William Nigh (October 12, 1881 – November 27, 1955) was an American

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

, and

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye".

Biography

Nigh was born Emil Kreuske''Silent Film Necrology'', p. 393 2nd edition c.2001 by Eugene Michael Vazzana in

Berlin, Wisconsin Berlin is a city in Green Lake and Waushara counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 5,571 at the 2020 census. Of this, 5,435 were in Green Lake County, and only 89 were in Waushara County. The city is located mostly within t ...

. He began his film career as an actor, appearing in 17 films in 1913 and 1914; he also directed one of these, ''

Salomy Jane Salomy Jane may refer to: *" Salomy Jane's Kiss", an 1889 western short story by Bret Harte, included in ''Stories of Light and Shadow'' (1898) * ''Salomy Jane'' (play), a 1907 stage adaptation by Paul Armstrong *"Salomy Jane", a 1910 western nove ...

''. He acted in eight more films in the 1910s and two more in the 1920s, but he is known mainly as a director, and an extremely prolific one at that, with a total output of 119 films, the last in 1948. Most of his directorial output was in the "B"-movie category, and he worked mainly for lower-rung studios such as Monogram Pictures (where he directed several "Charlie Chan" and "

East Side Kids The East Side Kids were characters in a series of 22 films released by Monogram Pictures from 1940 through 1945. Many of them were originally part of The Dead End Kids and The Little Tough Guys, and several of them later became members of The ...

" films) and

Producers Releasing Corporation Producers Releasing Corporation was the smallest and least prestigious of the Hollywood film studios of the 1940s. It was considered a prime example of what was called "Poverty Row": a low-rent stretch of Gower Street in Hollywood where shoest ...

, although he did occasionally work for such "majors" as

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orphe ...

and such "mini-majors" and "minors" as

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

and Republic Pictures. His film-writing credits numbered 18, mostly concentrated early in his career. His films included ''

Mr. Wise Guy ''Mr. Wise Guy'' is a 1942 American film starring The East Side Kids and directed by William Nigh. Plot In New York, the East Side youth gang, consisting of: Muggs McGinnis, Danny Collins, Glimpy Stone, Scruno, Skinny, and Peewee are falsely ar ...

'', ''Thunder'', '' Black Dragons'', ''Corregidor'', ''

Mr. Wong, Detective ''Mr. Wong, Detective'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by William Nigh and starring Boris Karloff in his first appearance as Mr. Wong.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p. 223-224 Plot Simon D ...

'', ''

The Mystery of Mr. Wong ''The Mystery of Mr. Wong'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by William Nigh and starring Boris Karloff.Stephen Jacobs, ''Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster'', Tomahawk Press 2011 p 244 The film is the second in the series of Mr. Wong. ...

'', '' Mr. Wong in Chinatown'', ''

Lady from Chungking ''Lady from Chungking'' is a 1942 American war film. Plot In World War II, Chinese guerrillas fight against the occupying Japanese forces. A young woman is the secret leader of the villagers, who plot to rescue two downed Flying Tigers pilots ...

'', '' The Fatal Hour'', '' The Ape'', '' Doomed to Die'', ''

Lord Byron of Broadway ''Lord Byron of Broadway'' (1930), also known as ''What Price Melody?'', is an American Pre-Code musical drama film, directed by Harry Beaumont and William Nigh. It was based on a best selling book by Nell Martin, which "was widely praised by ...

'', and ''

Casey of the Coast Guard ''Casey of the Coast Guard'' was a 1926 American silent action film serial released in ten chapters, directed by William Nigh and written by Lewis Allen Browne. The film is now presumed lost. Plot John Casey ( George O'Hara) is a Coast Guard ...

''. Nigh died in

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

at the age of 74.

Partial filmography

Director

* ''

'' (1914) * ''

Mignon ''Mignon'' is an 1866 ''opéra comique'' (or opera in its second version) in three acts by Ambroise Thomas. The original French libretto was by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, based on Goethe's 1795-96 novel '' Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre''. ...

'' (1915) * ''

A Royal Family ''A Royal Family'' is a 1915 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Fuller Mellish, Montagu Love and Anna Murdock.Parish & Pitts p.293 It is also sometimes alternatively titled ''The Royal Family''. Cast * Fuller Mell ...

'' (1915) * ''

Emmy of Stork's Nest ''Emmy of Stork's Nest'' is a 1915 silent film directed by William Nigh and starring Mary Miles Minter. The film is based on the novel ''Stork's Nest'' by J. Breckenridge Ellis and was shot on location in the Pocono Mountains. Plot As describe ...

