Harry L. Fraser (31 March 1889 – 8 April 1974) was an American
film director and screenplay writer.
Biography
Born in 1889 in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
, Fraser directed over 80 films between 1925 and 1951, including the 1934
John Wayne film ''
Randy Rides Alone'' and the
Frank Buck 1937 cliffhanger serial ''
Jungle Menace
''Jungle Menace'' (1937) is the first serial released by Columbia Pictures.
Based on the success of Republic Pictures's 1936 serial '' Darkest Africa'', starring real-life animal trainer Clyde Beatty, Columbia made this exotic jungle serial ...
''. He had a small acting role in the John Wayne film ''
'Neath the Arizona Skies''. He also wrote screenplays.
In his autobiography, Fraser described filming a scene in ''
Jungle Menace
''Jungle Menace'' (1937) is the first serial released by Columbia Pictures.
Based on the success of Republic Pictures's 1936 serial '' Darkest Africa'', starring real-life animal trainer Clyde Beatty, Columbia made this exotic jungle serial ...
'' in which a
boa constrictor
The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family B ...
attacks the heroine Dorothy (
Charlotte Henry
Charlotte Virginia Henry (March 3, 1914 – April 11, 1980) was an American actress who is best remembered for her roles in '' Alice in Wonderland'' (1933) and '' Babes in Toyland'' (1934). She also starred in the Frank Buck serial ''Jun ...
). The villain has tied Dorothy hand and foot and she thrashes about wildly, terrified when she suddenly sees the huge snake:
The snake was in no hurry. Slowly he slithered across the girl's body, while she screamed and struggled. He turned, looking for a spot to slip under her to make his first wrap. I motioned to the reptile crew to get ready, and a split-second later gave them the signal to move in. But now, the maddened snake fought them and did its best to coil around one of the men. Before that happened, however, I had cut, and we had a good cliff-hanger with our terror-stricken heroine to close the episode.
Fraser, like fellow silent-film directors
William Beaudine
William Washington Beaudine (January 15, 1892 – March 18, 1970) was an American film actor and director. He was one of Hollywood's most prolific directors, turning out films in remarkable numbers and in a wide variety of genres.
Life and car ...
,
Christy Cabanne,
Elmer Clifton
Elmer Clifton (March 14, 1890 – October 15, 1949) was an American writer, director and actor from the early silent days. A collaborator of D.W. Griffith, he appeared in ''The Birth of a Nation'' (1915) and '' Intolerance'' (1916) before givi ...
, and
Lambert Hillyer
Lambert Harwood Hillyer (July 8, 1893 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director and screenwriter.
Biography
Lambert Harwood Hillyer was born July 8, 1893, in Tyner, Indiana. His mother was character actress Lydia Knott. A graduate of ...
, was a resourceful director who could be relied upon to deliver a professional-quality feature film on ever-decreasing budgets. Fraser was exceptionally adept in this regard, as both a director and scriptwriter. He became the favorite director of the
Weiss Brothers
Louis Weiss (December 21, 1890 – December 14, 1963, Los Angeles) was an American independent producer of low-budget comedies, westerns, serials, and exploitation films.
Early life
Louis Weiss was born in New York City and left school after thi ...
, who usually worked with tight schedules and rock-bottom budgets, and padded out their features with reels of footage taken from Weiss's older films. Fraser would be assigned to work the old films into new storylines.
Fraser's efficiency was noted by the serial unit at
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
, where he worked as a second-unit director and scriptwriter for ''
The Spider Returns
''The Spider Returns'' is a 1941 15-chapter Columbia movie serial based on the pulp magazine character The Spider. It was the fourteenth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and a sequel to their 1938 serial '' The Spider's Web''. The first ep ...
'' (1941), ''
Batman'' (1943), and ''
Chick Carter, Detective'' (1946), among other cliffhangers.
Fraser died in 1974 in
Pomona, California
Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Pol ...
, eight days past his 85th birthday.
Partial filmography
![Jungle Menace (1937) film poster 01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Jungle_Menace_%281937%29_film_poster_01.jpg)
* ''
The Iron Claw'' (1916)
* ''
The Mystery of the Double Cross'' (1917)
* ''
Burn 'Em Up Barnes
''Burn 'Em Up Barnes'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code movie serial produced and distributed by Mascot Pictures, along with a feature version of the serial bearing the same title. It was a loose remake of the 1921 silent film of the same name.
Cas ...
