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William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and
military pilot An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...
. He was known for his work in
crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...
,
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
, and
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
genre films, often focusing on aviation themes, a particular passion. He also directed several well-regarded satirical comedies. His 1927 film, ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'', was the first film to an
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only category ...
at the
1st Academy Awards The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from 1 August 1927 to 31 July 1928 and took place on May 1 ...
ceremony."Dorothy Wellman dies at 95."
''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'', September 17, 2009. Retrieved: September 20, 2009.
Beginning his film career as an actor, he went on to direct over 80 films, at times co-credited as producer and consultant, from the
silent era A silent film is a film with no synchronized 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) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...
through the
Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome in Gloucestershir ...
. He was nominated for three Best Director Oscars – for the original ''A Star Is Born'' (1937), ''Battleground'' (1949), and ''The High and the Mighty'' (1954) – and won
Best Original Story Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...
for ''A Star is Born''. In 1973, he received the
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
's
Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...
. He was previously a decorated combat pilot during
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 ...
, serving in the
Lafayette Flying Corps The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name given to the American volunteer pilots who flew in the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. Numbers The ...
of the French Air Force, and earning a
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
with two palms for valorous action.


Early life

Wellman was born in Brookline, Massachusetts. His father, Arthur Gouverneur Wellman, was a
Boston Brahmin The Boston Brahmins or Boston elite are members of Boston's traditional upper class. They are often associated with Harvard University; Anglicanism; and traditional Anglo-American customs and clothing. Descendants of the earliest English colonis ...
. William was a five times great-grandson of
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
Thomas Wellman Thomas Wellman was born in about 1615 in England and died at Lynn, Massachusetts on 10 October 1672. He was among the early settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and progenitor of the Wellman family of New England. At age 21 he traveled from ...
, who emigrated to the
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
''circa'' 1640. He was also a great-great-great-grandson of
Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
-born
Francis Lewis Francis Lewis (March 21, 1713 – December 31, 1802) was an American merchant and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation as a representative of ...
of New York, one of the signatories to the
Declaration of Independence A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
. Wellman's mother, Cecilia McCarthy, was an Irish immigrant. During his teenage years, Wellman often found himself in trouble with authorities. He was expelled from Newton High School in Newtonville, Massachusetts for dropping a
stink bomb A stink bomb, sometimes called a stinkpot, is a device designed to create an unpleasant smell. They range in effectiveness from being used as simple pranks to military grade malodorants or riot control chemical agents. History A stink bomb ...
on the principal's head.FilmReference.co
William Wellman
/ref>
''Focus on Film'' #29. Retrieved: December 5, 2007.
He was also arrested and placed on
probation Probation in criminal law is a period of supervision over an offender, ordered by the court often in lieu of incarceration. In some jurisdictions, the term ''probation'' applies only to community sentences (alternatives to incarceration), such ...
for car theft.Krebs, Albion (1975). "William A. Wellman Dies; Directed Movie Classics", ''The New York Times'', December 11, 1975, p. 48.
ProQuest ProQuest LLC is an Ann Arbor, Michigan-based global information-content and technology company, founded in 1938 as University Microfilms by Eugene B. Power. ProQuest is known for its applications and information services for libraries, provid ...
Historical Newspapers (Ann Arbor, Michigan); subscription access through The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries.
His mother, who actually worked as a probation officer, was asked to address Congress on the subject of juvenile delinquency.Hopwood, Jon C
''William A. Wellman''.
''IMDB'' biography. Retrieved: July 19, 2008.
Later, young William worked as a salesman, as a general laborer in a lumber yard, and as a player on a minor-league hockey team.


