Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter.

Early life

Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Ontario, Canada, Dwan, was the younger son of commercial traveler of woolen clothing Joseph Michael Dwan (1857–1917) and his wife Mary Jane Dwan, née Hunt. The family moved to the United States when he was seven years old on December 4, 1892 by ferry from Windsor to Detroit, according to his naturalization petition of August 1939. His elder brother, Leo Garnet Dwan (1883–1964), became a physician. Allan Dwan studied engineering at the University of Notre Dame and then worked for a lighting company in Chicago. He had a strong interest in the fledgling motion picture industry, and when

Essanay Studios The Essanay Film Manufacturing Company was an early American motion picture studio. The studio was founded in 1907 in Chicago, and later developed an additional film lot in Niles Canyon, California. Its various stars included Francis X. Bushman, ...

offered him the opportunity to become a scriptwriter, he took the job. At that time, some of the

East Coast East Coast may refer to: Entertainment * East Coast hip hop, a subgenre of hip hop * East Coast (ASAP Ferg song), "East Coast" (ASAP Ferg song), 2017 * East Coast (Saves the Day song), "East Coast" (Saves the Day song), 2004 * East Coast FM, a ra ...

movie makers began to spend winters in California where the climate allowed them to continue productions requiring warm weather. Soon, a number of movie companies worked there year-round, and in 1911, Dwan began working part-time in Hollywood. While still in New York, in 1917 he was the founding president of the East Coast chapter of the

Motion Picture Directors Association The Motion Picture Directors Association (MPDA) was an American non-profit fraternal organization formed by 26 film directors on June 18, 1915, in Los Angeles, California. The organization selected a headquarters to be built there in 1921. Its art ...

Career

Dwan operated Flying A Studios in

La Mesa, California La Mesa () is a city in San Diego County, located east of Downtown San Diego in Southern California. The population was 61,121 at the 2020 census, up from 57,065 at the 2010 census. Its civic motto is "the Jewel of the Hills." History La Me ...

from August 1911 to July 1912. Flying A was one of the first motion pictures studios in California history. On August 12, 2011, a plaque was unveiled on the Wolff building at Third Avenue and La Mesa Boulevard commemorating Dwan and the Flying A Studios origins in

. After making a series of westerns and comedies, Dwan directed fellow Canadian-American

Mary Pickford Gladys Marie Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American stage and screen actress and producer with a career that spanned five decades. A pioneer in the US film industry, she co-founde ...

in several very successful movies as well as her husband,

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...

, notably in the acclaimed 1922 ''

Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...

''. Dwan directed

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

in eight feature films, and one short film made in the short-lived sound-on-film process

Phonofilm Phonofilm is an optical sound-on-film system developed by inventors Lee de Forest and Theodore Case in the early 1920s. Introduction In 1919 and 1920, Lee De Forest, inventor of the audion tube, filed his first patents on a sound-on-film process, ...

. This short, also featuring

Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (April 9, 1879 – July 8, 1936) was an American actor of silent films and early talkies. He played several leading-man roles opposite popular actresses of the day, including Mary Pickford and Gloria Swanson. At one point he comm ...

and

Henri de la Falaise Henry de La Falaise, Marquis de La Coudraye (born James Henry Le Bailly de La Falaise, February 11, 1898 – April 10, 1972), was a French nobleman, translator, film director, film producer, sometime actor, and war hero who was best known for his ...

, was produced as a joke, for the April 26, 1925 "Lambs' Gambol" for

The Lambs The Lambs, Inc. (also known as The Lambs Club) is a social club in New York City for actors, songwriters, and others involved in the theatre. It is America's oldest theatrical organization. "The Lambs" is a registered trademark of The Lambs, Inc ...

, with the film showing Swanson crashing the all-male club. Following the introduction of the

talkies A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed before ...

, Dwan directed child-star

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

in ''

Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...

'' (1937) and ''

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy ...

'' (1938). Dwan helped launch the career of two other successful Hollywood directors,

Victor Fleming Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were ''Gone with the Wind (film), Gone with the Wind'', for which he won an Academy Award for Best ...

, who went on to direct '' The Wizard of Oz'' and ''

Gone With the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * Gone with the Wind (novel), ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * Gone with the Wind (film), ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Win ...

'', and

Marshall Neilan Marshall Ambrose "Mickey" Neilan (April 11, 1891 – October 27, 1958) was an American actor. Early life Born in San Bernardino, California, Neilan was known by most as "Mickey." Following the death of his father, the eleven-year-old Mickey N ...

, who became an actor, director, writer and producer. Over a long career spanning almost 50 years, Dwan directed 125 motion pictures, some of which were highly acclaimed, such as the 1949 box office hit, ''

Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker, was w ...

''. He directed his last movie in 1961. He died in Los Angeles at the age of 96, and is interred in the

San Fernando Mission Cemetery The San Fernando Mission Cemetery is a Catholic cemetery located in the Mission Hills community of the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The property adjoins the San Fernando Mission and Bishop Alemany Catholic High School. ThSan Fernando Mi ...

, Mission Hills, California. Dwan has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 6263

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywoo ...

. Daniel Eagan of ''

Film Journal International ''Film Journal International'' was a motion-picture industry trade magazine published by the American company Prometheus Global Media. It was a sister publication of ''Adweek'', '' Billboard'', ''The Hollywood Reporter'', and other periodicals. H ...

'' described Dwan as one of the early pioneers of cinema, stating that his style "is so basic as to seem invisible, but he treats his characters with uncommon sympathy and compassion."

Partial filmography as director

*''

The Restless Spirit ''The Restless Spirit'' is a 1913 American silent short drama film written and directed by Allan Dwan, featuring J. Warren Kerrigan, Lon Chaney (in a dual role), and Pauline Bush. The film is based on Thomas Gray's 1751 poem, ''Elegy Written ...

'' (1913) *'' Back to Life'' (1913) *''

Bloodhounds of the North ''Bloodhounds of the North'' is a 1913 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Some sources state the film was edited down to one ...

'' (1913) *'' The Lie'' (1914) *''

The Honor of the Mounted ''The Honor of the Mounted'' is a 1914 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Plot Mac, Jacques Laquox and Jacques' sister Mari ...

'' (1914) * ''

The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch ''The Unwelcome Mrs. Hatch'' is a 1914 American drama film directed by Allan Dwan, written by Allan Dwan and Mrs. Burton Harrison, and starring Henrietta Crosman, Walter Craven, Lorraine Huling, Minna Gale and Harold Lockwood. It was released ...

'' (1914) *''

Remember Mary Magdalen ''Remember Mary Magdalen'' is a 1914 silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Pauline Bush, Murdock MacQuarrie, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Plot Repenting of a foolish mistake she made in her youth, a ...

'' (1914) *''

Discord and Harmony ''Discord and Harmony'' is a 1914 American silent short romantic drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film's scenario, written by Arthur Rosson, was based on an event experience ...

'' (1914) *'' The Embezzler'' (1914) *''

The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf ''The Lamb, the Woman, the Wolf'' is a 1914 American silent Western drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Plot The Lamb is a hard-working local ne ...

'' (1914) *''

The End of the Feud ''The End of the Feud'' is a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. The film is now considered lost. Plot The hillbilly families of Hen Dawson (Murdock Mac Qua ...

'' (1914) *''

The Test The Test may refer to: * "The Test" (short story), short story by Franz Kafka * ''The Test'' (Wright novel), novel by Mary Tappan Wright * ''The Test'' (Applegate novel), a 2000 novel in the Animorphs series * "Come with Us"/"The Test", a 2002 ...

'' (1914) (*writer) *''

The Tragedy of Whispering Creek ''The Tragedy of Whispering Creek'' is a 1914 American silent short Western film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush, and Lon Chaney. Chaney expert Jon Mirsalis says Chaney also wrote the screenplay, based on ...