'' (1921)
* ''Sky's the Limit'' (1925)
* ''
West of Mojave'' (1925)
* ''
Soft Cushions
''Soft Cushions'' is a 1927 American comedy film directed by Edward F. Cline and featuring Boris Karloff. It is a comic take by actor and producer Douglas MacLean on the 1911 play '' Kismet'' and the 1920 silent film adaptation. It is listed ...
'' (1927)
* ''
Cactus Trails'' (1927)
* ''
The Lone Defender'' (1930)
* ''
Wings of Adventure
''Wings of Adventure'' is a 1930 American action adventure film directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Rex Lease, Armida and Clyde Cook. Fetrow p.753 It was produced and distributed by Tiffany Pictures.
Cast
* Rex Lease as Dave Kent
* Armi ...
'' (1930)
* ''
The Montana Kid
''The Montana Kid'' is a 1931 pre-Code American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser starring the team of Bill Cody and Andy Shuford. p. 217 Pitts, Michael R.''Western Movies: A Guide to 5,105 Feature Films, 2nd edition'' McFarland Januar ...
'' (1931)
* ''
Land of Wanted Men
''Land of Wanted Men'' is a 1931 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Bill Cody, Sheila Bromley and Gibson Gowland.Pitts p.177
Cast
* Bill Cody as Silent Saunders
* Andy Shuford as Mickey
* Sheila Bromley as Cynt ...
'' (1931)
* ''
The Savage Girl'' (1932)
* ''
Without Honor'' (1932)
* ''
Border Devils'' (1932)
* ''
Ghost City'' (1932)
* ''
Mason of the Mounted
''Mason of the Mounted'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser. It was the fourth Monogram Pictures eight-film Western film series "the Bill and Andy series" with Bill Cody co-starring with child actor Andy Shu ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Law of the North
''Law of the North'' is a 1932 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Bill Cody, Andy Shuford and Nadine Dore.Pitts p.184 It was the penultimate Monogram Pictures eight-film Western film series "the Bill and Andy series" ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Vanishing Men
Vanishing Men is a 1932 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Tom Tyler, Adele Lacy, and Raymond Keane. The film depicts the story of Russ Whitely (Keane), a young man who has become involved with cattle rustling, his co ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Honor of the Mounted'' (1932)
* ''
The Night Rider'' (1932)
* ''
Broadway to Cheyenne
''Broadway to Cheyenne'' is a 1932 American pre-Code Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser. The film is also known as ''From Broadway to Cheyenne'' (American poster title). The film successfully combines the Western with the gangster film ...
'' (1932)
* ''
Breed of the Border'' (1933)
* ''
The Fugitive'' (1933)
* ''
The Wolf Dog
''The Wolf Dog'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Mascot film serial directed by Colbert Clark and Harry L. Fraser and starring Frankie Darro and Rin Tin Tin, Jr. The plot concerns a young boy becoming the heir to a fortune and a villain attempting t ...
'' (1933)
* ''
Diamond Trail'' (1933)
* ''
The Fighting Parson'' (1933)
* ''
The Return of Casey Jones
The Return of Casey Jones is a 1933 American Pre-Code action adventure film directed by John P. McCarthy, written by Harry L. Fraser and starring Charles Starrett and Ruth Hall. The film is based on the story of the same name by John Johns, pu ...
'' (1933)
* ''
The Gallant Fool'' (1933)
* ''
Galloping Romeo'' (1933)
* ''
Randy Rides Alone'' (1934)
* ''
Fighting Through'' (1934)
* ''
'Neath the Arizona Skies'' (1934)
* ''
Social Error
''Social Error'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring David Sharpe, Gertrude Messinger and Monte Blue.Pitts p.129-30 It was re-released by Astor Pictures in 1948.
Main cast
* David Sharpe as Edward 'Eddie' B ...
'' (1935)
* ''
The Tonto Kid'' (1935)
* ''
Wagon Trail'' (1935)
* ''
Five Bad Men
''Five Bad Men'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Clifford S. Smith, starring Noah Beery Jr., Bill Patton, and Jay Wilsey.
Cast
* Noah Beery Jr. as Gene Taggart
* Bill Patton as Bad man
* Jay Wilsey (credited as Buffalo Bill Jr ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Rustler's Paradise
''Rustler's Paradise'' is a 1935 American western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Harry Carey, Gertrude Messinger and Edmund Cobb. It was produced by the Poverty Row studio Ajax Pictures for release as a second feature.Pitts p.17 I ...
'' (1935)
* ''
Ghost Town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Hair-Trigger Casey
''Hair-Trigger Casey'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser.
Cast
* Jack Perrin as Capt. Jim "Hair-Trigger" Casey
* Starlight the Horse as Casey's Horse
* Betty Mack as Jane Elkins
* Ed Cassidy as Karney
* Fred "Snowflake ...
