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Gordon Douglas (director)

November 28, 2023

Gordon Douglas Brickner (December 15, 1907 – September 29, 1993) was an American film director and actor, who directed many different genres of films over the course of a five-decade career in motion pictures.

Gordon Douglas
Born
Gordon Douglas Brickner

(1907-12-15)December 15, 1907
New York City, U.S.
DiedSeptember 29, 1993(1993-09-29) (aged 85)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Film director
  • actor
Years active1930–1977
SpouseJulia Mack
Children2

Early life edit

Born Gordon Douglas Brickner in New York City, he began his career as a child actor, appearing in some films directed by Maurice Costello. He also worked at MGM as a book-keeper.[1]

Career edit

Hal Roach and Our Gang edit

As a teenager, Douglas got a job at the Hal Roach Studios, working in the office and appearing in bit parts in various Hal Roach films. He made walk-on appearances in at least three Our Gang shorts: Teacher's Pet (1930), Big Ears (1931) and Birthday Blues (1932).

By 1934, Douglas was assistant to director Gus Meins and served as assistant director on Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's 1934 film Babes in Toyland and on the Our Gang comedies made between 1934 and mid-1936.

Beginning with Bored of Education in 1936, Our Gang moved from two-reel (20-minute) comedies to one-reel (10-minute) comedies, and Douglas became the senior director of the series. Bored of Education won the 1936 Academy Award for Live Action Short Film,[2] and was the only Our Gang entry ever honored with the award. Douglas remained with the series as director for two years.

His Our Gang shorts, featuring Spanky, Alfalfa, Darla, Porky, Buckwheat, Waldo, Butch and Woim, are the most familiar in the series’ 22-year canon.

Douglas worked on the Our Gang feature General Spanky (1936). His shorts included Spooky Hooky (1936) and Pay as You Exit (1936).

Roach sold the Our Gang unit to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in May 1938. Douglas directed two MGM Our Gangs on loan from Roach, The Little Ranger (1938) and Aladdin's Lantern (1938) before deciding that he could not get used to the more industrialized atmosphere at the larger studio.

Returning to his home studio, Douglas directed the feature Zenobia (1939) with Oliver Hardy teamed with Harry Langdon instead of Stan Laurel; it was a box office disappointment. Laurel and Hardy were reunited for Douglas' next film, Saps at Sea (1940) (Laurel and Hardy's last film produced by the Hal Roach Studio)[2] which was followed by All-American Co-Ed with former Our Gang member Johnny Downs (and Langdon).

Douglas next helmed Niagara Falls (1941), one of Hal Roach's Streamliners, a series of short features less than 50 minutes, and he co-wrote and directed Roach’s’’ feature Broadway Limited (1941) and provided the story for Topper Returns (1941). His last effort for Roach was the featurette The Devil with Hitler (1942). He might have stayed with Roach indefinitely, but Roach turned his studio over to the U.S. Army for the production of wartime training films.

RKO Films edit

Douglas moved over to RKO Pictures. He made a series of low budget comedies including The Great Gildersleeve (1942), based on the radio show; and its sequel Gildersleeve on Broadway (1943), Gildersleeve's Bad Day (1943) and Gildersleeve's Ghost (1944). He also helmed The Falcon in Hollywood (1944), Girl Rush (1944), A Night of Adventure (1944) and First Yank into Tokyo (1945).

He made Zombies on Broadway (1945) with the comedy team of Brown and Carney, then San Quentin (1946), Dick Tracy vs. Cueball (1946) and If You Knew Susie (1948).

Columbia Films edit

In 1948, Douglas migrated from RKO to producer Edward Small who had a releasing deal with Columbia Pictures. For Small, he made Walk a Crooked Mile (1948) and The Black Arrow (1948).

Columbia used Douglas on Mr. Soft Touch (1949), Between Midnight and Dawn (1950), Rogues of Sherwood Forest (1950), Fortunes of Captain Blood (1950) and The Nevadan (1950). They loaned him to British Lion to make State Secret (1950) in England.

