Sidney Lanfield (April 20, 1898 – June 20, 1972) was an American film director known for directing romances and light comedy films and later television programs. The one-time jazz musician and vaudevillian star started his first directing job for the Fox Film Corporation in 1930; he went on to direct a number of films for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. In 1941, he directed the

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

film ''

You'll Never Get Rich ''You'll Never Get Rich'' is a 1941 Hollywood musical comedy film with a wartime theme directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Robert Benchley, Cliff Nazarro, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The title stems f ...

'' for

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 ...

, then moved to Paramount Pictures. There Lanfield worked on a number of film comedies. He is probably best remembered for directing actor

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

in a number of films including '' My Favorite Blonde'' (1942), ''

Let's Face It '' Let's Face It'' is the fifth studio album by American ska punk band The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. It was released on March 11, 1997 by Mercury Records and Big Rig Records. The album sold very well due to the success of its single " The Impres ...

'' (1943), '' Where There's Life'' (1947), and '' The Lemon Drop Kid'' (1951). Lanfield's most profitable film, however, was the first teaming of Basil Rathbone and

Nigel Bruce William Nigel Ernle Bruce (4 February 1895 – 8 October 1953) was a British character actor on stage and screen. He was best known for his portrayal of Dr. Watson in a series of films and in the radio series ''The New Adventures of Sherlock ...

as Holmes and Watson in 1939's ''

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''. In the early 1950s the reputedly strict taskmaster-director moved to television where his vaudeville and comic background in films were put to use in television comedies including ''

Where's Raymond? ''Where's Raymond?'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC, starring Ray Bolger. The series aired from October 1953 to April 22, 1955. The series' title was spurred by Bolger's Broadway stage hit '' Where's Charley?''. In the 1954–1955 seas ...

'', ''

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'' and ''

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''. Lanfield was married to film actress Shirley Mason from 1927 until his death in 1972.''George Raft: The Films''
/ref> He is interred in the

Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery Pierce Brothers Westwood Village Memorial Park & Mortuary is a cemetery and mortuary located in the Westwood Village area of Los Angeles. It is located at 1218 Glendon Avenue in Westwood, with an entrance from Glendon Avenue. The cemetery was ...

in Los Angeles. Lanfield was also known as Sidney Landfield.

Selected filmography

* ''

Don't Marry ''Don't Marry'' is a 1928 American silent comedy film directed by James Tinling and starring Lois Moran, Neil Hamilton, and Henry Kolker.Solomon p.309 Plot A flapper masquerades as her strait-laced cousin to try and impress a potential suitor. ...

'' (1928) * '' Broadway Bad'' (1933) * '' Red Salute'' (1935) * ''

King of Burlesque ''King of Burlesque'' is a 1936 musical film about a former burlesque producer played by Warner Baxter who moves into a legitimate theatre and does very well, until he marries a socialite. Sammy Lee received an Academy Award nomination for the n ...

'' (1936) * ''

Sing, Baby, Sing ''Sing, Baby, Sing'' is a 1936 American film. Richard A. Whiting and Walter Bullock received an Academy Award nomination in Best Original Song at the 9th Academy Awards for their song "When Did You Leave Heaven". Plot After Joan Warren (Alice ...

'' (1936) * ''

Love and Hisses ''Love and Hisses'' is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Sidney Lanfield and starring Walter Winchell, Ben Bernie and Simone Simon. It is the sequel to the film ''Wake Up and Live''.Lev p.24 Twentieth Century Fox's Darryl F. Zanuck w ...

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1939) * '' Second Fiddle'' (1939) * '' Swanee River'' (1939) * '' The Lady Has Plans'' (1942) * ''

Standing Room Only An event is described as standing-room only when it is so well-attended that all of the chairs in the venue are occupied, leaving only flat spaces of pavement or flooring for other attendees to stand, at least those spaces not restricted by occup ...

'' (1944) * '' Station West'' (1948) * '' The Lemon Drop Kid'' (1951)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lanfield, Sidney American film directors 1898 births 1972 deaths Burials at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery