William Witney

Directing

William Witney

Born — Died

1915-05-15 — 2002-03-17

Place of birth

Lawton, Oklahoma, USA

Known for

Directing

Credits

46 titles

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Nuelsen Witney (15 May 1915 – 17 March 2002) was an American film and television director. He is best remembered for the movie serials he co-directed with John English for Republic Pictures such as Daredevils of the Red Circle, Zorro's Fighting Legion and Drums of Fu Manchu. He directed many Westerns during his career, and is credited with devising the modern system of filming movie fight sequences in a series of carefully choreographed shots, which he patterned after the musical sequences of American director Busby Berkeley.[1] Prolific and pugnacious, Witney began directing while still in his 20s, and continued until 1982. Quentin Tarantin…

Known for

Film credits

1990s · 3 titles

Behind the camera

Master of the World poster
6.0

A mad genius tries to bomb the world into peace.

Master of the World

1961

Apache Rifles poster
6.0

A young cavalry officer is assigned the job of bringing in a band of Apaches who have been terrorizing the countryside.

Apache Rifles

1964

I Escaped from Devil's Island poster
5.1

In 1916, a group of prisoners plot their escape from the notorious fortress located in French Guiana.

I Escaped from Devil's Island

1973

Spy Smasher poster
6.1

Prior to the United States' involvement in World War II, the masked vigilante Spy Smasher fights Nazi agents operating within the US, led by the treacherous sabotage leader codenamed The Mask.

Spy Smasher

1942

Adventures of Captain Marvel poster
6.4

On a scientific expedition to Siam young Billy Batson is given the ability to change himself into the super-powered Captain Marvel by the wizard Shazam, who tells him his powers will last only as long as the Golden Scorpion idol is threatened. Finding the idol, the scientists realize it could be the most powerful weapon in the world and remove the lenses that energize it, distributing them among themselves so that no one would be able to use the idol by himself. Back in the US, Billy Batson, as Captain Marvel, wages a battle against an evil, hooded figure, the Scorpion, who hopes to accumulate all five lenses, thereby gaining control of the super-powerful weapon

Adventures of Captain Marvel

1941

Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc. poster
6.8

Dick Tracy goes up against a villain known as The Ghost, who can turn himself invisible.

Dick Tracy vs. Crime Inc.

1941

Mysterious Doctor Satan poster
6.0

A mad scientist named Dr. Satan plots to steal key pieces of technology to enable him to build an army of robots based on his prototype to conquer America. The only one standing in his way is Bob Wayne, who fights Satan as the enigmatic Copperhead. Mysterious Doctor Satan is a 1940 film serial named after its chief villain. Doctor Satan's main opponent is the masked mystery man, "The Copperhead", whose secret identity is Bob Wayne, a man searching for justice and revenge on Satan for the death of his step-father. The serial charts the conflict between the two as Bob Wayne pursues Doctor Satan, while the latter completes his plans for world domination.

Mysterious Doctor Satan

1940

40 Guns to Apache Pass poster
5.3

The Apaches are on the warpath and the Army must defend them. Murphy's mission is to get a shipment of rifles, but it's stolen by greedy white traders with the help of mutinous soldiers

40 Guns to Apache Pass

1967

Dick Tracy's G-Men poster
5.2

A mad doctor named Zanoff uses a drug to bring himself back from the dead after his execution in prison. Dick Tracy sets out to capture Zanoff before he can put his criminal gang back together again.

Dick Tracy's G-Men

1939

The Outcast poster
6.7

Thanks to the chicanery of his crooked uncle Major Cosgrave, Jet has been cheated out of his father's property and branded a pariah. He spends the rest of the film trying to regain his birthright and clear his name. The two women in Jet's life are Judy Polsen, who chases him for so long that he finally catches her, and Alice Austin, Major Cosgrave's fianee.

The Outcast

1954

Juvenile Jungle poster
7.4

Planned kidnapping goes awry when gang leader falls for the victim.

Juvenile Jungle

1958

The Lone Ranger Rides Again poster
7.3

Homesteaders are moving into the valley settled many years ago by rancher Craig Dolan. He wants to keep them out by legal means but his nephew Bart brings in outlaws to drive them out. The Lone Ranger is on hand to help the homesteaders battle Bart's men as he overcomes traps, ambushes, burning buildings and other obstacles in his attempt to bring peace to the valley.

The Lone Ranger Rides Again

1939

Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion poster
6.3

In this exciting jungle adventure the esteemed archaeologist, Dr Singleton, and his daughter, Mary, travel to mystical Africa in search of an ancient artifact: the fabled Blue Stone of Heaven. Imbued with the unfathomable power to bestow its holder with immense strength, the statuette attracts corrupt Colonel Tatakombi, who, blind with greed, intends to spark an uprising, and turn the natives against Tarzan. Can mighty Tarzan avert the jungle rebellion?

Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion

1967

Pals of the Golden West poster
7.5

US Border Patrolman Roy Rogers is assigned to prevent a herd of diseased cattle from crossing over from Mexico.

Pals of the Golden West

1951

Daredevils of the Red Circle poster
4.8

Escaped Prisoner 39013 impersonates the rich and influential Horace Granville, allowing him to create a variety of disasters. Fortunately, he is thwarted repeatedly by three daring circus daredevils.

Daredevils of the Red Circle

1939

Drums of Fu Manchu poster
6.2

The nefarious Dr. Fu Manchu searches for the keys to the tomb of Genghis Khan, in order to fulfill a prophecy that will enable him to conquer the world. His nemesi, Dr. Nayland Smith and his associates fight to keep the evil doctor from getting his hands on the keys. In 1943 the serial was edited together into a feature movie also called Drums of Fu Manchu.

Drums of Fu Manchu

1940

Susanna Pass poster
7.7

The bad guys dynamite a fish hatchery. They're trying to put the hatchery out of business so they can get possession of oil underneath the lake. Roy is a game warden investigating the dynamiting.

Susanna Pass

1949

SOS Coast Guard poster
5.1

An internationally-notorious criminal scientist returns to the US to sell his latest invention, a disintegrating gas, to a foreign power. When he arrives, however, he is spotted by a young Coast Guard man, whom he kills - and thus earns the enmity of the entire US Coast Guard, but especially the murdered Guardsman's older brother who, together with his reporter-girlfriend and her comical photographer, vigorously sets to tracking him down and interfering with his plans to develop the city-melting gas in quantity. A Republic Serial in 12 Chapters.

SOS Coast Guard

1937

Stranger at My Door poster
6.8

Notorious outlaw Clay Anderson and gang rob the town bank and flee in separate directions. Riding hard, Clay's horse goes lame and he is forced to pull-up at a nearby farm. He soon discovers that the place belongs to local preacher Hollis Jarret, his new wife, and a son from a previous marriage. Clay, posing as a weary traveler, tries to insinuate himself into a secure hideout, but the reverend isn't fooled. He agrees to allow Clay to remain at the farm for a few days, but his motive isn't the preservation of his family's safety. Hollis reasons that, with time, patience and a lot of faith, he can convince the outlaw to turn over a new leaf. But Clay's criminal tendencies may run deeper than the preacher had imagined

Stranger at My Door

1956

Zorro's Fighting Legion poster
5.4

The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, plans to take over the gold and become Emperor. Francisco was put in charge of a legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the land, but when attacked Zorro came to his rescue. Francisco's partner recognized Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega, then ask him to take over the fighting legion as his alter-ego Zorro.

Zorro's Fighting Legion

1939

Arizona Raiders poster
6.4

Murphy plays an ex-Quantrill's Raider who's released from jail with buddy Cooper to be deputized as Arizona Rangers in order to hunt down the remnant of the gang, rumored to he hiding out in a town "neer dee border" in the words of the loose-lipped saloon dancer. The goons are found hiding in an Indian mission. Murphy and Cooper pretend to want to rejoin the gang, but the bad guys catch on and brutally beat Cooper, who protects Murphy's true sentiments to the death.

Arizona Raiders

1965

The Fighting Devil Dogs poster
6.8

Two marine lieutenants battle a masked would-be world conqueror who uses electricity as a weapon.

The Fighting Devil Dogs

1938

Hawk of the Wilderness poster
7.0

An expedition arrives on an uncharted jungle island to rescue the local natives, led by a jungle boy, from a volcano that is about to erupt.

Hawk of the Wilderness

1938

Old Overland Trail poster
7.0

Anchor is building a railroad and to get cheap labor he gets Black Hawk's Indians to attack and burn the incoming wagon train. This forces the settlers to work for Anchor and he pays them in devalued scrip. When Rex figures out Anchor's swindle, Anchor gets Black Hawk to capture him. When Anchor turns on Black Hawk and shoots him, Black Hawk gets a chance to repay a debt to Rex.

Old Overland Trail

1953

North of the Great Divide poster
8.0

An Indian agent comes to the rescue when a local tribe's fishing rights are threatened by a greedy cannery owner.

North of the Great Divide

1950

The Girls on the Beach poster
4.4

The girls of Alpha Beta need to raise $10,000 in two weeks to save the sorority house. Among their schemes to raise the funds are a beauty contest, a newspaper puzzle, and a baking contest. But when three guys hit the beach with love on their minds, bragging that they know the Beatles, the girls plan a concert with the Fab Four as the main attraction.

The Girls on the Beach

1965

Panama Sal poster
8.0

The story finds Sal Regan singing and dancing for her supper in a low-class Panamanian dive. Wealthy Dennis P. Dennis takes a liking to Sal, and decides to do the "My Fair Lady" bit. He takes the girl back to the States, where, after teaching her the social graces, he makes her famous as a high-toned supper club songstress. Along the way, Dennis falls in love with Sal, much to the dismay of his wealthy pals, who try to break up the romance.

