George Waggner (September 7, 1894 – December 11, 1984) was an American actor, director, producer and writer. He is best known for producing and directing the 1941 film '' The Wolf Man''. For some unknown reason, Waggner sometimes configured his name in mostly lowercase letters but with his surname's two Gs capitalized ("waGGner"), including in the credits of some of the productions he directed.

Career

Born in New York City, he trained as a chemist and served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

before coming to Hollywood to pursue a career as an actor. He made his film debut as an actor portraying Yousayef in '' The Sheik'' (1921). He later acted in Western films. The first film he directed was ''Western Trails'' (1938). During his career as a film director, he worked with

John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne and nicknamed The Duke or Duke Wayne, was an American actor who became a popular icon through his starring roles in films made during Hollywood's Gol ...

(''

The Fighting Kentuckian ''The Fighting Kentuckian'' is a 1949 American Adventure Western film written and directed by George Waggner and starring John Wayne, who also produced the film. The supporting cast featured Vera Ralston; Philip Dorn; Oliver Hardy (of Laurel & ...

''), Lon Chaney Jr. (''

Man Made Monster ''Man-Made Monster'' is a 1941 American Science fiction film, science-fiction horror film directed by George Waggner and produced by Jack Bernhard for Universal Pictures. Filmed in black-and-white, it stars Lon Chaney, Jr. (in his horror film deb ...

'' and his most famous film, ''The Wolf Man''),

Brian Donlevy Waldo Brian Donlevy (February 9, 1901 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor, noted for playing dangerous tough guys from the 1930s to the 1960s. He usually appeared in supporting roles. Among his best-known films are '' Beau Geste'' (19 ...

and

Broderick Crawford William Broderick Crawford (December 9, 1911 – April 26, 1986) was an American stage, film, radio, and television actor, often cast in tough-guy roles and best known for his Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning portrayal of Willie Stark in ''All t ...

(''

South of Tahiti ''South of Tahiti'' is a 1941 American south seas adventure film directed by George Waggner and starring Brian Donlevy. It helped launch Maria Montez as a pin-up star. She played a leading role; response was such that Universal then cast her in '' ...

''),

Randolph Scott George Randolph Scott (January 23, 1898 – March 2, 1987) was an American film actor whose career spanned the years from 1928 to 1962. As a leading man for all but the first three years of his cinematic career, Scott appeared in a variety of ...

('' Gunfighters'') and

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff (), was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstein'' (1931) (his 82nd film) established h ...

(''

The Climax The Climax may refer to: * The Climax (1944 film), a horror film * The Climax (1930 film), a thriller film * The Climax (illustration), a work of art by Aubrey Beardsley See also * Climax (disambiguation) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Climax, The ...

''). Though primarily known for his horror films today, Waggner also directed many

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

s, and

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about naval, air, or land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle scenes means that war fi ...

s. During his career as a film director, he also wrote songs which appeared in his films, beginning with "Round, White, and Ruby Red" from ''

Operation Pacific ''Operation Pacific'' is a 1951 black-and-white World War II submarine war drama from Warner Bros. Pictures, produced by Louis Edelman, and written as well as directed by George Waggner. John Wayne and Patricia Neal star and Ward Bond and Philip ...

''. By the end of his career, he had written over 100 songs. In the 1960s, he moved from cinema to

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

, directing episodes of the television series ''

Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...

'', ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

'', ''

The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media ...

'', ''

77 Sunset Strip ''77 Sunset Strip'' is an American television private detective drama series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith, Richard Long (from 1960 to 1961) and Edd Byrnes (billed as Edward Byrnes). Each episode was o ...

'' and ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

''. In 1957 he directed ''

Red Nightmare ''Red Nightmare'' is the best-known title of the 1962 Armed Forces Information Film (AFIF) 120, ''Freedom and You''. The short film was produced to mold public opinion against communism. The film was later released to American television and as a ...

'', a

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

film produced by the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

and narrated by

Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...

Personal life

Waggner died in

Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. Geography Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is locate ...

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 ...

on December 11, 1984 at the age of 90.

Filmography

Director *''

Western Trails ''Western Trails'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by George Waggner and written by Norton S. Parker. The film stars Bob Baker, Marjorie Reynolds, John Ridgely, Carlyle Moore Jr., Forrest Taylor, Franco Corsaro and Bob Burns. The fi ...

'' (1938) *''

Prairie Justice ''Prairie Justice'' is a 1938 American Western "B" movie directed by George Waggner and starring Bob Baker as a singing cowboy. Plot Baker plays an undercover marshall investigating a series of stage coach robberies. After his father is kille ...

'' (1938) *'' Mystery Plane'' (1939) *''

Stunt Pilot Stunt flying refers to any stunts performed in an aircraft. It encompasses aerobatics, wing walking, and transferring from one airplane to another or to a moving vehicle on the ground, such as an automobile or train, and vice versa. History From th ...

'' (1939) * '' Wolf Call'' (1939) *''

The Phantom Stage ''The Phantom Stage'' is a 1939 American musical film, musical Western (genre), Western film – a "B" movie – directed by George Waggner and starring Bob Baker (actor), Bob Baker as a singing cowboy. Plot Bob Carson and his sidekick Grizzly ...