Cagney Productions and Warner Bros. edit

James Cagney was making a film for Warner Bros., Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) with his brother William, and they hired Douglas to direct. Douglas signed long-term deals with Cagney Productions and Warners.

In May 1950, Douglas signed a non exclusive two-picture deal with Paramount.[3] The first of these was The Great Missouri Raid (1951). He was meant to make a second film for Paramount but they released him so Cagney could use him again on Only the Valiant (1951) a Western with Gregory Peck.[4]

Douglas went on to establish himself as one of Warners' leading directors of the 1950s, working in all genres: I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951); Come Fill the Cup (1951), produced by Cagney starring James Cagney; The Iron Mistress (1952) a biopic of Jim Bowie starring Alan Ladd; Mara Maru (1952), an adventure story with Errol Flynn; So This Is Love (1953), a musical biopic of Grace Moore; The Charge at Feather River (1954), a 3D Western; She's Back on Broadway (1953), a musical; Them! (1954), a science fiction film about giant ants; Young at Heart (1955), with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra; Sincerely Yours (1955) with Liberace; The McConnell Story (1955), a biopic of Joseph C. McConnell with Alan Ladd; Santiago (1956) with Ladd; Bombers B-52 (1957) and The Big Land (1957), a Western with Ladd.

His three low-budget westerns starring Clint Walker – Fort Dobbs (1958), Yellowstone Kelly (1959) and Gold of the Seven Saints (1961, from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett originally commissioned by Howard Hawks) – have been compared to Budd Boetticher's contemporary minimalist westerns with Randolph Scott.[5]

He did The Fiend Who Walked the West (1958) at 20th Century Fox and Up Periscope (1959) for Warners.

He had a hit with Claudelle Inglish (1961) and The Sins of Rachel Cade (1961).

Freelance director edit

Douglas directed Elvis Presley in the comedy Follow That Dream (1962) made for Mirisch Productions and did Bob Hope's Call Me Bwana (1963) for Eon Productions.

He did a Western at Fox Rio Conchos (1964) then made the heist comedy Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) for Frank Sinatra's company, starring Sinatra.

Douglas made two films starring Carroll Baker, Harlow (1965) and Sylvia (1965).

20th Century Fox edit

For 20th Century Fox Douglas directed Jerry Lewis in the science fiction spoof Way...Way Out (1966), did the remake of Stagecoach (1966) and made In Like Flint (1967) with James Coburn.

Douglas made Tony Rome (1967) with Sinatra at Fox, and the Western Chuka (1967) for star-producer Rod Taylor at Paramount. There were two more with Sinatra at Fox, The Detective (1968) and a sequel to Tony Rome, Lady in Cement (1968).

Later career edit

After the Western Barquero (1970), Douglas did Skullduggery (1970) and directed Sidney Poitier's They Call Me Mister Tibbs! (1970) for the Mirisches. He did some uncredited directing on Skin Game (1971).

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973) was a blaxploitation film and Nevada Smith (1975).

Douglas returned to Warner Bros. for his final film, 1977's Viva Knievel!, in which the stuntman Evel Knievel played himself in a fanciful biography.

Reportedly, Douglas was the only person to ever direct both Elvis and Sinatra on film.[6]

Attempting to explain his prodigious directorial output, Douglas told Bertrand Tavernier, "I have a large family to feed, and it's only occasionally that I find a story that interests me".[6]

Death edit

Douglas died of cancer at the age of 85 on September 29, 1993, in Los Angeles. He was survived by his wife, Julia Mack, and two children.[2]

Filmography edit

Director edit

Actor (selected) edit

References edit

  1. ^ Folkart, Burt A. (October 2, 1993). "Gordon Douglas; Directed 'Our Gang' Films". Los Angeles Times. p. OCA36.
  2. ^ a b c "Gordon Douglas, 85, 'Our Gang' Director (obituary)". The New York Times. October 2, 1993.
  3. ^ "Las Palmas Extends Run of Hart Play". Los Angeles Times. May 7, 1950. p. D3.
  4. ^ "Filmland Briefs". Los Angeles Times. June 27, 1950. p. A7.
  5. ^ Kehr, Dave (August 27, 2010). "On DVD, 'Pandora and the Flying Dutchman'". The New York Times.
  6. ^ a b Kehr, Dave (August 29, 2013). "Film: Video: Portraits of Antisocial Individualism". The New York Times. Retrieved August 31, 2013.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gordon Douglas (director).

