William Beaudine

Directing

William Beaudine

Born 1892-01-14 · New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia William Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) 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. 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 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. Beaudine died of uremic poisoning in 1970 in California and was interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood.

Acting credits

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies poster
8.0

Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and writers and other people who made life in this business, interspersing images of famous movies.

The First 100 Years: A Celebration of American Movies

1995

To Save Her Soul poster
5.2

Agnes, a singer in a country church, is practicing one day when a vaudeville manager hears her and offers her a job. Over the objections of the curate who loves her, she accepts the offer and goes to the city. Later the curate goes to hear Agnes perform and, fearing that her soul is being corrupted by show business, he asks her to return to the small town with him. When she refuses, he is prepared to kill her in order to protect the purity of her soul. This brings about her change of heart, and together they return to the little church.

To Save Her Soul

1909

No artwork available
8.0

To be a fond and devoted parent, and to be unable to play with the heaven of your heart is indeed a cruel decree. That was the case of Papa Binks, but he outwitted Mrs. Binks and the nurse in a very effective, yet unostentatious manner, while he and the baby had the time of their lives.

Papa's Baby

1913

Forgotten Women poster
8.0

Acting on a tip from former stage actress Fern Madden, who is now working as a movie extra, Jimmy Burke, a Hollywood reporter, publishes an article revealing an independent film producer to have mob connections. As a result of the story, Jimmy becomes city editor.

Forgotten Women

1931

No artwork available
3.8

A Baron attempts to sell Mack Sennett and William Beaudine on the idea of casting his new prodigy in one of their films.

Movie-Town

1931

Fools of Fate poster
4.4

Fanny is the wife of Ben Webster, a trapper, and while he is an affectionate and dutiful husband, she yearns for something which appears better than her lot. She reasons: "Have I not youth and beauty and attainments far above this environment? Why should I be compelled to toil and struggle in this wilderness?"

Fools of Fate

1909

D.W. Griffith: An American Genius poster
NR

A penetrating documentary of a legendary filmmaker, narrated by the renowned film critic Richard Schickel. Excerpted works include “Birth of a Nation”, the dramatic fire scene in “Way Down East”, and the epic spectacle of “Intolerance”. The gifted and intuitive Griffith was more concerned with ideas and stories of his own choosing rather than box office draws.

D.W. Griffith: An American Genius

1975

The Tenderfoot's Money poster
9.0

The tenderfoot came into camp with his ill-gotten money intending to purchase a claim. The faker salted a claim, hoping thereby to secure the money. But the gambler got ahead of him through cheating at cards. Later the tenderfoot sought to regain his money and in the struggle it fell into worthier hands.

The Tenderfoot's Money

1913

The Engagement Ring poster
4.0

Alice has two persistent suitors, one rich, one poor. Each buys her an engagement ring; the rich man pays cash, but the poor man must pay on installments. He has trouble making the payments, but then he's injured in an auto accident and the settlement allows him to pay off the ring and propose to Alice.

The Engagement Ring

1912

Hot Stuff poster
4.2

Hank (Mack Sennett) loses his girl (Mabel Normand) to another guy (Dell Henderson) so he decides to get even with some hot sauce.

Hot Stuff

1912

Behind the camera

Mr. Celebrity poster
7.0

A couple attempts to win custody of their orphaned grandson, who's being raised by his veterinarian uncle in a racetrack environment.

Mr. Celebrity

1941

Her Bodyguard poster
6.7

The "sugar daddy" of a Broadway star hires a bodyguard to protect her from thieves out to steal the jewels he's given her and also from the attentions of other men, most notably the producer of the show in which she's starring. However, soon the bodyguard and the star begin to become attracted to each other.

Her Bodyguard

1933

The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris poster
8.0

The Jewish Nate Cohen and the Irish-Catholic Patrick Kelly are business partners who are constantly fighting. When they find out that Nate's daughter Sadye and Patrick's son Pat Jr. are getting married in Paris, the two and their wives take an ocean liner to France to stop the marriage. When they get there, they find that the situation has radically changed, and not for the better.

The Cohens and the Kellys in Paris

1928

The Shanghai Chest poster
6.6

Charlie attempts to solve a triple murder in which a dead man's finger prints show up at all three murder sites, and all three victims were connected with the conviction and execution of an evidently innocent man.

The Shanghai Chest

1948

Jail Busters poster
6.7

Slip and Sach go to prison to help a reporter with a story.

Jail Busters

1955

Yukon Gold poster
5.0

In this Yukon adventure, a gold mining community is rocked by a murder. A Mountie investigates and encounters a female gambler. Action ensues, but justice prevails.

Yukon Gold

1952

Lassie: Peace Is Our Profession poster
6.0

A two-part episode of the original Lassie television series (that aired in 1971) made into a single TV-movie.