'' (1939) *'' Drums of the Desert'' (1940) *''

'' (1941) *''

Horror Island ''Horror Island'' is a 1941 American mystery and horror film directed by George Waggner. It was based on the short story "Terror of the South Seas" by Alex Gottlieb. It stars Dick Foran, Peggy Moran, Leo Carrillo, Eddie Parker, Dale Van Sic ...

'' (1941) *'' The Wolf Man'' (1941) *''

'' (1941) *'' Sealed Lips'' (1942) *''

'' (1944) *''

Frisco Sal ''Frisco Sal'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by George Waggner and starring Susanna Foster and Turhan Bey. It was co written by Curt Siodmak. Cast * Susanna Foster as Sally * Turhan Bey as Dude * Alan Curtis as Rio * Andy Devine as ...

'' (1945) *'' Gunfighters'' (1947) *''

'' (1949) *''

'' (1951) *''

'' aka ''Freedom and You'' and ''The Commies Are Coming, the Commies Are Coming'' (1957) Waggner also directed the following films/episodes made for television *'' The Sword of Villon'' (1956) *''Destination Nightmare'' (1958) *''Jack the Ripper'' (1958) *'' The Veil'' (1958) *''

'' ("Canien Caper" - 1959) *''

'' ("The Left Field Caper" - 1963, stylized as "george waGGner") *''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings. It ...

'' ("The John Cameron Story" - 1957) *''

'' ("The Cliff Grundy Story" - 1957) *''

'' (10 episodes - 1966-1968, stylized as "george waGGner") Writer *'' Gorilla Ship'' (1932) *'' Once to Every Bachelor'' (1934) *''

Champagne for Breakfast ''Champagne for Breakfast'' is a 1935 American comedy-drama film, directed by Melville Brown. It stars Mary Carlisle, Hardie Albright, and Joan Marsh, and was released on June 18, 1935. Cast list * Mary Carlisle as Edie Reach * Hardie Albright ...

'' (1935) *''Air Devils'' (1938) *''

Oklahoma Terror ''Oklahoma Terror'' is a 1939 American Western film directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet. Cast *Addison Randall as Jack Ridgely *Al St. John as "Fuzzy" Glass *Virginia Carroll as Helen Martin * Don Rowan as Slade *Davison Clark as Cartwright *Gl ...

'' (1939) *'' Laughing at Danger'' (1940) *'' The Fatal Hour'' (1940) *''

Queen of the Yukon ''Queen Of The Yukon'' is a 1940 American Western film. The film is an adaptation of Jack London's story. Filming took place in Big Bear Lake, California. Plot Sadie Martin owns a riverboat that is frequently used by miners traveling to their ...

'' (1940) *'' On the Spot'' (1940) *''

Phantom of Chinatown ''Phantom of Chinatown'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by Phil Rosen starring Keye Luke. This is the last of the Mr. Wong films and the only one to star Luke in the role originated by Boris Karloff. Plot After participating in an ex ...

'' (1940) *''Drums of the Desert'' (1940) *''

'' (1941) *''

(1944) *''

'' (1949) *''

'' (1951) *''

Pawnee Pawnee initially refers to a Native American people and its language: * Pawnee people * Pawnee language Pawnee is also the name of several places in the United States: * Pawnee, Illinois * Pawnee, Kansas * Pawnee, Missouri * Pawnee City, Nebraska * ...

'' (1957) *''

Man from God's Country ''Man from God's Country'' is a 1958 American CinemaScope Western film. It was written by George Waggner (credited as "george waGGner"), directed by Paul Landres and starred George Montgomery and Randy Stuart.The Wolf Man'' (1941) *''

The Ghost of Frankenstein ''The Ghost of Frankenstein'' is a 1942 American horror film directed by Erle C. Kenton and starring Cedric Hardwicke, Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi. It is the fourth film in the ''Frankenstein'' series by Universal Pictures, and the follow-up ...

'' (1942) * '' Sin Town'' (1942) *''

Invisible Agent ''Invisible Agent'' is a 1942 American action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak. The invisible agent is played by Jon Hall, with Peter Lorre and Sir Cedric Hardwicke as members of the Axis, and ...

'' (1942) *''

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man ''Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. This was the first of a series of later called "monster rallie ...

'' (1943) *''

Phantom of the Opera ''The Phantom of the Opera'' (french: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra) is a novel by French author Gaston Leroux. It was first published as a serial in from 23 September 1909 to 8 January 1910, and was released in volume form in late March 1910 by Pierr ...

'' (1943) *''

Cobra Woman ''Cobra Woman'' is a 1944 American South Seas adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Robert Siodmak that stars Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. Shot in Technicolor, this film is typical of Montez's career at Universal, and, altho ...

'' (1944) *''

'' (1944) Actor *'' The Sheik'' (1921) * '' The Great Alone'' (1922) *'' The Iron Horse'' (1924) *''

His Hour ''His Hour'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by King Vidor. This film was the follow-up to Samuel Goldwyn's '' Three Weeks'', written by Elinor Glyn, and starring Aileen Pringle, one of the biggest moneymakers at the time of the Me ...

'' (1924) *''Love's Blindness'' (1926)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Waggner, George 1894 births 1984 deaths Male actors from New York City American male film actors American male silent film actors Film directors from New York City Horror film directors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male actors