November 28, 2023
gordon, douglas, director, gordon, douglas, brickner, december, 1907, september, 1993, american, film, director, actor, directed, many, different, genres, films, over, course, five, decade, career, motion, pictures, gordon, douglasborngordon, douglas, brickner. Gordon Douglas Brickner December 15 1907 September 29 1993 was an American film director and actor who directed many different genres of films over the course of a five decade career in motion pictures Gordon DouglasBornGordon Douglas Brickner 1907 12 15 December 15 1907New York City U S DiedSeptember 29 1993 1993 09 29 aged 85 Los Angeles California U S OccupationsFilm directoractorYears active1930 1977SpouseJulia MackChildren2 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Hal Roach and Our Gang 2 2 RKO Films 2 3 Columbia Films 2 4 Cagney Productions and Warner Bros 2 5 Freelance director 2 6 20th Century Fox 2 7 Later career 2 8 Death 3 Filmography 3 1 Director 3 2 Actor selected 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editBorn Gordon Douglas Brickner in New York City he began his career as a child actor appearing in some films directed by Maurice Costello He also worked at MGM as a book keeper 1 Career editHal Roach and Our Gang edit As a teenager Douglas got a job at the Hal Roach Studios working in the office and appearing in bit parts in various Hal Roach films He made walk on appearances in at least three Our Gang shorts Teacher s Pet 1930 Big Ears 1931 and Birthday Blues 1932 By 1934 Douglas was assistant to director Gus Meins and served as assistant director on Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy s 1934 film Babes in Toyland and on the Our Gang comedies made between 1934 and mid 1936 Beginning with Bored of Education in 1936 Our Gang moved from two reel 20 minute comedies to one reel 10 minute comedies and Douglas became the senior director of the series Bored of Education won the 1936 Academy Award for Live Action Short Film 2 and was the only Our Gang entry ever honored with the award Douglas remained with the series as director for two years His Our Gang shorts featuring Spanky Alfalfa Darla Porky Buckwheat Waldo Butch and Woim are the most familiar in the series 22 year canon Douglas worked on the Our Gang feature General Spanky 1936 His shorts included Spooky Hooky 1936 and Pay as You Exit 1936 Roach sold the Our Gang unit to Metro Goldwyn Mayer in May 1938 Douglas directed two MGM Our Gangs on loan from Roach The Little Ranger 1938 and Aladdin s Lantern 1938 before deciding that he could not get used to the more industrialized atmosphere at the larger studio Returning to his home studio Douglas directed the feature Zenobia 1939 with Oliver Hardy teamed with Harry Langdon instead of Stan Laurel it was a box office disappointment Laurel and Hardy were reunited for Douglas next film Saps at Sea 1940 Laurel and Hardy s last film produced by the Hal Roach Studio 2 which was followed by All American Co Ed with former Our Gang member Johnny Downs and Langdon Douglas next helmed Niagara Falls 1941 one of Hal Roach s Streamliners a series of short features less than 50 minutes and he co wrote and directed Roach s feature Broadway Limited 1941 and provided the story for Topper Returns 1941 His last effort for Roach was the featurette The Devil with Hitler 1942 He might have stayed with Roach indefinitely but Roach turned his studio over to the U S Army for the production of wartime training films RKO Films edit Douglas moved over to RKO Pictures He made a series of low budget comedies including The Great Gildersleeve 1942 based on the radio show and its sequel Gildersleeve on Broadway 1943 Gildersleeve s Bad Day 1943 and Gildersleeve s Ghost 1944 He also helmed The Falcon in Hollywood 1944 Girl Rush 1944 A Night of