'' (1914) *''

The Unlawful Trade ''The Unlawful Trade'' is a 1914 American silent short drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Pauline Bush, William Lloyd, Murdock MacQuarrie, George Cooper, and Lon Chaney. Allan Dwan also wrote the screenplay, based on a story b ...

'' (1914) *'' The Forbidden Room'' (1914) *''

The Hopes of Blind Alley ''The Hopes of Blind Alley'' is a 1914 American silent drama film directed (and co-written) by Allan Dwan and featuring Murdock MacQuarrie, Pauline Bush and Lon Chaney. A still exists showing Lon Chaney as the Italian statuette vendor. The ...

'' (1914) *''

Richelieu Richelieu (, ; ) may refer to: People * Cardinal Richelieu (Armand-Jean du Plessis, 1585–1642), Louis XIII's chief minister * Alphonse-Louis du Plessis de Richelieu (1582–1653), French Carthusian bishop and Cardinal * Louis François Armand ...

'' (1914) * ''

Wildflower A wildflower (or wild flower) is a flower that grows in the wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. The term implies that the plant probably is neither a hybrid nor a selected cultivar that is in any way different from the w ...

'' (1914) *''

A Small Town Girl ''A Small Town Girl'' (aka ''The Small Town Girl'') was a 1914 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and featuring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush and Rupert Julian. The film is now considered to be lost. Some sources list this as a 1915 ...

'' (1915) *''

David Harum ''David Harum; A Story of American Life'' is a best-selling novel of 1898 by Edward Noyes Westcott, whose principal legacy is the colloquial use of the term ''horse trading''. Literary significance and criticism Written by retired Syracuse, Ne ...

'' (1915) *''

A Girl of Yesterday ''A Girl of Yesterday'' is a 1915 American silent comedy film directed by Allan Dwan, and distributed by Paramount Pictures and Famous Players-Lasky. The film starred Mary Pickford (who also wrote the scenario) as an older woman. Before this film ...

'' (1915) *'' The Pretty Sister of Jose'' (1915) * ''

Jordan Is a Hard Road ''Jordan Is a Hard Road'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Dorothy Gish, Frank Campeau and Sarah Truax. The production was under the overall supervision of D. W. Griffith, and was the first film made by Dw ...

'' (1915) *''

The Habit of Happiness ''The Habit of Happiness'' is a 1916 American silent comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and filmed by cinematographer Victor Fleming. The film was written by Allan Dwan and Shannon Fife from a suggestion by D. W. Griffith and stars Douglas Fa ...

'' (1916) *'' The Good Bad Man'' (1916) *''

An Innocent Magdalene ''An Innocent Magdalene'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan. It is considered to be a lost film. Cast * Lillian Gish as Dorothy Raleigh * Spottiswoode Aitken as Col. Raleigh * Sam De Grasse as Forbes Stewart * Mary ...

'' (1916) *''

The Half-Breed ''The Half-Breed'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Stuart Gilmore and written by Harold Shumate, Richard Wormser and Charles Hoffman. The film stars Robert Young, Janis Carter, Jack Buetel, Barton MacLane, Reed Hadley and Porter ...

'' (1916) *'' Manhattan Madness'' (1916) *''

Accusing Evidence ''Accusing Evidence'' is a 1916 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Lon Chaney, Pauline Bush (actress), Pauline Bush and Murdock MacQuarrie. The film was likely produced by early 1914 b ...

'' (1916) *''

Panthea ''Panthea'' is a genus of the owlet moth family, Noctuidae. The word ''Panthea'' is from Greek, meaning "all of gods" .''Panthea''

