William Beaudine
Encyclopedia
William Beaudine was an American film actor
and director
. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres.
, Beaudine began his career as an actor in 1909 with American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
. He married Marguerite Fleischer in 1914, to whom he stayed married until his death.
In 1915 he was hired as an actor and director by the Kalem Company
. He was an assistant to director D.W. Griffith on The Birth of a Nation
and Intolerance
. By the time he was 23 Beaudine had directed his first picture, a short called Almost a King (1915). He would continue to direct shorts exclusively until 1922, when he shifted his efforts into making feature-length films.
Beaudine directed silent films for Goldwyn Pictures
(before it became part of MGM), Metro Pictures
(also before MGM), First National Pictures, Principal and Warner Brothers. In 1926 he made Sparrows, the story of orphans imprisoned in a swamp farm starring Mary Pickford
. Beaudine had at least 30 pictures to his credit before the sound era began. Among his first sound films were short Mack Sennett
comedies; he made at least one film for Sennett while contractually bound elsewhere, resulting in his adopting the pseudonym "William Crowley." He would occasionally use the pseudonym in later years, usually as "William X. Crowley."
He ground out several movies annually for Fox Films, Warner Brothers, Paramount
, and Universal Pictures
. His most famous credit of the early 1930s is The Old-Fashioned Way
, a comedy about old-time show folks starring W. C. Fields
.
Beaudine was one of a number of experienced directors (including Raoul Walsh
and Allan Dwan
) who were brought to England
from Hollywood in the 1930s to work on what were in all other respects very British productions. Beaudine directed four films there starring Will Hay
, including Boys Will Be Boys (1935) and Where There's a Will (1936).
Beaudine returned to America in 1937 and evidently had trouble re-establishing himself at the major studios. After a brief stint at Warner Brothers, he found work on Poverty Row
, working for studios specializing in low-budget films, such as Monogram Pictures
and Producers Releasing Corporation
. For these studios he made dozens of comedies, thrillers and melodrama
s with such popular personalities as Bela Lugosi
, Harry Langdon
, Ralph Byrd
, Edmund Lowe
, Jean Parker
and The East Side Kids. By this time Beaudine had a reputation for being a resourceful, no-nonsense director who could make feature films in a matter of days, sometimes as few as five. One of the ways he did this was to shoot only one take of a scene if at all possible, regardless of any minor flaws or mishaps such as actors forgetting lines, props not working, camera or sound equipment malfunctions, etc., resulting in his being given the nickname "One-Shot Beaudine". One of these quickies was Mom and Dad
, an exploitation film
produced by Kroger Babb
that was released in 1945.
Beaudine was often entrusted with series films, including the Torchy Blane, The East Side Kids, Jiggs and Maggie
, The Shadow
, Charlie Chan
and The Bowery Boys
series. His efficiency was so well-known that Walt Disney
hired him to direct some of his television projects of the 1950s and had him direct a feature western, Ten Who Dared
(1960). Beaudine became even busier in TV, directing Naked City
, The Green Hornet
, and dozens of Lassie
episodes.
His last two feature films, both released in 1966, were the horror
-westerns Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
(with John Carradine
) and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
. By the end of the decade he was the industry's oldest working professional, having started in 1909.
and was interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
in Hollywood.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and 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:...
. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres.
Early life and career
Born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Beaudine began his career as an actor in 1909 with American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
American Mutoscope and Biograph Company
The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company, was a motion picture company founded in 1895 and active until 1928. It was the first company in the United States devoted entirely to film production and exhibition, and for two decades was one of the most prolific, releasing over three thousand short...
. He married Marguerite Fleischer in 1914, to whom he stayed married until his death.
In 1915 he was hired as an actor and director by the Kalem Company
Kalem Company
The Kalem Company was an American film studio founded in New York City in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion.The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution...
. He was an assistant to director D.W. Griffith on The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation
The Birth of a Nation is a 1915 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and based on the novel and play The Clansman, both by Thomas Dixon, Jr. Griffith also co-wrote the screenplay , and co-produced the film . It was released on February 8, 1915...
and Intolerance
Intolerance (film)
Intolerance is a 1916 American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith and is considered one of the great masterpieces of the Silent Era. The three-and-a-half hour epic intercuts four parallel storylines each separated by several centuries: A contemporary melodrama of crime and redemption; a...