Lassie: Peace Is Our Profession

1972

Little Annie Rooney poster
7.1

A feisty little girl, the daughter of a beat cop, faces the challenges of growing up in a tough city neighborhood.

Little Annie Rooney

1925

The Irresistible Lover poster
8.0

J. Harrison Gray, a wealthy playboy and notorious womanizer, finally decides to find the "right" girl and settle down. He finds the right girl, Betty, who is a policeman's daughter. However, in his pursuit of her he is hit by a car, knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital, where a steady stream of ex-girlfriends visits to "take care" of him--which doesn't leave a particularly good impression on the woman he really loves.

The Irresistible Lover

1927

The Chinese Ring poster
5.2

Soon after a Chinese princess comes to the US to buy planes for her people, she is murdered by a poison dart fired by an air rifle.

The Chinese Ring

1947

Ten Who Dared poster
6.0

The John Wesley Powell expedition of 1869 explores the dangerous Colorado River, withstands internal dissension, and finally discovers the Grand Canyon.

Ten Who Dared

1960

Gallant Lady poster
6.5

A female doctor is sent to prison for a mercy killing. She manages to escape, get married and lead a model life, but one day her secret is exposed.

Gallant Lady

1942

Rodeo poster
7.0

Nancy Cartwright is determined to collect an $1,800 feed bill owed to her father Harry Cartwright by a rodeo association. Instead, she is talked into assuming management of the rodeo by Slim Martin and the other performers when they learn the promoter has run off with the cash receipts.

Rodeo

1952

Jalopy poster
5.3

Slip has entered the Boys' rattletrap car in a souped-up jalopy race, but has no chance of winning until Satch, with the aid of a scientist acquaintance, comes up with a chemical concoction that acts as a super-fuel; but a rival entrant in the race learns of this and tries to get the formula for himself.

Jalopy

1953

Feudin' Fools poster
5.5

Sach learns that he has inherited a farm in rural hillbilly country, and when he and the Boys arrive there, they find themselves mixed up with a hillbilly clan named Smith who'll shoot anybody named Jones, plus a gang of bank robbers.

Feudin' Fools

1952

The Green Hornet poster
6.7

After the superstardom and early death of Bruce Lee, 20th Century Fox decided to cobble together a couple of theatrical feature films from this property, of which this 1974 effort is the first. The bulk of the film consists of four episodes crudely spliced together. Scattered throughout are bizarrely irrelevant fight scenes from other episodes, which make the already disjointed plotting quite surreal. The television image was cropped to make a widescreen film, which means the tops of heads and hats are lopped off the frame with alarming regularity.

The Green Hornet

1974

Federal Fugitives poster
6.3

A government agent goes undercover in order to apprehend a saboteur who caused a plane crash.

Federal Fugitives

1941

Voodoo Man poster
5.0

After several female motorists begin disappearing en route to Twin Falls, a Hollywood screenwriter and the cousin of his bride-to-be discover that they've all been abducted by the mysterious Dr. Marlowe, who is attempting to resurrect his dead wife.

Voodoo Man

1944

The Crime of the Century poster
6.7

Driven to desperation by his young and extravagant wife, alienist Dr. Emil Brandt has arranged a perfect crime; now he begs the police to lock him up before he can commit it.

The Crime of the Century

1933

Penrod and Sam poster
7.5

Penrod and his gang don't want to let neighborhood "goodie-goodie" Georgie Bassett into their club, but Penrod's father pressures him to allow the boy in because his parents are wealthy and prominent members of the town. Finally the boys agree to let Georgie join, but first they demand that he undergo an "initiation", and they're determined to make it one that Georgie won't soon forget.

Penrod and Sam

1923

How Baxter Butted In poster
10.0

Poor Henry Baxter, a lowly clerk in a newspaper office, is in love with Beulah, the beautiful office stenographer, but Beulah barely knows he exists. As if Henry's unrequited love isn't bad enough, he has to put up with office manager Higgins, a devious bully who is Henry's constant nemesis. Unable to win the lovely Beulah on his own, Henry resorts to flights of fantasy where he gets to play the hero, win Beulah and vanquish the evil Higgins.

How Baxter Butted In

1925

No artwork available
5.0

Jimmy, who buys everything on the Easy Payment plan, wants to marry Betty, whose dad believes Cash Is King.

Easy Payments

1919

Wedding Rings poster
8.0

Two sisters battle for the love of a man.

Wedding Rings

1929

No artwork available
10.0

Mary Bishop, a clerk in a jewelry store, finds out that her ex-boyfriend Fred Garrison, who left town to make his fortune, is coming back and wants to see her. Having heard that Fred has married a wealthy society girl and is quite rich, Mary borrows some jewelry from the store, dresses up in her finest and when she sees Fred, tells him that she has married the richest man in town and is now quite well-off. Complications ensue.

Her Fatal Millions

1923