'' (1917) *''
A Modern Musketeer ''A Modern Musketeer'' is a 1917 American silent adventure comedy film directed and written by Allan Dwan. Based on the short story, "D'Artagnan of Kansas" by E. P. Lyle, Jr., the film was produced by and stars Douglas Fairbanks. A now complete ...
'' (1917) *''
Bound in Morocco ''Bound in Morocco'' is a 1918 American silent action romantic comedy film starring Douglas Fairbanks. Fairbanks produced and wrote the film's story and screenplay (under the pseudonym Elton Thomas), and Allan Dwan directed. The film was produced ...
'' (1918) *''
Headin' South ''Headin' South'' is a 1918 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Arthur Rosson with supervision from Allan Dwan and starring Douglas Fairbanks. The film is now considered to be lost. Plot As described in a film magazine, a fore ...
'' (1918) *'' Mr. Fix-It'' (1918) *''
He Comes Up Smiling ''He Comes Up Smiling'' is a 1918 American comedy film produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Allan Dwan. This film was based on a novel of the same title by Charles Sherman, which was adapted into a 1914 play of the same name ...
'' (1918) *'' Cheating Cheaters'' (1919) *'' The Dark Star'' (1919) *''
Getting Mary Married ''Getting Mary Married'' is a 1919 silent American comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Marion Davies. It was distributed by the Select Pictures Corporation. Cast *Marion Davies as Mary Bussard *Norman Kerry as James Winthrop * Matt M ...
'' (1919) *'' Soldiers of Fortune'' (1919) *''
In The Heart of a Fool ''In the Heart of a Fool'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan. It is based on a novel by William Allen White. Plot As described in a film magazine, in a small town lives Dr. Harvey Nesbit (Burton), who knows of the scan ...
'' (1920) also producer *''
The Forbidden Thing ''The Forbidden Thing'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring James Kirkwood, Helen Jerome Eddy and Marcia Manon.Lombardi p.113 Cast * James Kirkwood as Abel Blake * Helen Jerome Eddy as Joan * Marcia Mano ...
'' (1920) also producer *''
A Splendid Hazard ''A Splendid Hazard'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Henry B. Walthall. The film is based on the 1910 book of the same name. The film was produced by the Mayflower Photoplay Company. It is n ...
'' (1920) *'' A Perfect Crime'' (1921) * ''
The Sin of Martha Queed ''The Sin of Martha Queed'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Mary Thurman, Joseph J. Dowling and Eugenie Besserer.Lombardi p.117 Cast * Mary Thurman as Martha Queed * Joseph J. Dowling as Marvin Queed * ...
'' (1921) * ''
A Broken Doll ''A Broken Doll'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Monte Blue, Mary Thurman and Mary Jane Irving.Lombardi p.117 Cast * Monte Blue as Tommy Dawes * Mary Thurman as Harriet Bundy * Mary Jane Irving ...
'' (1921) *''
Robin Hood Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depic ...
'' (1922) *''
Zaza Zaza may refer to: Ethnic group * Zazas, a group of people in eastern Anatolia (southeastern Turkey) * Zaza–Gorani languages, Indo-Iranian languages ** Zaza language, spoken by the Zazas People Given name * Zaza Sor. Aree (born 1993), Thai k ...
'' (1923) *''
Big Brother Big Brother may refer to: * Big Brother (''Nineteen Eighty-Four''), a character from George Orwell's novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' ** Authoritarian personality, any omnipresent figure representing oppressive control ** Big Brother Awards, a sat ...
'' (1923) *'' Manhandled'' (1924) *''
Argentine Love ''Argentine Love'' is a 1924 American silent romantic drama film directed by Allan Dwan and based on a short story by Vicente Blasco Ibanez that stars Bebe Daniels. In the film, the legal guardians of an Argentine woman arrange her marriage to ...
'' (1924) *''
The Coast of Folly ''The Coast of Folly'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Gloria Swanson in a dual role as mother and daughter. Richard Arlen had a small part in the film but his scenes were cut before its release. The fil ...
'' (1925) *''
Night Life of New York ''Night Life of New York'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Paul Schofield and Edgar Selwyn. The film stars Rod La Rocque, Ernest Torrence, Dorothy Gish, Helen Lee Worthing, George Hackathorne, and ...
