William Pitt Striker Earle (December 28, 1882 – November 30, 1972) was an American director of the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

era. He attended

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

and worked for a time as a photographer before breaking into the movie business by sneaking onto the lot of

Vitagraph Company of America Vitagraph Studios, also known as the Vitagraph Company of America, was a United States motion picture studio. It was founded by J. Stuart Blackton and Albert E. Smith in 1897 in Brooklyn, New York, as the American Vitagraph Company. By 1907, ...

to observe how directors worked. After a few days of this, Earle approached the studio president and was given his first movie to direct, ''For the Honor of the Crew'', a short about a crew race at Columbia University. He subsequently directed a number of features and shorts for Vitagraph. Later he worked with producer David O. Selznick. Earle founded his own, short-lived production company called Amex Production Corporation with J. S. Joffe, and shot the final two films of his career in Mexico.

Personal life

Earle was born in New York City. He was the son of Ferdinand P. Earle, a hotelier and military officer. He married Valerie Damon De Blois in 1905. They divorced in 1915. He next married English actress Blanche Taylor, who later went by the name "Bonnie Earle", and was with him until her death in 1952. Earle's last wife was former actress Evangeline Russell Blackton, the widow of Vitagraph executive J. Stuart Blackton. She died in 1966.

Feature filmography

*'' The Law Decides'' co-directed with Marguerite Bertsch (1916) *''

The Scarlet Runner ''The Scarlet Runner'' is a 1916 American drama film serial directed by William P. S. Earle and Wally Van. The film is considered lost. Plot A series of 12 two-reel episodes, each a separate story related to the adventures of Christopher Race ...

'' co-directed with

Wally Van Wally Van (born Charles Wallace Van Nostrand; September 27, 1880 – May 9, 1974) was an American actor and film director of the silent era. Early years Van was born Charles Wallace Van Nostrand on September 27, 1880, in New Hyde Park, ...

(1916) *'' Whom the Gods Destroy'' co-directed with J. Stuart Blackton,

Herbert Brenon Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through the 1930s. Brenon was among the early film ...

(1916) *'' The Courage of Silence'' (1917) *''

Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation ''Womanhood, the Glory of the Nation'' is a 1917 American lost silent drama film directed by J. Stuart Blackton and William P. S. Earle, and written by Blackton, Helmer W. Bergman, and Cyrus Townsend Brady. It is a sequel to the 1915 movie ''T ...

'' co-directed with J. Stuart Blackton (1917) *'' Within the Law'' (1917) *''

Mary Jane's Pa ''Mary Jane's Pa'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by William Keighley and written by Tom Reed and Peter Milne. The film stars Aline MacMahon, Guy Kibbee, Tom Brown, Robert McWade, Minor Watson, and Nan Grey. The film was released by ...

'' co-directed with

Charles Brabin Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director. Biography Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New York City in the early 1900s and, while hold ...

(1917) *'' I Will Repay'' (1917) *''

Who Goes There? ''Who Goes There?'' is a 1938 science fiction horror novella by American author John W. Campbell, written under the pen name Don A. Stuart. Its story follows a group of people trapped in a scientific research outpost in Antarctica with shap ...

'' (1917) *'' His Own People'' (1917) *'' The Wooing of Princess Pat'' (1918) *'' Little Miss No-Account'' (1918) *'' The Little Runaway'' (1918) *'' Heredity'' (1918) *'' T'Other Dear Charmer'' (1918) *''

The Love Hunger ''The Love Hunger'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Lillian Walker, Lee Shumway and Herbert Prior.Goble p.145 Cast * Lillian Walker as Fran * Lee Shumway as Abbott Ashton * Herbert Prior as ...

'' (1919) *'' The Better Wife'' (1919) *''

The Lone Wolf's Daughter ''The Lone Wolf's Daughter'' is a surviving 1919 American silent era crime/drama/thriller motion picture starring Bertram Grassby, Louise Glaum, and Thomas Holding. Directed by William P.S. Earle and produced by J. Parker Read, Jr., the scree ...

'' (1919) *'' The Broken Melody'' (1919) *'' The Woman Game'' (1920) *'' Whispers'' (1920) *''

The Dangerous Paradise ''The Dangerous Paradise'' is a 1920 American silent comedy drama film directed by William P. S. Earle and starring Louise Huff, Harry Benham, and Ida Darling.Matthew Kennedy. ''Edmund Goulding's Dark Victory: Hollywood's Genius Bad Boy''. Ter ...

'' (1920) *''

The Road of Ambition ''The Road of Ambition'' is a 1920 American silent film, silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Conway Tearle, Florence Dixon and Gladden James.Katchmer p.934 Cast * Conway Tearle as Bill Matthews * Florence Dixon as Daphne ...

'' (1920) *''

Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby ''Poor, Dear Margaret Kirby'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Elaine Hammerstein, Helen Lindroth and Warburton Gamble.Connelly p.397 It was produced by Selznick Pictures and shot at the company' ...

'' (1921) *''

Gilded Lies ''Gilded Lies'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Eugene O'Brien, Martha Mansfield and Frank Whitson.Munden p.289 Cast * Eugene O'Brien as Keene McComb * Martha Mansfield as Hester Thorpe * Frank ...

'' (1921) * '' The Last Door'' (1921) *'' The Way of a Maid'' (1921) * '' Love's Masquerade'' (1922) *''

Destiny's Isle ''Destiny's Isle'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by William P.S. Earle and starring Virginia Lee, Ward Crane and Florence Billings.Munden p.183 Cast * Virginia Lee as Lola Whitaker * Ward Crane as Tom Proctor * Florence Bi ...

'' (1922) *'' The Dancer of the Nile'' (1923) *'' Tras las bambalinas del bataclan'' (1925) *'' Milagros de la Guadalupana'' (1926)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Earle, William P.S. 1882 births 1972 deaths Film directors from New York City Columbia University alumni