. By the time he was 23 Beaudine had directed his first picture, a short called Almost a King (1915). He would continue to direct shorts exclusively until 1922, when he shifted his efforts into making feature-length films.
Beaudine directed silent films for Goldwyn Pictures
Goldwyn Pictures
Goldwyn Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company founded in 1916 by Samuel Goldfish in partnership with Broadway producers Edgar and Archibald Selwyn using an amalgamation of both last names to create the name...
(before it became part of MGM), Metro Pictures
Metro Pictures
Metro Pictures Corporation was an American motion picture production company founded in late 1915 by Richard A. Rowland . Louis B. Mayer who worked for Metro Pictures Corporation early on. It is not to be confused with MGM which is a much later franchise concerning itself, Goldwyn and Louis B....
(also before MGM), First National Pictures, Principal and Warner Brothers. In 1926 he made Sparrows, the story of orphans imprisoned in a swamp farm starring Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford
Mary Pickford was a Canadian-born motion picture actress, co-founder of the film studio United Artists and one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
. Beaudine had at least 30 pictures to his credit before the sound era began. Among his first sound films were short Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett
Mack Sennett was a Canadian-born American director and was known as the innovator of slapstick comedy in film. During his lifetime he was known at times as the "King of Comedy"...
comedies; he made at least one film for Sennett while contractually bound elsewhere, resulting in his adopting the pseudonym "William Crowley." He would occasionally use the pseudonym in later years, usually as "William X. Crowley."
He ground out several movies annually for Fox Films, Warner Brothers, Paramount
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, and Universal Pictures
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
. His most famous credit of the early 1930s is The Old-Fashioned Way
The Old Fashioned Way (film)
The Old Fashioned Way is a 1934 film produced by Paramount Pictures and starring W. C. Fields. The film was directed by William Beaudine. The script was written by Jack Cunningham based on a story by "Charles Bogle" ....
, a comedy about old-time show folks starring W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
.
Beaudine was one of a number of experienced directors (including Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh
Raoul Walsh was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh...
and Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan
Allan Dwan was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.-Early life:...
) who were brought to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
from Hollywood in the 1930s to work on what were in all other respects very British productions. Beaudine directed four films there starring Will Hay
Will Hay
William Thomson "Will" Hay was an English comedian, actor, film director and amateur astronomer.-Early life:He was born in Stockton-on-Tees, in north east England, to William R...
, including Boys Will Be Boys (1935) and Where There's a Will (1936).
Beaudine returned to America in 1937 and evidently had trouble re-establishing himself at the major studios. After a brief stint at Warner Brothers, he found work on Poverty Row
Poverty Row
Poverty Row is a slang term used in Hollywood from the late silent period through the mid-fifties to refer to a variety of small and mostly short-lived B movie studios...
, working for studios specializing in low-budget films, such as Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures
Monogram Pictures Corporation is a Hollywood studio that produced and released films, most on low budgets, between 1931 and 1953, when the firm completed a transition to the name Allied Artists Pictures Corporation. Monogram is considered a leader among the smaller studios sometimes referred to...
and Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation
Producers Releasing Corporation was one of the more lower-end Hollywood film studios on Poverty Row from the late '30s to the mid-'40s. PRC, as it was commonly known, made low-budget B-movies for the lower-half of a double bill. A few of its films have gained a respectable reputation over the...
. For these studios he made dozens of comedies, thrillers and melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
s with such popular personalities as Bela Lugosi
Béla Lugosi
Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó , commonly known as Bela Lugosi, was a Hungarian actor of stage and screen. He was best known for having played Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version, as well as having starred in several of Ed Wood's low budget films in the last years of his...
, Harry Langdon
Harry Langdon
Harry Philmore Langdon was an American comedian who appeared in vaudeville, silent films , and talkies. He was briefly partnered with Oliver Hardy.-Life and career:...
, Ralph Byrd
Ralph Byrd
Ralph Byrd was an American actor. He was most famous for playing the comic strip character Dick Tracy on screen, in serials, movies and television.-Early life and career:...