Adventure 1944 and First Yank into Tokyo 1945 He made Zombies on Broadway 1945 with the comedy team of Brown and Carney then San Quentin 1946 Dick Tracy vs Cueball 1946 and If You Knew Susie 1948 Columbia Films edit In 1948 Douglas migrated from RKO to producer Edward Small who had a releasing deal with Columbia Pictures For Small he made Walk a Crooked Mile 1948 and The Black Arrow 1948 Columbia used Douglas on Mr Soft Touch 1949 Between Midnight and Dawn 1950 Rogues of Sherwood Forest 1950 Fortunes of Captain Blood 1950 and The Nevadan 1950 They loaned him to British Lion to make State Secret 1950 in England Cagney Productions and Warner Bros edit James Cagney was making a film for Warner Bros Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 1950 with his brother William and they hired Douglas to direct Douglas signed long term deals with Cagney Productions and Warners In May 1950 Douglas signed a non exclusive two picture deal with Paramount 3 The first of these was The Great Missouri Raid 1951 He was meant to make a second film for Paramount but they released him so Cagney could use him again on Only the Valiant 1951 a Western with Gregory Peck 4 Douglas went on to establish himself as one of Warners leading directors of the 1950s working in all genres I Was a Communist for the FBI 1951 Come Fill the Cup 1951 produced by Cagney starring James Cagney The Iron Mistress 1952 a biopic of Jim Bowie starring Alan Ladd Mara Maru 1952 an adventure story with Errol Flynn So This Is Love 1953 a musical biopic of Grace Moore The Charge at Feather River 1954 a 3D Western She s Back on Broadway 1953 a musical Them 1954 a science fiction film about giant ants Young at Heart 1955 with Doris Day and Frank Sinatra Sincerely Yours 1955 with Liberace The McConnell Story 1955 a biopic of Joseph C McConnell with Alan Ladd Santiago 1956 with Ladd Bombers B 52 1957 and The Big Land 1957 a Western with Ladd His three low budget westerns starring Clint Walker Fort Dobbs 1958 Yellowstone Kelly 1959 and Gold of the Seven Saints 1961 from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett originally commissioned by Howard Hawks have been compared to Budd Boetticher s contemporary minimalist westerns with Randolph Scott 5 He did The Fiend Who Walked the West 1958 at 20th Century Fox and Up Periscope 1959 for Warners He had a hit with Claudelle Inglish 1961 and The Sins of Rachel Cade 1961 Freelance director edit Douglas directed Elvis Presley in the comedy Follow That Dream 1962 made for Mirisch Productions and did Bob Hope s Call Me Bwana 1963 for Eon Productions He did a Western at Fox Rio Conchos 1964 then made the heist comedy Robin and the 7 Hoods 1964 for Frank Sinatra s company starring Sinatra Douglas made two films starring Carroll Baker Harlow 1965 and Sylvia 1965 20th Century Fox edit For 20th Century Fox Douglas directed Jerry Lewis in the science fiction spoof Way Way Out 1966 did the remake of Stagecoach 1966 and made In Like Flint 1967 with James Coburn Douglas made Tony Rome 1967 with Sinatra at Fox and the Western Chuka 1967 for star producer Rod Taylor at Paramount There were two more with Sinatra at Fox The Detective 1968 and a sequel to Tony Rome Lady in Cement 1968 Later career edit After the Western Barquero 1970 Douglas did Skullduggery 1970 and directed Sidney Poitier s They Call Me Mister Tibbs 1970 for the Mirisches He did some uncredited directing on Skin Game 1971 Slaughter s Big Rip Off 1973 was a blaxploitation film and Nevada Smith 1975 Douglas returned to Warner Bros for his final film 1977 s Viva Knievel in which the stuntman Evel Knievel played himself in a fanciful biography Reportedly Douglas was the only person to ever direct both Elvis and Sinatra on film 6 Attempting to explain his prodigious directorial output