'' (1915) * ''

A Yellow Streak ''A Yellow Streak'' is a 1915 American silent Western film directed by William Nigh and starring Lionel Barrymore, Irene Howley and Niles Welch.Nevins & Keller, p. 130. Plot After a Wall Street broker is ruined by his wife's lover, a busines ...

'' (1915) * ''

Her Debt of Honor ''Her Debt of Honor'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Valli Valli, William B. Davidson and John Goldsworthy.Parish & Pitts p.293 Cast * Valli Valli as Marian Delmar * William B. Davidson as John Hartf ...

'' (1916) * ''

The Kiss of Hate ''The Kiss of Hate'' is a lost 1916 silent film drama starring Ethel Barrymore and H. Cooper Cliffe. The film had exclusive engagements, sometimes playing for only a day. Plot The story takes place in Czarist Russia and concerns an anti-Semit ...

'' (1916) * ''

The Child of Destiny ''The Child of Destiny'' is a lost 1916 silent film drama directed by William Nigh and starring Irene Fenwick. It was produced and distributed by Metro Pictures. Cast * Irene Fenwick - Alita *Madame Ganna Walska - Constance (aka Ganna Walska) * ...

'' (1916) * ''

Notorious Gallagher ''Notorious Gallagher'' is a 1916 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Nigh, Marguerite Snow and Robert Elliott.Parish & Pitts p.293 Cast * William Nigh as Buttsy Gallagher * Jules Cowles as Michael Gallagher * Roy ...

'' (1916) * '' Life's Shadows'' (1916) * '' The Blue Streak'' (1917) * '' The Slave'' (1917) * ''

Wife Number Two ''Wife Number Two'' is a 1917 American silent drama film feature directed and written by William Nigh. The film starred Valeska Suratt, vamp rival to Theda Bara on the Fox lot, and was Suratt's penultimate silent film performance. The film is now ...

'' (1917) * ''

Thou Shalt Not Steal "Thou shalt not steal" is one of the Ten Commandments of the Jewish Torah (known to Christians as the first five books of the Old Testament), which are widely understood as moral imperatives by legal scholars, Jewish scholars, Catholic scholars ...

'' (1917) * ''

My Four Years in Germany ''My Four Years in Germany'' is a 1918 American silent war drama film that is notable as being the first film produced by the four Warner Brothers, Harry, Sam, Albert, and Jack, though the title card clearly reads "My Four Years In Germany Inc. ...

'' (1918) * '' The Fighting Roosevelts'' (1919) * '' Beware!'' (1919) * '' School Days'' (1921) * '' Skinning Skinners'' (1921) * '' Why Girls Leave Home'' (1921) * ''

Notoriety Notorious means well known for a negative trait, characteristic, or action. It may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Notorious'' (1946 film), a thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock * ''Notorious'' (1992 film), a TV film re ...

'' (1922) * '' Your Best Friend'' (1922) * ''

Marriage Morals ''Marriage Morals'' is a 1923 American silent romantic drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Tom Moore, Ann Forrest and Harry T. Morey.Munden p.494 Cast * Tom Moore as Young Harry Ryan * Ann Forrest as Mary Gardner * Russell Gri ...

'' (1923) * '' Born Rich'' (1924) * '' Fear-Bound'' (1925) * ''

'' (1926) * ''

The Fire Brigade ''The Fire Brigade'' (also known as ''Fire!'') is 1926 American silent drama film directed by William Nigh. The film stars May McAvoy and Charles Ray. ''The Fire Brigade'' originally contained sequences shot in two-color Technicolor. A print ...

'' (1926) * '' The Little Giant'' (1926) * '' The Nest'' (1927) * '' Mr. Wu'' (1927) * ''

Across to Singapore ''Across to Singapore'' is a 1928 American silent romantic drama film directed by William Nigh, and starring Ramon Novarro, Joan Crawford and Ernest Torrence. The plot involves a love triangle between a woman and two brothers, set on board sh ...

'' (1928) * '' Four Walls'' (1928) * ''

The Law of the Range ''The Law of the Range'' is a 1928 American silent Western film starring Tim McCoy and Joan Crawford and Rex Lease. Plot Betty Dallas (Crawford) is a passenger on a stagecoach that is held up by an outlaw named The Solitaire Kid (Lease). Ra ...

'' (1928) * ''

Desert Nights ''Desert Nights'' (also known as ''Thirst'') is a 1929 American silent adventure/romantic drama film starring John Gilbert, Ernest Torrence, and Mary Nolan. Directed by William Nigh, the film is the last silent film starring John Gilbert. Plo ...

'' (1929) * ''

'' (1930) * ''

Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 ...