'' (1925) *'' Stage Struck'' (1925) *''
Padlocked ''Padlocked'' is a 1926 American silent drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Rex Beach, Becky Gardiner, and James Shelley Hamilton. The film stars Lois Moran, Noah Beery Sr., Louise Dresser, Helen Jerome Eddy, Allan Simpson, Floren ...
'' (1926) *''
Sea Horses A seahorse (also written ''sea-horse'' and ''sea horse'') is any of 46 species of small marine fish in the genus ''Hippocampus''. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek (), itself from () meaning "horse" and () meaning "sea monster" or " ...
'' (1926) *''
Summer Bachelors ''Summer Bachelors'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film produced and directed by Allan Dwan. The film is based on the 1926 novel ''Summer Widowers'', by Warner Fabian and stars Madge Bellamy, Matt Moore, Allan Forrest, and Hale ...
'' (1926) *''
Tin Gods ''Tin Gods'' is a lost 1926 American silent drama film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, released by Paramount Pictures, and based on the play ''Tin Gods'' by William Anthony McGuire. Allan Dwan directed and Thomas Meighan Thomas Meighan (A ...
'' (1926) *''
French Dressing French dressing, in consumer-facing American cuisine and store-bought products in the United States, is a creamy dressing that varies in color from pale orange to bright red. It is made of oil, vinegar, sugar, and other flavorings, with the colo ...
'' (1927) *''
The Joy Girl ''The Joy Girl'' is a 1927 American two-strip Technicolor silent comedy film directed by Allan Dwan, released by Fox Film Corporation, starring Olive Borden, Neil Hamilton, and Marie Dressler, and based on the short story of the same name by Ma ...
'' (1927) *'' East Side, West Side'' (1927) *'' The Big Noise'' (1928) *''
Frozen Justice ''Frozen Justice'' is a 1929 American pre-Code drama film directed by Allan Dwan. The picture starred Lenore Ulric in her first sound film and is based on the 1920 novel, ''Norden For Lov og Ret'', by Ejnar Mikkelsen. A shorter, silent version ...
'' (1929) *''
The Iron Mask ''The Iron Mask'' is a 1929 American part-talkie adventure film directed by Allan Dwan. It is an adaptation of the last section of the 1847-1850 novel ''The Vicomte de Bragelonne'' by Alexandre Dumas, père, which is itself based on the French l ...
'' (1929) *''
Tide of Empire ''Tide of Empire '' is a 1929 American silent Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Renée Adorée and Tom Keene. The film was originally slated to star Joan Crawford in the female lead, but the final filming had Renée Adorée ins ...
'' (1929) *''
The Far Call ''The Far Call'' is a 1929 American lost film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Charles Morton and Leila Hyams. Produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. It is a late silent film with Fox's Movietone sound on film system containing ...
'' (1929) *''
What a Widow! ''What a Widow!'' was a 1930 American pre-Code romantic comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and produced by and starring Gloria Swanson. It was distributed through United Artists. The film was produced by Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. It received gener ...
'' (1930) *'' Man to Man'' (1930) *''
Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...
'' (1931) *'' While Paris Sleeps'' (1932) *''
Counsel's Opinion ''Counsel's Opinion'' is a 1933 British romantic comedy film starring Henry Kendall and Binnie Barnes. It was one of three films directed in Britain in the early 1930s by Canadian-American Allan Dwan and was an early production from Alexande ...
'' (1933) *''
Black Sheep In the English language, black sheep is an idiom that describes a member of a group who is different from the rest, especially a family member who does not fit in. The term stems from sheep whose fleece is colored black rather than the more comm ...
'' (1935) *'' Navy Wife'' (1935) *''
High Tension ''High Tension'' (French: ''Haute Tension'', ; released in the United Kingdom as ''Switchblade Romance'') is a 2003 French slasher film directed by Alexandre Aja, co-written with Grégory Levasseur, and starring Cécile de France and Maïwenn, ...
'' (1936) *''
