The Film Daily (1947)

w Louis De Rochetnont I I b. Boston, Jan. 13, 1899; from 1917 m. ( 1923, was line officer, U. S. Navy; pm 1923 to 1927, associate editor of i.ternational Newsreel; European di Ictor, Pathe News; directed short bjects for Movietone News, Inc., let ^eator of the "Magic Carpet of Movi° iiijne" series and "Adventures of a iCwsreel Cameraman" producer and ablisher of The March of Time; di icted "We Are the Marines"; was un ;r contract to 20th Century-Fox as 'producer; producer of "Boomerang." ' Andre De Toth b. Mako, Hungary, May 15, 1913; hile studying for his doctorate of law ; the University of Budapest, he )ined a stock company in Hungary'.s ipital city, and became an actor; formed first all-University student jazz rchestra in the country which played nothing but the latest American music; ent to Vienna in 1932; produced 35 Dmmercial shorts for a Vienna depart lent store; acted, then served as an ssistant director, cutter, and finally s assistant cameraman on a series oi matures for Hunnia Studios; toured ';urope and worked in Vienna, Munich, I.erlin and Rome; while in Italy made Sme Italian travelogue pictures; in 937, came to the United States; went 3 Hollywood but met with no sue ess; returned to London and got a 'ab as assistant to Zoltan Korda; went 'o Paris and then back to Budapest ^here he worked for Hunnia again; in 939, left for America again; worked ,'ith Zoltan Korda on "Jungle Book," 'hen followed a chance to make his irst picture for Columbia, "Passport o Suez"; directed "Ramrod," "The l()ther Love" for Enterprise-U.A. William Dieterle b. Rheinpfalz, Germany, July tarted his professional career as _ „ .irentice actor under Max Reinhardt, f|;ater starring in Reinhardt vehicles; 'jetween acting engagements, also di■ected; made his film debut as an ictor with E. A. Dupont; after a long „,;issociation with Dupont, broke away jrii'O make pictures for larger studios; nas been directing since 1926, for Uniiversal, in Germany, and Warner Bros., „ jf.n Burbank; in 1940, formed his own Siiicompany and produced several piciitures for RKO Radio release; directed ilor M-G-M; directed "Love Letters" for Paramount" and "This Love of Ours" for Universal; directed "Searching Wind" for Paramount; under consl'tract to David O. Selznick -Vanguard « Films and currently directing "Portrait 1)1 Jennie." Edward Dntytryh \,. Grand Forks, British Columbia; et with parents moved to U. S.; educ. Hollywood High, California Institute of Technology; 1923, joined the Paramount lab; has been projectionist, assistant cutter, and cutter; directed for Paramount and Columbia; now directing for RKO Radio; went to London to direct "So Well Remembered"; directed "Crossfire"; in preparation, "The Harder They Fall" and "White Tower." 1.5; ap Gordon Douglas b. New York City, N. Y.; played in Wednesday, September 10, 1947 features and shorts at the Paramount .\storia studio; did extra and bit work on the coast; stock player for Hal Roach; wrote for Roach; directed "Oui Gang" comedies and also features for Roach; directed "First Yank Into Tokyo," 'San Quentin," "Dick Tracy vs. Cueball"; now directing "The Black Arrow," an Edward Small production for Columbia release. Oliver Drahe b. Boise, Idaho, May 28, 1903; educ. in Boise and San Diego grade schools and San Diego High School; entered pictures as an actor and starred in 28 westerns made by Southwest Productions and San Diego; wrote and directed 24 of the pictures; wrote for FBO; M-G-M, Pathe, Universal and Republic; has written more than 1,000 western originals and screenplays; directed for Alexander Bros.-PRC; produced and directed pictures for Universal and Monogram. Arthur Dreifuss b. Frankfort am Main, Germany, March 25, 1908; educ. Woechler Gymnasium, Extension U and Conservatory, Frankfort; pianist and arranger; Broadway dance director and producer; associate producer and director of RKO Radio shorts; produced and directed features for Grand National; produced and directed shorts for Columbia; produced for PRC; directed for Universal; Monogram and Columbia. Jules Duvivier b. Lille, France; Educ. Lille, dramatic art in Paris; on stage in Lille provincial theaters; acted, wrote and directed motion pictures; brought to the U. S. to direct for M-G-M; awarded Grand International Prize and the Mussolini Cup for "Garnet de Bal" in 1937; was under contract to .Alexander Korda productions; co-producer with Charles Boyer and also directed "Flesh and Fantasy" for Uni\ersal; now in London where he is directing ",'\nna Karenina" for London Films. Allan Dwan b. Toronto, Canada; educ. Notre Dame; civil engineer; stage actor; wrote for Essanay, American Film Co.; directed for American, Selznick, Goldwyn, Triangle, C. K. Young, Louise Glaum. Associated Exhibitors, .American Releasing Corp., Douglas Fairbanks, Paramount, Fox, First National, M-G-M, 20th Century-Fox; was with RKO as producer-director; directed for Edward Small-U. A.; now under contract to Republic. Reeves '^^Rreezy" Eason b. Fryars Point, Miss., 1891; educ. California; in produce business; stock and vaudeville; directed for American Film Co., Norwood Productions, Universal, Fox, M-G-M, Waldorf, Mascot; has made over 200 films; was with Warner Bros.; now free lancing. Robert Elwyn b. Woodstock, N. Y., Feb. 18, 1913; attended New York School of Theater; managing director of Playhouse in Woodstock which he built and oper ated; directed