William Beaudine began his tenure in film as an assistant to the
legendary D. W. Griffith. At the height of his career, Beaudine worked
for every major studio and directed many greats of the silent era
including Mabel Normand, George Sidney, Laura LaPlante, and Tom Mix.
When Mary Pickford returned to the screen after a year-long hiatus, she
chose Beaudine to direct her comeback film, Little Annie Rooney.
Beaudine's career continued through the sound era and well into golden
age of television and beyond, where he worked on such programs as The
Green Hornet and Lassie. In his unsurpassed employment of 60 years in
the business, Beaudine racked up more than 500 films and in excess of
350 television programs. Until his death at age 78, he was the oldest
active director in the business. Just before he died, The Canadian, his
1926 film starring Thomas Meighan, was acknowledged as one of the best
films of the pre-sound era and received the Film Critics Award of the
New York Arts Institute. In this detailed biography, author Wendy
Marshall chronicles Beaudine's swift rise through the ranks, his triumph
as one of the most successful directors of British comedies, his
accumulation and loss of personal fortunes, his fall from fame, and his
prolific work in television. Marshall corrects much misinformation that
has been written about the director and has compiled the most complete
list of his directorial credits to date. This volume will serve as the
ultimate authority on William Beaudine's life and career.
