Alan James (March 23, 1890 – December 30, 1952) was an American

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

and

screenwriter A screenplay writer (also called screenwriter, scriptwriter, scribe or scenarist) is a writer who practices the craft of screenwriting, writing screenplays on which mass media, such as films, television programs and video games, are based. ...

. He directed more than 70 films between 1916 and 1943. He also wrote for more than 60 films between 1916 and 1951. He was born in

Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to ...

, and died in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

Selected filmography

* '' Fighting Back'' (1917) * ''

The Boss of the Lazy Y ''The Boss of the Lazy Y'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Roy Stewart, Josie Sedgwick and Frank MacQuarrie.Rainey p.225 Cast * Roy Stewart as Calumet Marston * Josie Sedgwick as Betty Clayton * ...

'' (1917) * '' The Medicine Man'' (1917) * ''

The Learning of Jim Benton ''The Learning of Jim Benton'' is a 1917 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Roy Stewart, Fritzi Ridgeway and Walter Perry. Cast * Roy Stewart as Jim Benton * Fritzi Ridgeway as Evelyn Hastings * Walter Perry ...

'' (1917) * ''

The Crow The Crow is a supernatural superhero comic book series created by James O'Barr revolving around the titular character of the same name. The series, which was originally created by O'Barr as a means of dealing with the death of his fiancée at t ...

'' (1919) * '' 3 Gold Coins'' (1920) * ''

Crossing Trails ''Crossing Trails'' is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Pete Morrison, Esther Ralston and Lew Meehan.Connelly, p. 55. Cast * Pete Morrison as Jim Warren * Esther Ralston as Helen Stratton * John Hat ...

'' (1921) * ''

Outlawed An outlaw, in its original and legal meaning, is a person declared as outside the protection of the law. In pre-modern societies, all legal protection was withdrawn from the criminal, so that anyone was legally empowered to persecute or kill them ...

'' (1921) * '' The Firebrand'' (1922) * ''

Back Fire ''Back Fire'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Alan James and starring Jack Hoxie, Florence Gilbert, and Lew Meehan James Lew Meehan (September 7, 1890 – August 10, 1951) was an American film actor. Meehan appear ...

'' (1922) * ''

Dangerous Trails ''Dangerous Trails'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Alan James and starring Irene Rich, Tully Marshall, and Noah Beery. It is a northern (genre), northern, featuring a member of the North-West Mo ...

'' (1923) * ''

The White Panther ''The White Panther'' is a 1924 American drama film set in India starring Australian actor Snowy Baker in a story about the love affair between Major Wainwright, an English officer, and the governor's daughter. It features an early appearance by ...

'' (1924) * ''

The Cowboy and the Flapper ''The Cowboy and the Flapper'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by Alan James and starring Alan James and starring William Fairbanks, Dorothy Revier and Jack Richardson. Cast * William Fairbanks as Dan Patterson * Dorothy R ...

'' (1924) * '' The Virgin'' (1924) * ''

The Reckless Sex ''The Reckless Sex'' is a 1925 American melodrama film directed by Alan James from a screenplay by Travers Wells. The film stars Madge Bellamy, William Collier Jr., and Wyndham Standing. Plot Robert Lanning Jr. is sent by his father in Bo ...

'' (1925) * '' Beyond All Odds'' (1926) * ''

The Fighting Peacemaker ''The Fighting Peacemaker'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Clifford Smith and starring Jack Hoxie, Lola Todd and Ted Oliver. Cast * Jack Hoxie as 'Peace River' Parker * Lola Todd Lola may refer to: Places * Lolá, a o ...

'' (1926) * '' A Six Shootin' Romance'' (1926) * ''

Bad Man's Bluff ''Bad Man's Bluff'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Alan James and starring Jay Wilsey, Molly Malone and Frank Whitson. It was the last film to be distributed under the Associated Exhibitors banner following its merger with ...

'' (1926) * '' The Demon'' (1926) * '' Hazardous Valley'' (1927) * '' Born to Battle'' (1927) * '' The Sky Rider'' (1928) * ''

The Cheer Leader ''The Cheer Leader'' is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Alan James and starring Ralph Graves, Gertrude Olmstead, and Shirley Palmer. Plot Cast * Ralph Graves as Jimmy Grant * Gertrude Olmstead as Jean Howard * Shirley Pal ...

'' (1928) * ''

Firebrand Jordan ''Firebrand Jordan'' is a 1930 American pre-Code western film directed by Alan James and starring Lane Chandler, Sheldon Lewis and Yakima Canutt.Munden, p. 247 Cast * Lane Chandler as Firebrand Jordan * Aline Goodwin as Joan Howe * Yakima Ca ...