, Edmund Lowe
Edmund Lowe
Edmund Dantes Lowe was an American actor. His formative experience began in vaudeville and silent film. He was born in San Jose, California.-Film career:...
, Jean Parker
Jean Parker
-Career:Born as Lois Mae Green in Deer Lodge, Montana, she appeared in 70 movies from 1932 through 1966. She was discovered by Ida Koverman, secretary to MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer, after she saw a poster featuring Parker portraying Father Time. She attended Pasadena schools and graduated from John...
and The East Side Kids. By this time Beaudine had a reputation for being a resourceful, no-nonsense director who could make feature films in a matter of days, sometimes as few as five. One of the ways he did this was to shoot only one take of a scene if at all possible, regardless of any minor flaws or mishaps such as actors forgetting lines, props not working, camera or sound equipment malfunctions, etc., resulting in his being given the nickname "One-Shot Beaudine". One of these quickies was Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad is a feature-length 1945 film directed by William Beaudine, and largely produced by the exploitation filmmaker and presenter Kroger Babb. Mom and Dad is considered the most successful film within its genre of "sex hygiene" films...
, an exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
produced by Kroger Babb
Kroger Babb
Howard W. "Kroger" Babb was an American film and television producer and showman. His marketing techniques were similar to a travelling salesman's, with roots in the medicine-show tradition...
that was released in 1945.
Beaudine was often entrusted with series films, including the Torchy Blane, The East Side Kids, Jiggs and Maggie
Bringing up Father
Bringing Up Father was an influential American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus . Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 12, 1913 to May 28, 2000....
, The Shadow
The Shadow
The Shadow is a collection of serialized dramas, originally in pulp magazines, then on 1930s radio and then in a wide variety of media, that follow the exploits of the title character, a crime-fighting vigilante in the pulps, which carried over to the airwaves as a "wealthy, young man about town"...
, Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan
Charlie Chan is a fictional Chinese-American detective created by Earl Derr Biggers in 1919. Loosely based on Honolulu detective Chang Apana, Biggers conceived of the benevolent and heroic Chan as an alternative to Yellow Peril stereotypes, such as villains like Fu Manchu...
and The 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....
series. His efficiency was so well-known that Walt Disney
Walt Disney
Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist, well-known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother Roy O...
hired him to direct some of his television projects of the 1950s and had him direct a feature western, Ten Who Dared
Ten Who Dared
Ten Who Dared is a movie made by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution in 1960. It tells the story of United States Army officer John Wesley Powell, who was the first to travel down the Colorado River, and the dangers that he and nine other men had to face while making a...
(1960). Beaudine became even busier in TV, directing Naked City
Naked City (TV series)
Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format....
, The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (TV series)
The Green Hornet is a television show on the ABC US television network. It aired for the 1966–1967 TV season, and starred Van Williams as the Green Hornet/Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato.- Episodes:...
, and dozens of Lassie
Lassie
Lassie is a fictional collie dog character created by Eric Knight in a short story expanded to novel length called Lassie Come-Home. Published in 1940, the novel was filmed by MGM in 1943 as Lassie Come Home with a dog named Pal playing Lassie. Pal then appeared with the stage name "Lassie" in six...
episodes.
His last two feature films, both released in 1966, were the horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-westerns Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula
Billy the Kid vs. Dracula is a 1966 American low-budget horror/western film directed by William Beaudine. It was released theatrically as part of a double bill, along with Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter...
(with John Carradine
John Carradine
John Carradine was an American actor, best known for his roles in horror films and Westerns as well as Shakespearean theater. A member of Cecil B DeMille's stock company and later John Ford's company, he was one of the most prolific character actors in Hollywood history...
) and Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter
Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter is a low-budget western/horror hybrid film filmed in 1966, in which a fictionalized version of the real-life western outlaw Jesse James encounters the fictional granddaughter of the famous Dr. Frankenstein. The film was originally released as part of a...
. By the end of the decade he was the industry's oldest working professional, having started in 1909.
Death
Beaudine died of uremic poisoning in 1970 in CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and was interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
in Hollywood.