'' (1930) * '' Fighting Thru'' (1930) * ''

The Single Sin ''The Single Sin'' is a 1931 American Pre-code drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Kay Johnson, Bert Lytell and Paul Hurst. It was produced and released by the independent company Tiffany Pictures. Synopsis Struggling actress Ka ...

'' (1931) * ''

The Lightning Flyer ''The Lightning Flyer'' is a 1931 American pre-Code action film directed by William Nigh and starring James Hall, Dorothy Sebastian and Robert Homans.Martin p.188 Plot After graduating from college, the son of a railroad president takes a job ...

'' (1931) * '' Border Devils'' (1932) * ''

Men Are Such Fools ''Men are Such Fools'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy directed by Busby Berkeley and written by Norman Reilly Raine and Horace Jackson. The film stars Wayne Morris, Priscilla Lane, Humphrey Bogart, Hugh Herbert, Johnnie Davis, and Penny Sin ...

'' (1932) * ''

He Couldn't Take It ''He Couldn't Take It'' is a 1933 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and starring Ray Walker, Virginia Cherrill and George E. Stone.Fetrow p.263 The script was written by Dore Schary and George Waggner and was made for Monogram Pict ...

'' (1933) * ''

City Limits City limits or city boundaries refer to the defined boundary or border of a city. The area within the city limit can be called the city proper. Town limit/boundary and village limit/boundary apply to towns and villages. Similarly, corporate limi ...

'' (1934) * ''

Mystery Liner ''Mystery Liner'' is a 1934 American Pre-Code film directed by William Nigh, starring Noah Beery, Sr., and based on an Edgar Wallace story originally published in the ''Saturday Evening Post'' in 1924. The film was entered as a feature attracti ...

'' (1934) * '' Two Heads on a Pillow'' (1934) *'' Once to Every Bachelor'' (1934) * ''

School for Girls ''School for Girls'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Sidney Fox, Paul Kelly and Lois Wilson.

'' (1935) * ''

The Headline Woman ''The Headline Woman'' is a 1935 American crime film directed by William Nigh and starring Heather Angel and Ford Sterling. The film is also known as ''The Woman in the Case'' in the United Kingdom. Cast * Heather Angel as Myrna Van Buren *R ...

'' (1935) * '' Without Children'' (1935) * '' She Gets Her Man'' (1935) * ''

Bill Cracks Down ''Bill Cracks Down'' is a 1937 American action romantic drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Grant Withers, Beatrice Roberts, Ranny Weeks and Judith Allen. It was produced and distributed by Republic Pictures. The film was released u ...

'' (1937) * ''

The 13th Man ''The 13th Man'', also known as ''The Thirteenth Man'', is a 1937 American mystery film directed by William Nigh and starring Weldon Heyburn, Inez Courtney and Selmer Jackson. It was the first film released by the relaunched Monogram Pictures af ...

'' (1937) * ''

Boy of the Streets ''Boy of the Streets'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by William Nigh and written by Gilson Brown and Scott Darling. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Maureen O'Connor, Kathleen Burke, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Marjorie Main and Matty Fain. Th ...

'' (1937) * ''

A Bride for Henry ''A Bride for Henry'' is a 1937 American film directed by William Nigh based on the Josephine Bentham short story of the same name that was published in Liberty Magazine. Authors such as James Cox and Kylo-Patrick Hart have cited ''A Bride for H ...

'' (1937) * ''

Rose of the Rio Grande ''Rose of the Rio Grande'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by William Nigh and starring Movita Castaneda as Rosita de la Torre. Plot When killers come after her wealthy brother Don Jose, she narrowly escapes with Sebastian and hides ...

'' (1938) * '' Female Fugitive'' (1938) * ''

Romance of the Limberlost ''Romance of the Limberlost'' is a 1938 American drama film directed by William Nigh and starring Jean Parker, Eric Linden, and Marjorie Main. Plot Laurie is reprimanded by her Aunt Nora and Chris being beaten by his adopted father Corson. Wh ...

'' (1938) * ''

Gangster's Boy ''Gangster's Boy'' is a 1938 American film directed by William Nigh. It stars Jackie Cooper in his second film for Monogram Pictures. The film was positively received, and has been released on DVD. Plot High school student Larry Kelly's father T ...

'' (1938) * ''

I Am a Criminal ''I Am a Criminal'' is a 1938 American crime film directed by William Nigh and written by John W. Krafft. The film stars John Carroll (actor), John Carroll, Kay Linaker, Craig Reynolds (actor), Craig Reynolds, Martin Spellman, Lester Matthews and ...