World War I

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 ...
, Wellman enlisted in the Norton-Harjes Ambulance Corps to serve as a driver in Europe.Silke, James R. "Fists, Dames & Wings." ''Air Progress Aviation Review'', Volume 4, No. 4. October, 1980. pp. 57-58. While in Paris, Wellman joined the
French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...
and was assigned on December 3, 1917 as a fighter pilot, becoming the first American to join '' Escadrille N.87'' in the
Lafayette Flying Corps The Lafayette Flying Corps is a name given to the American volunteer pilots who flew in the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air) during World War I. It includes the pilots who flew with the bona fide Lafayette Escadrille squadron. Numbers The ...
(not the sub-unit
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
as usually stated), where he earned himself the nickname "Wild Bill", and was awarded the
Croix de Guerre The ''Croix de Guerre'' (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awa ...
with two palms.Curtiss, Thomas Quinn
"The Film Career of William Wellman."
'
International Herald Tribune The ''International Herald Tribune'' (''IHT'') was a daily English-language newspaper published in Paris, France for international English-speaking readers. It had the aim of becoming "the world's first global newspaper" and could fairly be said ...
'' (iht.com), February 9, 1994. Retrieved: December 5, 2007.
N.87, ''les Chats Noir'' (Black Cat Group) was stationed at
Lunéville Lunéville ( ; German, obsolete: ''Lünstadt'' ) is a commune in the northeastern French department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. It is a subprefecture of the department and lies on the river Meurthe at its confluence with the Vezouze. History Lun ...
in the Alsace-Lorraine sector and was equipped with
Nieuport 17 The Nieuport 17 C.1 (or Nieuport XVII C.1 in contemporary sources) was a French sesquiplane fighter designed and manufactured by the Nieuport company during World War I. An improvement over the Nieuport 11, it was a little larger than earlier N ...
and later
Nieuport 24 The Nieuport 24 (or Nieuport XXIV C.1 in contemporary sources) was a World War I French sesquiplane fighter aircraft designed by Gustave Delage as a development of the successful Nieuport 17. The Nieuport 24 had the misfortune to be the penult ...
"pursuit" aircraft. Wellman's combat experience culminated in three recorded "kills", along with five probables, although he was ultimately shot down by German anti-aircraft fire on March 21, 1918. Wellman survived the crash but he walked with a pronounced limp for the rest of his life. Wellman's air-combat credits include the following in 1918: * January 19: a German "
Rumpler Rumpler-Luftfahrzeugbau GmbH, Rumpler-Werke, usually known simply as Rumpler was a German aircraft and automobile manufacturer founded in Berlin by Austrian engineer Edmund Rumpler in 1909 as Rumpler Luftfahrzeugbau.Gunston 1993, p.259 The fir ...
" shot down in front of American lines in
Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...
by Wellman and Thomas Hitchcock. * January 20: a German "Rumpler" shot down near German airfield at Mamy, France; pilot killed/gunner escaped * March 8: forced two observers to jump from an observation balloon (attack unsuccessful; balloon taken down) * March 9: fired on a German "Rumpler" over Parroy; plane escaped, but rear gunner killed. * March 9: shot down a German "Rumpler"; killed rear gunner; pilot killed by airman Ruamps. * March 9: shot down a German " Albatros"; pilot killed; plane fell into American lines * March 17: shot down at least two +one German patrol planes; not confirmed as fight took place over German lines. * March 18: shot down a German "Rumpler;" not confirmed as fight took place over German lines. ''
Maréchal des logis () is a sub-officer rank used by some units of the French Armed Forces. It is traditionally a cavalry unit rank. There are three distinct ranks of ''maréchal des logis'', which are generally the equivalents of sergeant ranks (although they g ...
'' (Sergeant) Wellman received a medical discharge from the Foreign Legion and returned to the United States a few weeks later. He spoke at War Savings Stamp rallies in his French uniform. In September 1918 his book about French flight school and his eventful four months at the front, ''Go Get 'Em!'' (written by Wellman with the help of Eliot Harlow Robinson), was published. He joined the
United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...
, but was too late to fly for America in the war. Stationed at
Rockwell Field Rockwell Field is a former United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) military airfield, located northwest of the city of Coronado, California, on the northern part of the Coronado Peninsula across the bay from San Diego, California. This airfield ...
in San Diego, he taught combat tactics to new pilots.