Selected filmography
The following is a listing of the theatrically released, feature-length films directed by William Beaudine. Short subjects and television productions are not included.1920s
- Watch Your Step (1922)
- Catch My Smoke (1922)
- Heroes of the Street (1922)
- Her Fatal Millions (1923)
- Penrod and Sam (1923)
- The Printer's Devil (1923)
- The Country Kid (1923)
- Boy of Mine (1923)
- Daring Youth (1924)
- Wandering Husbands (1924) aka Love and Lies
- Daughters of Pleasure (1924) aka Beggars on Horseback
- A Self-Made Failure (1924) aka The Goof
- Cornered (1924)
- Lovers' Lane (1924) unconfirmed
- The Narrow Street (1925)
- A Broadway Butterfly (1925)
- How Baxter Butted In (1925)
- Little Annie RooneyLittle Annie Rooney (film)Little Annie Rooney is a 1925 silent film directed by William Beaudine.-Plot:Little Annie Rooney is a tough girl from the streets with her own gang. She spends her days wreaking havoc around the streets. She looks up to her older brother, who is into a more violent gang himself. Annie develops a...
(1925) - That's My Baby (1926)
- Sparrows (1926)
- The Social Highwayman (1926)
- The Canadian (1926)
- Frisco Sally Levy (1927)
- The Life of Riley (1927)
- The Irresistible Lover (1927)
- The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris (1928)
- Heart to Heart (1928)
- Home, James (1928)
- Do Your Duty (1928)
- Give and Take (1928)
- Fugitives (1929)
- Two Weeks Off (1929)
- Hard to Get (1929) aka Classified
- The Girl from Woolworth's (1929)
- Wedding Rings (1929) aka The Dark Swan
1930s
- Those Who Dance (1930)
- Road to Paradise (1930)
- Father's SonFather's SonFather's Son is an all-talking melodrama film which was produced by Warner Brothers in 1930 and released early in 1931. The movie is based on the novel Old Fathers and Young Sons by Booth Tarkington....
(1931) - Misbehaving Ladies (1931)
- The Lady Who Dared (1931)
- The Mad Parade (1931) aka Forgotten Women
- Penrod and SamPenrod and SamPenrod and Sam is a 1937 comedy/drama film directed by William C. McGann. It was the third screen version of American writer Booth Tarkington's novel Penrod and Sam.-Plot:...
(1931) - Men in Her Life (1931)
- Three Wise GirlsThree Wise GirlsThree Wise Girls is a 1932 romantic drama film featuring Jean Harlow in her first starring role. A young small-town woman heads to New York City, where she and her two friends have romantic troubles.-Cast:*Jean Harlow as Cassie Barnes...
(1932) - Make Me a Star (1932)
- The Crime of the CenturyThe Crime of the Century (1933 film)The Crime of the Century is a thriller film directed by William Beaudine and featuring a star-studded cast including Jean Hersholt, Wynne Gibson, Stuart Erwin, Frances Dee, and David Landau.-Plot:...
(1933) - Her Bodyguard (1933)
- The Old Fashioned WayThe Old Fashioned Way (film)The Old Fashioned Way is a 1934 film produced by Paramount Pictures and starring W. C. Fields. The film was directed by William Beaudine. The script was written by Jack Cunningham based on a story by "Charles Bogle" ....
(1934) - Two Hearts in HarmonyTwo Hearts in HarmonyTwo Hearts in Harmony is a 1935 British comedy drama film directed by William Beaudine and starring Bernice Claire, George Curzon and Enid Stamp-Taylor...
(1935) - So You Won't TalkSo You Won't Talk (1935 film)So You Won't Talk is a 1935 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Monty Banks, Vera Pearce and Bertha Belmore. The owner of a small Italian restaurant in central London is left a million pound inheritance, the only stipulation to the will being that he cannot speak or write...
(1935) - Dandy DickDandy DickDandy Dick is a 1935 British comedy film starring Will Hay. It was based on the 1887 play Dandy Dick by Arthur Wing Pinero. It is the second and last of his films to be based on a play by Pinero – the first was Those Were the Days which was based on The Magistrate.-Plot:A vicar who lives in...
(1935) - Boys Will Be Boys (1935)
- Get Off My FootGet Off My FootGet Off My Foot is a 1935 British comedy film, directed by William Beaudine and starring Max Miller and Chili Bouchier. It is classed as a lost film....