Panama Sal

1957

Trail of Robin Hood poster
6.3

Retired actor Jack Holt is raising Christmas trees for sale at a cost which permits every family to have one. A commercial tree company tries to drive Holt out of business. Roy saves the day, of course.

Trail of Robin Hood

1950

Apache Rose poster
6.2

Roy is an oil prospector. His efforts to get drilling rights on an old Spanish land grant are countered by gamblers from an off-shore gambling boat determined to control the land (and oil) themselves.

Apache Rose

1947

Zorro Rides Again poster
7.5

The California-Yucatan Railroad, being built for the good of Mexico, is under siege by a gang of terrorists hoping to force its sale; no one can prove their connection to profiteer Marsden. Manuel Vega, aged co-owner, calls in the aid of his nephew James, great-grandson of the original Zorro. Alas, James seems more adept at golf than derring-do; but after he arrives, Zorro rides again! Can one black-clad man on horseback defeat a gang supplied with airplanes and machine guns?

Zorro Rides Again

1937

Sunset in the West poster
7.4

Deputy sheriff Roy helps an elderly peacekeeper stop gunrunners who smuggle their weapons via the railroad.

Sunset in the West

1950

The Bonnie Parker Story poster
5.0

In the 1930s, amoral blonde tommy-gun girl Bonnie Parker cut a swath of bodies across the South-West. Starting out on gas stations and bars with side-kick Guy Darrow she graduated to bank hold-ups with Darrow's brother and, after bloodily springing him, her jailed husband. But there was never any doubt who was in charge.

The Bonnie Parker Story

1958

Border Saddlemates poster
6.5

Rex Allen ('Rex Allen'), a U. S. government veterinarian, rides into the picturesque town of Pine Rock, near the Canadian border, to take the place of the regular vet who is on vacation. Used to doctoring animals in Texas, Allen finds out that herein the heart of the fox-farming industry, he is to doctor the most finicky and high-priced of fur on four feet. On the farm of Mel Richards (Tom London), Allen learns the habits of the valuable creatures from Richard's niece, Jane (Mary Ellen Kay, and her ten-year-old brother Danny (Jimmy Moss'), and on his own learns that the trusted owner of the trading post, Steve Baxter (Roy Barcroft) heads a gang that is smuggling counterfeit money across the American/Canadian border in the fox cages.

Border Saddlemates

1952

Bells of San Angelo poster
4.5

Gridley is mining silver from an old Mexican mine and bringing it into the USA thru a passage into his worthless mine. Border guard Rogers suspects Gridley and finally finds the secret entrance to the Mexican mine. He sends Lee Madison for help only to have her captured by Gridley. Trigger brings help that takes care of Gridley's men and now Roy has to rescue Madison.

Bells of San Angelo

1947

Darktown Strutters poster
4.9

When a prominent abortion clinic owner goes missing along with a string of other black community leaders, her singing daughter and her fellow female biker gang members investigate.

Darktown Strutters

1975

Bonanza: Ride the Wind poster
7.4

The Pony Express opens up an office in Virginia City. Despite being an investor, Ben objects to Joe signing up as a rider. Adding to his concerns, the Paiute Indians don't want the Pony Express riding across their land, and the manager's assistant, Curtis Wade, is itching to make a name for himself as an Indian fighter. The international theatrical release of the 1966 William Witney feature cowboy western movie made from two 1966 episodes of the television series "Bonanza", entitled "Ride the Wind"

Bonanza: Ride the Wind

1966

The Crimson Ghost poster
5.3

A criminal mastermind known as The Crimson Ghost is out to steal a device called the Cyclotrode, which can short-circuit all electrical current on the planet.

The Crimson Ghost

1946

Roll on Texas Moon poster
6.2

To get the Delaney ranch Cole's henchman Anders has started a phony range war between the cattlemen and sheepmen. After killing Delaney, he tries to kill his daughter Jill and then Roy who was sent to investigate the war. But the failed attempts gives Roy the information he needs.

Roll on Texas Moon

1946

Down Dakota Way poster
8.3

In Roy Rogers' Down Dakota Way, the deadly hoof-and-mouth disease has struck the herd owned by evil rancher H. T. McKenzie (Roy Barcroft). To avoid an expensive quarantine on his stock, McKenzie plans to murder the local veterinarian (Emmet Vogan) before the latter can report his findings to the government. Rogers manages to straighten out the situation by appealing to the sensibilities of the aunt (Elizabeth Risdon) of McKenzie's hotheaded hired assassin (Byron Barr). The film also bears several musical numbers from Roy, Dale Evans, and Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage.

Down Dakota Way

1949

G-men vs. the Black Dragon poster
6.7

Japanese spies attempt to subvert America's war effort; G-Men attempt to thwart their plot.

G-men vs. the Black Dragon

1943