15 Maiden Lane ''15 Maiden Lane'' is a 1936 American crime film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Claire Trevor, Cesar Romero, and Lloyd Nolan. The plot involves an insurance investigator (Trevor) who infiltrates a gang who had stolen jewels from the eponymou ...
'' (1936) *''
One Mile from Heaven ''One Mile from Heaven'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Lou Breslow and John Patrick. The film stars Claire Trevor, Sally Blane, Douglas Fowley, Fredi Washington, Joan Carroll and Ralf Harolde. The film was re ...
'' (1937) *''
Heidi ''Heidi'' (; ) is a work of children's fiction published in 1881 by Swiss author Johanna Spyri, originally published in two parts as ''Heidi: Her Years of Wandering and Learning'' (german: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre) and ''Heidi: How She Used ...
'' (1937) *''
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's joy ...
'' (1938) *''
Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...
'' (1938) * '' Josette'' (1938) *''
The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight f ...
'' (1939) *'' The Gorilla'' (1939) *'' Frontier Marshal'' (1939) *''
Sailor's Lady ''Sailor's Lady'', also known as ''Sweetheart of Turret One'', is a 1940 film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nancy Kelly and Jon Hall. The supporting cast includes Joan Davis, Dana Andrews, and Buster Crabbe. Football player Amby Schindler ...
'' (1940) *''
Young People Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...
'' (1940) *''
Trail of the Vigilantes ''Trail of the Vigilantes'' is a 1940 75-minute black-and-white Western comedy directed by Allan Dwan, written by Harold Shumate, and featuring Franchot Tone, Warren William, Broderick Crawford and Andy Devine Andrew Vabre Devine (October ...
'' (1940) *''
Look Who's Laughing ''Look Who's Laughing'' (aka ''Look Who's Talking'') is a 1941 film from RKO Radio Pictures. The film is built around a number of radio stars from the Golden Age of Radio and centers around radio personality Jim Jordan as Fibber McGee from the co ...
'' (1941) also producer *'' Rise and Shine'' (1941) *'' Friendly Enemies'' (1942) *'' Around the World'' (1943) also producer *'' Up in Mabel's Room'' (1944) *''
Abroad with Two Yanks ''Abroad with Two Yanks'' is a 1944 American comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Helen Walker, William Bendix and Dennis O'Keefe as the title characters. It was Bendix's third and final role in a film as a US Marine and the first of ...
'' (1944) *'' Getting Gertie's Garter'' (1945) also screenwriter *''
Brewster's Millions ''Brewster's Millions'' is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. The plot concerns a young man whose grandfather leaves him $1 million in a will, but a competing will from an ...
'' (1945) *''
Rendezvous with Annie ''Rendezvous with Annie'' is a 1946 comedy film directed by Allan Dwan and written by and Mary Loos and Richard Sale. The film stars Eddie Albert, Faye Marlowe and Gail Patrick. The supporting cast features C. Aubrey Smith and William Frawley. ...
'' (1946) *''
Driftwood __NOTOC__ Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea, lake, or river by the action of winds, tides or waves. In some waterfront areas, driftwood is a major nuisance. However, the driftwood provides shelter and fo ...
'' (1947) *'' Calendar Girl'' (1947) *''
Northwest Outpost ''Northwest Outpost'' (also known as ''End of the Rainbow'') is a 1947 American musical film, Musical Western (genre), Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey. The film was Eddy's last, and is an operetta film ...
'' (1947) also associate producer *'' The Inside Story'' (1948) *''
Angel in Exile ''Angel in Exile'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan and Philip Ford and written by Charles Larson. The film stars John Carroll, Adele Mara, Thomas Gomez, Barton MacLane, Alfonso Bedoya and Grant Withers. The film was relea ...
'' (1948) (with Philip Ford) *''
Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele Mara and Forrest Tucker, was w ...
'' (1949) *''
Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
'' (1950) *''
Belle Le Grand ''Belle Le Grand'' is a 1951 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan and written by D.D. Beauchamp. The film stars Vera Ralston, John Carroll, William Ching, Hope Emerson, Grant Withers, Stephen Chase, John Qualen and Harry Morgan. The f ...