(1935) - Mr. Cohen Takes a WalkMr. Cohen Takes a WalkMr. Cohen Takes a Walk is a 1935 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Paul Graetz, Violet Farebrother and Chili Bouchier...
(1935) - Where There's a Will (1936)
- Educated EvansEducated EvansEducated Evans is a 1936 British comedy film, directed by William Beaudine and starring Max Miller. The film, set in the world of horse racing, was based on the 1924 novel of the same name by the prolific Edgar Wallace. It is one of five films starring Miller which is not known to be extant, and...
(1936) - It's in the Bag (1936)
- Windbag the SailorWindbag the SailorWindbag the Sailor is a British comedy film directed by William Beaudine, starring Will Hay in the title role. Ben Cutlet is a sea captain who entertains his bar room audience with tales of his days at sea, even though in reality his maritime experience extends only to navigating a coal barge...
(1936) - Feather Your NestFeather Your NestFeather Your Nest is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring George Formby, Polly Ward and Enid Stamp-Taylor...
(1937) - Said O'Reilly to McNabSaid O'Reilly to McNabSaid O'Reilly to McNab is a 1937 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Will Mahoney, Will Fyffe and Ellis Drake. It was made by Gainsborough Pictures...
(1937) - Take It from MeTake It from Me (film)Take It from Me is a 1937 British comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring Max Miller, Betty Lynne and Buddy Baer. It is also known as Transatlantic Trouble...
(1937) - Torchy Gets Her Man (1938)
- Torchy Blane in Chinatown (1939)
1940s
- She Done Him Right (1940)
- Four Shall Die (1940) aka Condemned Men
- Misbehaving HusbandsMisbehaving Husbands- Cast :*Harry Langdon as Henry Butler*Betty Blythe as Effie Butler*Ralph Byrd as Bob Grant*Esther Muir as Grace Norman*Gayne Whitman as Gilbert Wayne*Florence Wright as Nan Blake*Luana Walters as Jane Forbes*Frank Jaquet as Wilbur Drake...
(1940) - Up Jumped the Devil (1941)
- Emergency LandingEmergency Landing (1941 film)Emergency Landing is a 1941 American aviation spy-fi romantic screwball comedy film directed by William Beaudine. The film stars Forrest Tucker in his second film and in his first leading role and features lots of mismatched stock footage of various types of aircraft...
(1941) - Federal Fugitives (1941) aka International Spy
- Desperate CargoDesperate CargoDesperate Cargo is a 1941 American film directed by William Beaudine based on the 1937 magazine story Loot Below by Eustace Lane Adams.-Plot:...
(1941) - Mr. Celebrity (1941)
- The Miracle KidThe Miracle KidThe Miracle Kid is a 1941 American film directed by William Beaudine.- Cast :*Tom Neal as Jimmy Conley*Carol Hughes as Pat Hilton*Vickie Lester as Helen Gibbs*Betty Blythe as Madame Gloria*Ben Taggart as J...
(1941) - Blonde Comet (1941)
- Duke of the Navy (1942)
- Broadway Big Shot (1942)
- Lucky Ghost (1942) aka Lady Luck
- Professor Creeps (1942)
- The Panther's ClawThe Panther's ClawThe Panther's Claw is a 1942 American film directed by William Beaudine. A Producer’s Releasing Corporation picture.- Plot summary :Police see Digberry climbing over a wall, out of a graveyard at one a.m. He has left a thousand dollars inside on a grave, as ordered in a letter he received. The...
(1942) - Men of San QuentinMen of San Quentin- Cast :*J. Anthony Hughes as Jack Holden*Eleanor Stewart as Anne Holden*Dick Curtis as Butch Mason*Charles B. Middleton as Saunderson*Jeffrey Sayre as Jimmy*George P...
(1942) - Gallant Lady (1942) aka Prison Girl
- One Thrilling NightOne Thrilling NightOne Thrilling Night is a 1942 American film directed by William Beaudine.The film is also known as Horace Takes Over - Plot summary :One Thrilling Night opens as the newlywed couple, Mr. and Mrs...