'' (1938) * ''

'' (1939) * '' Streets of New York'' (1939) * '' Mr. Wong in Chinatown'' (1939) * ''

Mutiny in the Big House ''Mutiny in the Big House'' is a 1939 American film directed by William Nigh. Plot Father Joe Collins is a kindly but realistic prison chaplain who tries to bring some humanity behind the grim walls of a major penitentiary. One of his success ...

'' (1939) * '' The Fatal Hour'' (1940) * '' Doomed to Die'' (1940) * '' The Ape'' (1940) * '' Son of the Navy'' (1940) * '' No Greater Sin'' (1941) * ''

The Kid from Kansas ''The Kid from Kansas '' is a 1941 American drama set on a fictional island banana plantation owned by Juan Garcia Pancho (Leo Carrillo). Foreman Andy (Andy Devine) befriends newcomer Kansas (Dick Foran), but Pancho is leery of the stranger. Sab ...

'' (1941) * ''

Secret Evidence Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' (1941) * ''

Zis Boom Bah ''Zis Boom Bah'', also known as ''College Sweethearts'', is a 1941 American musical comedy film directed by William Nigh, and starring Grace Hayes, Peter Lind Hayes and Mary Healy. The plot concerns a vaudeville singer who comes to a flounderin ...

'' (1941) * '' Mob Town'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) * '' Black Dragons'' (1942) * '' Escape from Hong Kong'' (1942) * '' Tough As They Come'' (1942) * ''

City of Silent Men ''City of Silent Men'' is a 1942 American crime film directed by William Nigh and written by Joseph Hoffman. The film stars Frank Albertson, June Lang, Jan Wiley, Richard Clarke, William Gould and Emmett Lynn. The film was released on October ...

'' (1942) * ''

The Strange Case of Doctor Rx ''The Strange Case of Doctor Rx'' is a 1942 black-and-white murder mystery/ horror B film by Universal Studios directed by William Nigh and starring Patric Knowles, Lionel Atwill, Anne Gwynne, Ray "Crash" Corrigan and Samuel S. Hinds. Although ...

'' (1942) * '' Corregidor'' (1943) * '' The Underdog'' (1943) * '' Where Are Your Children?'' (1943) * '' Trocadero'' (1944) * '' Are These Our Parents?'' (1944) * ''

Divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...

'' (1945) * ''

Allotment Wives ''Allotment Wives'' is a 1945 American film noir directed by William Nigh and starring Kay Francis. Its plot is about an army investigator who tries to shut down a scam that preys on soldiers, and unknowingly falls in love with the woman behin ...

'' (1945) * '' Forever Yours'' (1945) * '' Beauty and the Bandit'' (1946) * ''

Partners in Time ''Partners in Time'' is a 1946 American comedy film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles E. Roberts. The film stars Chester Lauck, Norris Goff, Pamela Blake, John James, Teala Loring and Danny Duncan. The film was released on April 25 ...

'' (1946) * ''

South of Monterey ''South of Monterey'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles S. Belden. The film stars Gilbert Roland, Martin Garralaga, Frank Yaconelli, Marjorie Riordan, Iris Flores and George J. Lewis. The film wa ...

'' (1946) * '' The Gay Cavalier'' (1946) * ''

Riding the California Trail ''Riding the California Trail'' is a 1947 American Western film directed by William Nigh and written by Clarence Upson Young. The film stars Gilbert Roland as the Cisco Kid, Martin Garralaga, Frank Yaconelli, Teala Loring, Inez Cooper and Ted ...

'' (1947) * '' I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes'' (1948) * '' Stage Struck'' (1948)

Actor

* ''

Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to crucifixion of Jesus, his cru ...

'' (1914) * ''

'' (1914) - Rufe Waters * ''A Royal Family'' (1915) - Minister of Police * ''Her Debt of Honor'' (1916) - Olin Varcoe * ''Notorious Gallagher; or, His Great Triumph'' (1916) - Buttsy Gallagher * ''Life's Shadows'' (1916) - Martin Bradley * ''The Blue Streak'' (1917) - The Blue Streak * ''

'' (1918) - Socialist * ''

The Rainbow Trail ''The Rainbow Trail'', also known as ''The Desert Crucible'', is Western author Zane Grey's sequel to ''Riders of the Purple Sage''. Originally published under the title ''The Rainbow Trail'' in 1915, it was re-edited and re-released in recent ...

'' (1918) - Shad * '' Beware!'' (1919) - German Officer * ''Democracy: The Vision Restored'' (1920) - David Fortune * ''Among the Missing'' (1923) - The Deserter * '' Fear-Bound'' (1925) - Jim Tumble (final film role)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nigh, William 1881 births 1955 deaths People from Berlin, Wisconsin Male actors from Wisconsin American film directors 20th-century American male actors Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)