'' (1936)
* ''
Aces Wild'' (1936)
* ''
Heroes of the Alamo
Heroes of the Alamo (1937) is a low-budget retelling of the events of the Texas Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo. It was produced by Anthony J. Xydias and reuses the battle scenes of his 1926 silent film ''Davy Crockett at the Fall of ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Jungle Menace
''Jungle Menace'' (1937) is the first serial released by Columbia Pictures.
Based on the success of Republic Pictures's 1936 serial '' Darkest Africa'', starring real-life animal trainer Clyde Beatty, Columbia made this exotic jungle serial ...
'' (1937)
* ''
Spirit of Youth
''Spirit of Youth'' is a 1938 boxing film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring then-heavyweight world champion Joe Louis in a story with similarities to his own real life. (According to IMDb, the Spanish title is ''La vida de Joe Louis'', w ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Songs and Saddles
''Songs and Saddles'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser.
Plot
Cast
*Gene Austin as Gene Austin
*Lynne Berkeley as Carol Turner
*Henry Roquemore as Lawyer Jed Hill
*Walter Wills as Pop Turner
*Ted Claire as Mark Bow ...
'' (1938)
* ''
Lure of the Wasteland'' (1939)
* ''
The Spider Returns
''The Spider Returns'' is a 1941 15-chapter Columbia movie serial based on the pulp magazine character The Spider. It was the fourteenth of the 57 serials released by Columbia and a sequel to their 1938 serial '' The Spider's Web''. The first ep ...
'' (1941)
* ''
The Old Chisholm Trail "The Old Chisholm Trail" is a cowboy song first published in 1910 by John Lomax in his book ''Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads''.
The song dates back to the 1870s, when it was among the most popular songs sung by cowboys during that era. Ba ...
'' (1942)
* ''
The Valley of Vanishing Men
''The Valley of Vanishing Men'' is a 1942 American Western film serial. It was the 20th of 57 released by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet, it stars Bill Elliott, Slim Summerville, and Carmen Morales.
Plot
In this serial, ...
'' (1942)
* ''
Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground'' (1943)
* ''
Batman'' (1943 serial)
* ''
Captain America'' (1944 serial)
* ''
Brand of the Devil
''Brand of the Devil'' is a 1944 American Western film written by Elmer Clifton and directed by Harry L. Fraser. The film stars Dave O'Brien, James Newill and Guy Wilkerson, with Ellen Hall, I. Stanford Jolley and Charles King. The film was re ...
'' (1944)
* ''
Gunsmoke Mesa
''Gunsmoke Mesa'' is a 1944 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and written by Elmer Clifton. The film stars Dave O'Brien, James Newill, Guy Wilkerson, Patti McCarty, Jack Ingram and Kermit Maynard. The film was released on Se ...
'' (1944)
* ''
I Accuse My Parents
''I Accuse My Parents'' is a 1944 American exploitation film dealing with juvenile delinquency. Produced by PRC, the film was used to teach morals, specifically that parents should take an interest in their children's lives, as well as the conse ...
'' (1944)
* ''
The Whispering Skull'' (1944)
* ''
Enemy of the Law'' (1945)
* ''
The White Gorilla
''The White Gorilla'' is a 1945 American film directed by Harry L. Fraser and starring Ray Corrigan, Lorraine Miller, and Clyde Beatty. The film was made by re-editing the 1927 silent film '' Perils of the Jungle'', and adding new footage as a fr ...
'' (1945)
* ''
Flaming Bullets'' (1945)
* ''
Navajo Kid
''Navajo Kid'' is a 1945 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser for Alexander-Stern Productions and starring Bob Steele as the titular character, Syd Salor and Ed Cassidy. It was distributed by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) ...
'' (1945)
* ''
Six Gun Man'' (1946)
* ''
Chick Carter, Detective'' (1946)
* ''
Son of the Guardsman'' (1946)
* ''
Tex Granger
''Tex Granger'' is a 1948 American Western film serial featuring the title character as a masked cowboy referred to as ''The Midnight Rider of the Plains'' in the serial's subtitle. It was based on a character from the comic ''Calling All Boys' ...
'' (1948)
* ''
Chained for Life'' (1951)
* ''
Abilene Trail The Abilene Trail was a cattle trail leading from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. Its exact route is disputed owing to its many offshoots, but it crossed the Red River just east of Henrietta, Texas, and continued north across the Indian Territory to Cald ...
'' (1951)
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fraser, Harry L.
1889 births
1974 deaths
American film directors