Douglas told Bertrand Tavernier I have a large family to feed and it s only occasionally that I find a story that interests me 6 Death edit Douglas died of cancer at the age of 85 on September 29 1993 in Los Angeles He was survived by his wife Julia Mack and two children 2 Filmography editDirector edit The Infernal Triangle 1935 Lucky Beginners 1935 short General Spanky 1936 Spooky Hooky 1936 short Pay As You Exit 1936 short Two Too Young 1936 short Bored of Education 1936 short The Pigskin Palooka 1937 short Framing Youth 1937 short Fishy Tales 1937 short Night n Gales 1937 short Roamin Holiday 1937 short Three Smart Boys 1937 short Rushin Ballet 1937 short Hearts Are Thumps 1937 short Glove Taps 1937 short Our Gang Follies of 1938 1937 short Reunion in Rhythm 1937 short also titled Our Gang Follies in 1937 Aladdin s Lantern 1938 short The Little Ranger 1938 short Hide and Shriek 1938 short Feed em and Weep 1938 short Came the Brawn 1938 short Bear Facts 1938 short Canned Fishing 1938 short Zenobia 1939 also titled Elephants Never Forget Saps at Sea 1940 Niagara Falls 1941 Broadway Limited 1941 The Great Gildersleeve 1942 The Devil with Hitler 1942 Gildersleeve on Broadway 1943 Gildersleeve s Bad Day 1943 The Falcon in Hollywood 1944 Girl Rush 1944 Gildersleeve s Ghost 1944 A Night of Adventure 1944 First Yank into Tokyo 1945 also titled Mask of Fury Zombies on Broadway 1945 San Quentin 1946 Dick Tracy vs Cueball 1946 Walk a Crooked Mile 1948 The Black Arrow 1948 If You Knew Susie 1948 Mr Soft Touch 1949 The Great Manhunt 1949 The Doolins of Oklahoma 1949 Between Midnight and Dawn 1950 Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye 1950 Rogues of Sherwood Forest 1950 Fortunes of Captain Blood 1950 The Nevadan 1950 The Great Missouri Raid 1951 Come Fill the Cup 1951 I Was a Communist for the FBI 1951 Only the Valiant 1951 The Iron Mistress 1952 Mara Maru 1952 So This Is Love 1953 also titled The Grace Moore Story The Charge at Feather River 1953 She s Back on Broadway 1953 Young at Heart 1954 Them 1954 Sincerely Yours 1955 The McConnell Story 1955 Santiago 1956 Bombers B 52 1957 Stampeded 1957 No Sleep Til Dawn 1957 The Big Land 1957 The Fiend Who Walked the West 1958 Fort Dobbs 1958 Yellowstone Kelly 1959 Up Periscope 1959 The Miracle 1959 battle scenes Claudelle Inglish 1961 also titled Young and Eager Gold of the Seven Saints 1961 The Sins of Rachel Cade 1961 Follow that Dream 1962 Call Me Bwana 1963 Rio Conchos 1964 Robin and the 7 Hoods 1964 Sylvia 1965 Harlow 1965 Way Way Out 1966 Stagecoach 1966 Tony Rome 1967 Chuka 1967 In Like Flint 1967 The Detective 1968 Lady in Cement 1968 Barquero 1970 They Call Me Mister Tibbs 1970 Skullduggery 1970 Skin Game 1971 uncredited Slaughter s Big Rip Off 1973 Nevada Smith 1975 Viva Knievel 1977 Actor selected edit Pardon Us 1931 Typist uncredited One Good Turn 1931 Community Player uncredited The Mystery of Edwin Drood 1935 Coroner uncredited References edit Folkart Burt A October 2 1993 Gordon Douglas Directed Our Gang Films Los Angeles Times p OCA36 a b c Gordon Douglas 85 Our Gang Director obituary The New York Times October 2 1993 Las Palmas Extends Run of Hart Play Los Angeles Times May 7 1950 p D3 Filmland Briefs Los Angeles Times June 27 1950 p A7 Kehr Dave August 27 2010 On DVD Pandora and the Flying Dutchman The New York Times a b Kehr Dave August 29 2013 Film Video Portraits of Antisocial Individualism The New York Times Retrieved August 31 2013 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gordon Douglas director Gordon Douglas at IMDb Gordon Douglas at the TCM Movie Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gordon Douglas director amp oldid 1128615650, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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