New York stage plays; director of radio shows; later joined M-G-M as a director of short subjects. Robert Emmett Directed "Song of Old Wyommg," "The Caravan Trail," "Romance of the West" for PRC. Cyril Endfield b. 1917; educ. Yale University; after college went to New York to take up the study of theater at the New Theater School, finishing a two-year course at the school; became a teacher instructing acting, makeup, and body movement; in 1937, directed Summer theater in upper New York state; went to Montreal to direct a community theater there and also produced several successful plays; returned to New York, and then to Hollywood; signed by M-G-M to direct shorts; enlisted in the Army and served two years in the Signal Corps; returned to M-G-M where he directed several of the "Passing Parade" shorts; has written several radio plays; wrote the first in the 'Joe Palooka" series for Monogram; wrote and directed the second in the series; for Monogram, wrote and acted as associate producer on "Mr. Hex"; wrote and directed "Stork Bites Man" for Buddy Rogers and Ralph Cohn's Comet Productions. John English b. Cumberland, England; educ. Canada; from 1942 has directed many Republic Westerns; in 1944, 1945 and 1946, has been directing features, among them being "The Port of Forty Thieves," "San Fernando Valley," "Behind City Lights," "Call of the South Seas," "Don't Fence Me In," "Murder in the Music Hall"; directed "The Strawberry Roan," a Gene Autry Production for Columbia. Ray Enright b. Anderson, Ind., 1898; educ. Los .\ngeles high school; assistant cutter at .Mack Sennett studio; in Signal Corps during World War I; cutter for Warner Bros., then a director; has directed over 75 pictures; was with Warners, Universal, RKO and Columbia; directed ".Albuquerque," Pine-Thomas Production for Paramount; now back at RKO. Chester Ershine b. Hudson, N. Y., Nov. 29, 1905; educ. for the law at Union University, in Schenectady, N. Y.; abandoned bar after a brief period of practice, for the theater; studied at American Academy of Dramatic Arts and then became an actor in the New York thealer; on the side he wrote one-act plays which were produced in vaudeville; directed his first play at age of 24, "Harlem"; from here on directed, wrote and produced plays both in this country and abroad for many years; at one time was head of Charles Frohman, Inc., and also served as director for the Theater Guild, and the Erlanger and Shubert interests; in 1944, was engaged by M-G-M to write screenplay for his original story which they had purchased, and which was subsequently released under the title of "The Sailor Takes a Wife"; joined Universal-International where he co produced and collaborated on and directed "The Egg and I," his first picture; now preparing "All My Sons," critics' Prize Play for 1947. Alexander Esway Directed "Steppin' in .Society" for Republic. John Farrow Author, historian, scenarist, director; b. Australia; educ. Australia and England; wrote several screenplays in Hollywood; turned to directing; in 1939 joined Royal Canadian Navy, rose to rank of commander; following his discharge directed "Wake Island" and "Two Years Before the Mast" for Paramount; wrote papal history, "Pageant of the Popes"; awarded Grand Cross of the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre Ijy Pope Pius; directed "The Big Clock," "Calcutta," and "California"; married to Maureen O'Sullivan. Felix Feist Was in charge of tests at M-G-M Studios; also wrote and directed short subjects for M-G-M; joined Universal in 1943 as a feature director, and his first was "AM By Myself"; directed several features for Universal, and in 1945 joined RKO Radio as a director; directed "The Devil Thumbs a Ride" and "George White's Scandals." Leslie Fenton b. Liverpool, England, March 12; with his family moved to Ohio; after scliool went to New York and did stock and legit stage appearances; appeared in Hollywood films; directed shorts for M-G-M; directed M-G-M features; now in war service in England; returned to the United States in 1943; under contract to Lester Cowan; directed "Tomorrow the World," "Pardon My Past," "Saigon"; now directing "Whispering Smith" at Paramount. Melchor (Mel) Ferrer b. Elberon, New Jersey, Aug. 25, 1917; educ. Princeton University; won a play writing award at Princeton; played the lead in "Strange Fruit," Broadway production; directed the original production of "Cyrano de Bergerac"; worked for four years as a producer-director in New York radio; between winter appearances on Broadvvay put in six summers at Dennis, Westport and Ann Arbor, summer theatres; is a permanent director of Actors Co., which made its debut at La Jolla, California, July 15, 1947; =s under contract to David O. Selznick, who has loaned him to Howard Hugnes to direct "Vandetta"; was with John Ford in Mexico during the filming of "The Fugitive," an experience he considers invaluable; while in Mexico dircted "Angel Street" and "Boy Meets Girl" for the play festival; has published one children's book, "Tito's Hat," and now is halfway through a novel. Edward Finney b. New York City; educ. at St. Ann's Academy and College of the City of New York; engineer for Western Electric; property man for C. C. Burr on the Johnny Hines series; for three years was press sheet editor for M-GM; sales production manager, Associ A Section of THE FILM DAILY— Pictures of Tomorrow and Directors' Number 135