(1942) - Phantom Killer (1942)
- Foreign Agent (1942)
- The Living GhostThe Living GhostThe Living Ghost is a 1942 American film directed by William Beaudine.The film is also known as Lend Me Your Ear in the United Kingdom.- Cast :*James Dunn as Nick Trayne*Joan Woodbury as Billie Hilton*Paul McVey as Ed Moline...
(1942) - The Ape ManThe Ape ManThe Ape Man is a 1943 horror Science fiction film starring Bela Lugosi and directed by William Beaudine. The film follows the tale of a part human part ape....
(1943) - Clancy Street BoysClancy Street BoysClancy Street Boys is a 1943 film directed by William Beaudine and starring the East Side Kids. It is Beaudine's first film with the team; he would direct several more in the series and many in the Bowery Boys canon...
(1943) - Spotlight Scandals (1943) aka Spotlight Revue (reissue title)
- Ghosts on the LooseGhosts on the LooseGhosts on the Loose is a 1943 American film and the fourteenth film in the East Side Kids series, directed by William Beaudine.The film was released in the United Kingdom as Ghosts in the Night.-Cast:The East Side Kids:*Leo Gorcey as Mugs...
(1943) - Here Comes Kelly (1943)
- Mr. Muggs Steps OutMr. Muggs Steps Out- Cast :The East Side Kids:*Leo Gorcey as Ethelbert 'Muggs' McGinnis*Huntz Hall as Glimpy Freedhoff*Billy Benedict as Pinky *Bobby Stone as Speed*Buddy Gorman as Skinny*David Durand as Danny*Jimmy Strand as RockyAdditional Cast:...
(1943) - Mystery of the 13th Guest (1943)
- What a Man! (1944)
- Voodoo ManVoodoo Man- Plot summary :George Zucco runs a filling station in the sticks. But really, it's a front! George is helping Bela Lugosi capture comely young ladies, and transfer their life essences to his long-dead wife. Also assisting Bela is John Carradine, who lovingly shepherds the leftover zombie girls and...
(1944) - Hot Rhythm (1944)
- Detective Kitty O'Day (1944)
- Follow the LeaderFollow the Leader (film)-Plot:Muggs and Glimpy have joined the army. Muggs is proud to be in uniform, until he's discharged for having poor eyesight. Crushed, Muggs has no choice but to return home; Glimpy tags along with his pal. Once the duo arrive back to the East Side, they are quick to learn that Danny has been...
(1944) - Leave It to the Irish (1944)
- Oh, What a NightOh, What a Night (1944 film)Oh, What A Night is a 1944 crime drama starring Edmund Lowe & Jean Parker and directed by William Beaudine.The films story was written by Marian Orth and the screenplay by Paul Girard Smith.-Cast:* Edmund Lowe as Rand* Jean Parker as Valerie...
(1944) - Shadow of Suspicion (1944)
- Bowery ChampsBowery ChampsBowery Champs is an American film starring the East Side Kids. Released in 1944, it was directed by William Beaudine.-Plot:Copy boys Muggs and Glimpy investigate a murder. They locate the ex-wife of the murdered man and become convinced she is innocent...
(1944) - Crazy Knights (1944) aka Murder in the Family (TV title)
- Mom and DadMom and DadMom and Dad is a feature-length 1945 film directed by William Beaudine, and largely produced by the exploitation filmmaker and presenter Kroger Babb. Mom and Dad is considered the most successful film within its genre of "sex hygiene" films...
(1945) - Adventures of Kitty O'Day (1945)
- Fashion Model (1945)
- Blonde Ransom (1945)
- Swingin' on a RainbowSwingin' on a RainbowSwingin' on a Rainbow is a 1945 American film starring Jane Frazee....
(1945) - Come Out Fighting (1945)
- Black Market Babies (1945)
- Girl on the Spot (1946)
- The Face of Marble (1946)
- One Exciting Week (1946)
- Don't Gamble with Strangers (1946)
- Below the Deadline (1946) aka Jumping Joe (TV title)
- Spook BustersSpook BustersSpook Busters is a 1946 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the fourth film in the series.-Plot:All of the boys have just graduated from school where they learned exterminating, except for Sach who flunked out. They set up their new business in a corner of Louie's Sweet Shop...
