Francis D. "Pete" Lyon (July 29, 1905 – October 8, 1996) 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 ...
, television director, and
film editor
Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology.
The film edit ...
. He and
Robert Parrish
Robert R. Parrish (January 4, 1916December 4, 1995) was an American film director, screenwriter, editor and former child actor. He received an Academy Award for Best Film Editing for his contribution to ''Body and Soul (1947 film), Body and Soul ...
Bowbells, North Dakota
Bowbells is a city in and the county seat of Burke County, North Dakota, Burke County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 301 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census.
History
The city of Bowbells was founded in 1898 along the ...
. He moved to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
to attend
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. After graduation, he moved to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
to begin his career in film. He returned to the US and from the early 1930s to the 1950s, Lyon was exclusively an editor, except for one uncredited acting role in 1932. He worked on 29 films as an assistant editor or editor, including '' The Men in Her Life'' (1941), '' Body and Soul'' (1947) and ''
The Young and The Brave
''The Young and The Brave'' (also known by the working title ''Attong'') is a feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture, their youthfu ...
'' (1963). He moved on to directing, and co-founded
United Pictures Corporation ''United Pictures Corporation'' was an American film production company in the mid 1960s who specialized in the production of nine action and science fiction films shot economically with an eye for their product to be viewed in both theatrical relea ...
in 1966. He was credited on more than 20 additional films before retiring from the entertainment industry in 1970.
In 1993, Lyon published a memoir entitled ''Twists of Fate: An Oscar Winner's International Career''.
Lyon died on October 8, 1996, in Green Valley, Arizona.
* Editing assistance: 10 films
* Film Editor: 19 films; the first was ''
The Basketball Fix
''The Basketball Fix'' is a 1951 noir sports drama film directed by Felix E. Feist and starring John Ireland, Marshall Thompson and Vanessa Brown. The film is also known by the alternative title ''The Big Decision'' in the United Kingdom. It is ...
The Bob Mathias Story
''The Bob Mathias Story'' is a 1954 American sports drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and starring Bob Mathias and Ward Bond. The story of Bob Mathias (portraying himself), the first man to win two consecutive Olympic Gold Medals in the Dec ...
'' (1954)
* ''
Cult of the Cobra
''Cult of the Cobra'' is a 1955 American black-and-white horror film from Universal-International Pictures, produced by Howard Pine, directed by Francis D. Lyon, that stars Faith Domergue, Richard Long, Kathleen Hughes, Marshall Thompson, Ja ...
'' (1955)
* ''
The Great Locomotive Chase
''The Great Locomotive Chase'' is a 1956 American adventure western film produced by Walt Disney Productions, based on the Great Locomotive Chase that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War. Filmed in CinemaScope and in color, the fil ...
'' (1956)
* ''
Bailout at 43,000
''Bailout at 43,000'' is a 1957 American drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Paul Monash. The film stars John Payne, Karen Steele, Paul Kelly, Richard Eyer, Constance Ford and Eddie Firestone. The film was released on May 1, ...
'' (1957)
* ''
The Oklahoman
''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th larges ...
'' (1957)
* ''
Gunsight Ridge
''Gunsight Ridge'' is a 1957 American Western film directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Talbot Jennings and Elisabeth Jennings. The film stars Joel McCrea, Mark Stevens, Joan Weldon, Addison Richards, Darlene Fields and Carolyn Craig. ...
'' (1957)
* ''South Seas Adventure'' (1958 - first segment)
* ''
Escort West
''Escort West'' is a 1959 American Western film directed by Francis D. Lyon, and starring Victor Mature, Faith Domergue, and Elaine Stewart. The movie is set after the U.S. Civil War, when a former Confederate officer, played by Victor Mature, a ...
'' (1959)
* ''
Tomboy and the Champ
''Tomboy and the Champ'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Francis D. Lyon and starring Candy Moore, Ben Johnson, and Jesse White.
Plot
A young girl in Texas is stricken with polio and it is caring for her pet calf that keeps her st ...
'' (1961)
* ''
The Young and The Brave
''The Young and The Brave'' (also known by the working title ''Attong'') is a feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture, their youthfu ...
'' (1963)
* ''
Destination Inner Space
''Destination Inner Space'' is a 1966 science fiction film produced by Earl Lyon, directed by Francis D. Lyon, written by Arthur C. Pierce, and stars Scott Brady, Gary Merrill, and Sheree North. The film was released to theaters in the US in M ...
'' (1966)
* ''
Castle of Evil
''Castle of Evil'' is a 1966 American color horror film produced by Earle Lyon, directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Charles A. Wallace. It stars Scott Brady, Virginia Mayo, David Brian, Lisa Gaye, Hugh Marlowe and William Thourlby. The ...
'' (1966)
* ''
The Money Jungle
''The Money Jungle'' is a 1968 American drama film directed by Francis D. Lyon and written by Charles A. Wallace. The film stars John Ericson, Lola Albright, Leslie Parrish, Nehemiah Persoff, Charles Drake, Kent Smith and Don Rickles. The film ...
'' (1967)
* ''
The Destructors
"The Destructors" is a 1954 short story written by Graham Greene, first published in ''Picture Post'' and subsequently collected in '' Twenty-One Stories'' later that year.The Girl Who Knew Too Much'' (1969)
Director (television series)
Lyon received director credit on 42 episodes of 17 different US television series in the period from 1952 to 1964, plus being credited as the director of the first year's production (25 episodes) of the Walt Disney production '' The Adventures of Spin and Marty''.''Filmography'', Francis D. Lyon (IMDB) /ref>