'' (1951) *'' Wild Blue Yonder'' (1951) *'' I Dream of Jeanie'' (1952) *''
Montana Belle ''Montana Belle'' is a 1952 American Trucolor Western film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Jane Russell. It is one of several fictionalized movies about outlaw Belle Starr. The story is set in Oklahoma, where the real Starr was killed. The w ...
'' (1952) *''
Woman They Almost Lynched ''Woman They Almost Lynched'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Steve Fisher. The film stars John Lund, Brian Donlevy, Audrey Totter, Joan Leslie, Ben Cooper, James Brown and Nina Varela. The film was rel ...
'' (1953) * '' Sweethearts on Parade'' (1953) *'' Silver Lode'' (1954) *'' Passion'' (1954) *''
Cattle Queen of Montana ''Cattle Queen of Montana'' is a 1954 American Western film shot in Technicolor directed by Allan Dwan and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan. The supporting cast includes Gene Evans, Lance Fuller, Jack Elam, Chubby Johnson, and Morris ...
'' (1954) *''
Tennessee's Partner ''Tennessee's Partner'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by Allan Dwan, written by Graham Baker, D. D. Beauchamp, Milton Krims, and Teddi Sherman, with uncredited rewrites by Dwan, and starring John Payne, Ronald Reagan, Rhonda Flemin ...
'' (1955) *''
Pearl of the South Pacific ''Pearl of the South Pacific'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Allan Dwan and written by Jesse L. Lasky, Jr. and Talbot Jennings. The film stars Virginia Mayo, Dennis Morgan, David Farrar (actor), David Farrar, Murvyn Vye, and Lance ...
'' (1955) *''
Escape to Burma ''Escape to Burma'' is a 1955 American Technicolor adventure film directed by Allan Dwan starring Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan and David Farrar. The film was based on the short story "Bow Tamely to Me" by Kenneth Perkins, originally publis ...
'' (1955) *'' Slightly Scarlet'' (1956) *''
Hold Back the Night Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (ship), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called a Fermat ...
'' (1956) *''
The Restless Breed ''The Restless Breed'' is a 1957 Western film, directed by Allan Dwan and starring Scott Brady and Anne Bancroft. Plot 1865: Lawyer Mitch Baker is called into an office of the United States Secret Service to be told that his father was murde ...
'' (1957) *''
The River's Edge ''The River's Edge'' is a 1957 film noir adventure, crime, and drama DeLuxe CinemaScope film directed by Allan Dwan and starring Ray Milland, Anthony Quinn and Debra Paget. The picture is based on the unpublished short story "The Higher M ...
'' (1957) *'' Enchanted Island'' (1958) *''
Most Dangerous Man Alive ''Most Dangerous Man Alive'' is a 1961 American science fiction film, produced by Benedict Bogeaus, directed by Allan Dwan (the final film of his long career), that stars Ron Randell, Debra Paget, and Elaine Stewart. The film was distributed ...
'' (1961)

See also
*
Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood Motion pictures have been a part of the culture of Canada since the industry began. History Around 1910, the East Coast filmmakers began to take advantage of the mild California winter climates, and after Nestor Studios, run by Canadian Al Christi ...

References

Further reading
*
Brownlow, Kevin Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...
, ''The Parade's Gone By...'' (1968) *
Bogdanovich, Peter Peter Bogdanovich (July 30, 1939 – January 6, 2022) was an American director, writer, actor, producer, critic, and film historian. One of the "New Hollywood" directors, Bogdanovich started as a film journalist until he was hired to work on R ...
, ''Allan Dwan: The Last Pioneer'' (1971) * Foster, Charles, ''Stardust and Shadows: Canadians in Early Hollywood'' (2000) *Lombardi, Frederic, ''Allan Dwan and the Rise and Decline of the Hollywood Studios'' (2013) Print E-book

External links
*
Allan Dwan profile
virtual-history.com; accessed June 16, 2014 {{DEFAULTSORT:Dwan, Allan 1885 births 1981 deaths 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters American film directors American film producers American male screenwriters Burials at San Fernando Mission Cemetery Canadian emigrants to the United States Film directors from Toronto Western (genre) film directors Writers from Toronto