(1946) - Mr. HexMr. HexMr. Hex is a 1946 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the fifth film in the series.-Plot:The boys are trying to raise money for their friend Gloria. She has to give up her aspiring singing career in order to stay home and take care of her sick mother...
(1946) - Philo Vance Returns (1947) aka Infamous Crimes (TV title)
- Hard Boiled MahoneyHard Boiled MahoneyHard Boiled Mahoney is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the sixth film in the series.-Plot:Sach just lost his job as an assistant to a private detective, but he wasn't paid. Slip goes with him down to the detective's office to demand payment, but finds the office...
(1947) - Too Many Winners (1947)
- Killer at Large (1947) aka Gangway for Murder and Syndicated Murder
- Gas House Kids Go West (1947)
- News HoundsNews HoundsNews Hounds is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the seventh film in the series.-Plot:Slip is a copy boy for a newspaper, but dreams of having his own byline. Sach is an aspiring photographer for the same paper. The two of them come across a plot to fix sporting...
(1947) - Bowery BuckaroosBowery BuckaroosBowery Buckaroos is a 1947 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the eighth film in the series and the last Bowery Boys film that Bobby Jordan appeared in.-Plot:...
(1947) - The Chinese RingThe Chinese RingThe Chinese Ring is a 1947 American film directed by William Beaudine.The film is also known as Charlie Chan in the Chinese Ring .- Cast :*Roland Winters as Charlie Chan*Victor Sen Yung as Tommy Chan...
(1947) - Angels' AlleyAngels' AlleyAngels' Alley is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the ninth film in the series and the first one without Bobby Jordan.-Plot:...
(1947) - Jinx MoneyJinx MoneyJinx Money is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. It is the tenth film in the series and the first one to include Bennie Bartlett as part of the team.-Plot:...
(1948) - The Shanghai Chest (1948)
- The Golden EyeThe Golden EyeThe Golden Eye is a 1948 American film directed by William Beaudine and starring Roland Winters in his fourth appearance as Charlie Chan. The film is also known as Charlie Chan in Texas and Charlie Chan in the Golden Eye .- Cast :*Roland Winters as Charlie Chan*Victor Sen Yung as Tommy Chan*Mantan...
(1948) - Smugglers' Cove (1948)
- IncidentIncident (film)Incident is a 1948 American film starring Jane Frazee....
(1948) - Kidnapped (1948)
- Jiggs and Maggie in Court (1948)
- The Feathered SerpentThe Feathered Serpent (film)The Feathered Serpent is a 1948 mystery film, the fifth of six in which Roland Winters portrayed Charlie Chan. It is the only Chan film which featured both Keye Luke and Victor Sen Yung together. Luke had been popular in the Warner Oland Chan films while Yung appeared primarily in the Sidney...
(1948) - The Lawton StoryThe Prince of PeaceThe Prince of Peace, also known as The Lawton Story, was a film that later made the exploitation rounds under the production of Kroger Babb. The film was based on a passion play created in 1948 in Lawton, Oklahoma. Filmed in Cinecolor, it was presented in various forms in the years following its...
(1949) - Tuna Clipper (1949)
- Forgotten Women (1949)
- Trail of the Yukon (1949) as William X. Crowley
- Jiggs and Maggie in Jackpot Jitters (1949)
- Tough Assignment (1949)
1950s
- Blue Grass of Kentucky (1950)
- Blonde DynamiteBlonde DynamiteBlonde Dynamite is a 1950 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 12, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the seventeenth film in the series.-Production:...
(1950) - Jiggs and Maggie Out West (1950)
- Lucky LosersLucky LosersLucky Losers is a 1950 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on May 14, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the eighteenth film in the series. It had the working title of High Stakes.-Synopsis:...
(1950) - County Fair (1950)
- A Wonderful Life (1950)
- Second Chance (1950)
- Blues BustersBlues Busters (1950 film)Blues Busters is a 1950 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on October 29, 1950 by Monogram Pictures and is the twentieth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1950) - Again... Pioneers (1950)
- Bowery BattalionBowery BattalionBowery Battalion is a 1951 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on January 24, 1951 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-first film in the series.-Plot:...
