) - Lost in AlaskaLost in Alaska-Plot:The time is the 1890s, and the place is San Francisco. George Ball and Tom Watson are firemen who rescue 'Nugget' Joe McDermott from committing suicide by drowning. Joe wants to die because his girlfriend, Rosette no longer loves him...
(1952) - Hillbillys in a Haunted HouseHillbillys in a Haunted HouseHillbillys in a Haunted House is a 1967 American horror comedy film starring Ferlin Husky and Joi Lansing, and directed by Jean Yarbrough. The film is a sequel to The Las Vegas Hillbillys , with Joi Lansing replacing Mamie Van Doren in the role of "Boots Malone".-Plot:Country singers are headed to...
(1967) - The Over-the-Hill GangThe Over-the-Hill GangThe Over-the-Hill Gang is a 1969 TV-movie Western comedy about aging Texas Rangers starring Walter Brennan and Pat O'Brien. Chill Wills, Edgar Buchanan, Andy Devine, and Jack Elam play supporting roles...
(1969) TV-movie