'' (1930) * ''

Hell's Valley ''Hell's Valley'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Hal Taliaferro, Virginia Brown Faire and Walter Miller.Pitts, p. 65. It is a remake of '' When a Man Rides Alone'' (1919). Synopsis A Captain in ...

'' (1931) * ''

Trails of Danger ''Trails of Danger'' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Hal Taliaferro. Plot An American soldier returns from World War I without any money and finds himself forced into the life of a western criminal ...

'' (1931) * ''

Flying Lariats ''Flying Lariats'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western (genre), Western film directed by Alan James and David Kirkland and starring Hal Taliaferro, Buzz Barton and Fred Church (actor), Fred Church.Pitts, p. 69. Summary Wally Dunbar is tryin ...

'' (1931) * ''

Pueblo Terror ''Pueblo Terror'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Jay Wilsey, Jack Harvey and Wanda Hawley. Cast * Jay Wilsey as Bill Sommers * Jack Harvey as John Weston * Wanda Hawley as Helen Weston * James ...

'' (1931) * ''

Red Fork Range ''Red Fork Range'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Hal Taliaferro, Ruth Mix and Al Ferguson. Main cast * Hal Taliaferro as Wally Hamilton * Ruth Mix as Ruth Farell * Al Ferguson as Black Bard * ...

'' (1931) * ''

Lariats and Six-Shooters ''Lariats and Six-Shooters'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Jack Perrin, Ann Lee and George Chesebro. Cast * Jack Perrin * Ann Lee * George Chesebro * Art Mix * Virginia Bell * Lafe McKee * Richa ...

'' (1931) * ''

Come On, Tarzan ''Come On, Tarzan'' is a 1932 American pre-Code western film starring Ken Maynard, Merna Kennedy, and Niles Welch. A ranch foreman at odds with his female boss, fights outlaws who are killing horses for dog food.Taliaferro, John (2002). ''Ta ...

'' (1932) * ''

Tex Takes a Holiday ''Tex Takes a Holiday'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Wallace MacDonald, Virginia Brown Faire and Ben Corbett.Pitts p. 346 It was shot in Natural color, an early process for producing color films. ...

'' (1932) * ''

King of the Arena ''King of the Arena'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film written and directed by Alan James. The film stars Ken Maynard, Lucile Browne, John St. Polis, Bob Kortman, Michael Visaroff and James A. Marcus. The film was released on June 1, ...

'' (1933) * '' Strawberry Roan'' (1933) * ''

Fargo Express ''Fargo Express'' is a 1933 American pre-Code Western film directed by Alan James and starring Ken Maynard, Helen Mack and Roy Stewart.Darby, p. 355 Cast * Ken Maynard as Ken Benton * Helen Mack as Helen Clark * Roy Stewart as Sam Goss * ...

'' (1933) * '' Swifty'' (1935) * ''

Wild Horse Round-Up ''Wild Horse Round-Up'' is a 1936 American western film directed by Alan James from a screenplay by Joseph O'Donnell, based on a short story by James Oliver Curwood. The film stars Kermit Maynard, Betty Lloyd, and Dickie Jones. Cast *Kermit Ma ...

'' (1936) * ''

The Painted Stallion ''The Painted Stallion'' is a 1937 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studio t ...

'' (1937) * ''

Dick Tracy ''Dick Tracy'' is an American comic strip featuring Dick Tracy (originally Plainclothes Tracy), a tough and intelligent police detective created by Chester Gould. It made its debut on Sunday, October 4, 1931, in the ''Detroit Mirror'', and it ...

'' (1937) * ''

Land of Fighting Men ''Land of Fighting Men'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Alan James and written by Joseph O'Donnell. The film stars Jack Randall, Bruce Bennett, Louise Stanley, Dick Jones, Walt Shrum and Bob Burns. The film was released on March ...

'' (1938) * '' Flaming Frontiers'' (1938) * '' Call of the Rockies'' (1938) * '' Two Gun Justice'' (1938) * '' Scouts to the Rescue'' (1939) * '' S.O.S. Coast Guard'' (1942) * ''

The Law Rides Again ''The Law Rides Again'' is a 1943 American Western (genre), Western film, directed by Alan James and starring Ken Maynard and Hoot Gibson. Cast *Ken Maynard as U.S. Marshal Ken Maynard *Hoot Gibson as U.S. Marshal Hoot Gibson *Jack La Rue a ...

'' (1943) * ''

Manhunt of Mystery Island ''Manhunt of Mystery Island'' (1945) is a Republic Pictures, Republic Movie serial. It was the thirty-sixth serial produced by Republic (of a total of sixty-six) and the first released in 1945. It is the penultimate 15-chapter serial to be rele ...

'' (1945)

External links

* 1890 births 1952 deaths American male screenwriters Film directors from Washington (state) People from Port Townsend, Washington Screenwriters from Washington (state) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters {{US-film-director-1890s-stub