(1951) - Cuban Fireball (1951)
- Ghost ChasersGhost ChasersGhost Chasers is a 1951 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on April 29, 1951 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-second film in the series.-Plot:...
(1951) - Let's Go Navy!Let's Go Navy!Let's Go Navy! is a 1951 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on July 29, 1951 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-third film in the series.-Plot:...
(1951) - Havana Rose (1951)
- Crazy Over HorsesCrazy Over HorsesCrazy Over Horses is a 1951 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on November 18, 1951 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-fourth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1951) - The Congregation (1951)
- Rodeo (1952)
- Hold That LineHold That LineHold That Line is a 1952 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on March 23, 1952 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-fifth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1952) - Jet Job (1952)
- Here Come the MarinesHere Come the MarinesHere Come the Marines is a 1952 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on June 29, 1952 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-sixth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1952) - The Rose Bowl Story (1952)
- Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn GorillaBela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn GorillaBela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla is a 1952 comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring horror veteran Béla Lugosi and nightclub comedians Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo in roles approximating Martin and Lewis.-Plot:...
(1952) - Feudin' FoolsFeudin' FoolsFeudin' Fools is a 1952 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on September 21, 1952 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-seventh film in the series.-Plot:...
(1952) - No Holds BarredNo Holds Barred (1952 film)No Holds barred is a 1952 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on November 23, 1952 by Monogram Pictures and is the twenty-eighth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1952) - JalopyJalopy (film)Jalopy is a 1953 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 15, 1953 by Allied Artists and is the twenty-ninth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1953) - Born to the SaddleBorn to the Saddle-Plot:Bent on revenge for the death of his father and the theft of their ranch, young Bill Walton rides into town seeking the aid of his uncle. As he rides into town, he takes a bullet meant for gambler Matt Daggett and across the street lies his uncle, victim of the gambler's gun...
(1953) - Roar of the Crowd (1953)
- Murder Without Tears (1953)
- Yukon Vengeance (1954)
- Paris PlayboysParis PlayboysParis Playboys is a 1954 comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on March 7, 1954 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-third film in the series.-Plot:...
(1954) - Pride of the Blue Grass (1954)
- High SocietyHigh Society (1955 film)High Society is a 1955 comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. The film was released on April 17, 1955 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-seventh film in the series...
(1955) - Jail BustersJail BustersJail Busters is a 1955 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. The film was released on September 18, 1955 by Allied Artists and is the thirty-ninth film in the series.-Plot:...
(1955) - Westward Ho, the Wagons!Westward Ho, The Wagons!Westward Ho, the Wagons! is a 1956 live-action Disney western film, aimed at family audiences. Based on Mary Jane Carr's novel Children of the Covered Wagon, the film was produced by Bill Walsh, directed by William Beaudine, and released to theatres on December 20, 1956 by Buena Vista Distribution...
(1956) - Up in SmokeUp In Smoke (1957 film)Up in Smoke is a 1957 film starring the comedy team of The Bowery Boys. The film was released on December 22, 1957 by Allied Artists and is the forty-seventh film in the series.-Plot:...
(1957) - In the MoneyIn the MoneyIn the Money is a comedy film starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958 by Allied Artists Pictures and is the forty-eighth and final film in the series. It was directed by William Beaudine and written by Al Martin and Elwood Ullman.-Plot summary:Sach is hired to take...
(1958)
1960s
- Ten Who DaredTen Who DaredTen Who Dared is a movie made by Walt Disney Productions and released by Buena Vista Distribution in 1960. It tells the story of United States Army officer John Wesley Powell, who was the first to travel down the Colorado River, and the dangers that he and nine other men had to face while making a...
(1960) - Billy the Kid versus DraculaBilly the Kid vs. DraculaBilly the Kid vs. Dracula is a 1966 American low-budget horror/western film directed by William Beaudine. It was released theatrically as part of a double bill, along with Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter...
(1966) - Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's DaughterJesse James Meets Frankenstein's DaughterJesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter is a low-budget western/horror hybrid film filmed in 1966, in which a fictionalized version of the real-life western outlaw Jesse James encounters the fictional granddaughter of the famous Dr. Frankenstein. The film was originally released as part of a...
(1966)