Film career

While in San Diego, Wellman flew to Hollywood for the weekends in his Spad fighter, using
Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thie ...
' polo field in Bel Air as a landing strip. Fairbanks was fascinated with the true-life adventures of "Wild Bill" and promised to recommend him for a job in the movie business; he was responsible for Wellman being cast in the juvenile lead of ''The Knickerbocker Buckaroo'' (1919). Wellman was hired for the role of a young officer in ''
Evangeline ''Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie'' is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, written in English and published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during t ...
'' (1919), but he was fired for slapping
Miriam Cooper Miriam Cooper (born Marian Cooper; November 7, 1891 – April 12, 1976) was a silent film actress who is best known for her work in early film including ''The Birth of a Nation'' and '' Intolerance'' for D. W. Griffith and ''The Honor System'' a ...
, the film's star and also the wife of the production’s director, Raoul Walsh. Wellman hated being an actor, thinking it an "unmanly" profession,TC
"William A. Wellman Biography."
TCM Retrieved: September 20, 2009.
and was miserable watching himself on screen while learning the craft. He soon switched to working behind the camera, aiming to be a director, and progressed up the line as "a messenger boy, as an assistant cutter, an assistant property man, a property man, an assistant director, second unit director and eventually...director." His first assignment as an assistant director for Bernie Durning provided him with a work ethic that he adopted for future film work. One strict rule that Durning enforced was no fraternization with screen femme fatales, which almost immediately Wellman broke, leading to a confrontation and a thrashing from the director. Despite his transgression, both men became lifelong friends, and Wellman steadily progressed to more difficult first unit assignments. Wellman made his uncredited directorial debut in 1920 at Fox with ''The Twins of Suffering Creek''. The first films he was credited with directing were ''The Man Who Won'' and ''Second Hand Love'', released on the same day in 1923. After directing a dozen low-budget 'horse opera' films, Wellman was hired by
Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
in 1927 to direct ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'', a major war drama dealing with fighter pilots during World War I that was highlighted by air combat and flight sequences. The film culminates with the epic
Battle of Saint-Mihiel The Battle of Saint-Mihiel was a major World War I battle fought from 12–15 September 1918, involving the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) and 110,000 French troops under the command of General John J. Pershing of the United States against ...
. In the
1st Academy Awards The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) and hosted by AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks, honored the best films from 1 August 1927 to 31 July 1928 and took place on May 1 ...
it was one of two films to win Best Picture (the other was ''
Sunrise Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology Al ...
)'', although, due to tensions within the studio regarding time and budget overages, Wellman wasn't invited to the event.Wellman, William, Jr. (2015). ''Wild Bill Wellman - Hollywood Rebel,'' pp. 71, 191, 230, 357. Pantheon Books, New York. . Wellman's other films include ''
The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward ...
'' (1931), the first version of '' A Star Is Born'' (1937), '' Nothing Sacred'' (1937), ''
Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...
'' (1939) starring
Gary Cooper Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
, '' Thunder Birds'' (1942), ''
The Ox-Bow Incident ''The Ox-Bow Incident'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Mary Beth Hughes, with Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan and Jane Darwell. Two cowboys arrive in a Western ...
'' (1943), ''
Lady of Burlesque ''Lady of Burlesque'' (also known as ''The G-String Murders'' and in the UK, ''Striptease Lady'') is a 1943 American musical comedy-mystery film, produced by RKO Pictures and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Mich ...
'' (1943), ''
The Story of G.I. Joe ''The Story of G.I. Joe'', also credited in prints as ''Ernie Pyle's Story of G.I. Joe'', is a 1945 American war film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, i ...
'' (1945), '' Battleground'' (1949) and two films starring and co-produced by John Wayne, '' Island in the Sky'' (1953) and '' The High and the Mighty'' (1954)."William A. Wellman"
filmography,
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...
(AFI), Los Angeles, California. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
While he was primarily a director, Wellman also produced 10 films, one of them uncredited, all of which he also directed. His last film was ''
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
'' (1958), which he produced, directed, wrote the story for and narrated. He wrote the screenplay for two other films that he directed, and one film that he did not direct: 1936's ''
The Last Gangster ''The Last Gangster'' (also called ''Another Public Enemy'') is a 1937 American crime drama film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring Edward G. Robinson and James Stewart. The supporting cast features Rose Stradner, Lionel Stander and John C ...
''. Wellman wrote the story for ''A Star Is Born'' and (with Robert Carson) received the
Academy Award for Best Story The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1956. This award can be a source of confusion for modern audiences, given its co-existence with the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenpl ...
. Wellman is credited for the story in the remakes released in
1954 Events January * January 1 – The Soviet Union ceases to demand war reparations from West Germany. * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown-IBM experiment: The fir ...
,
1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...
, and 2018. Wellman's work was influenced by his good friend and fellow film director
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A v ...
, with whom he rode motorcycles together in a group called the Moraga Spit and Polish Club. Wellman reportedly worked fast, usually satisfied with a shot after one or two takes. Despite his reputation for not coddling his leading men and women, he coaxed Oscar-nominated performances from seven actors:
Fredric March Fredric March (born Ernest Frederick McIntyre Bickel; August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American actor, regarded as one of Hollywood's most celebrated, versatile stars of the 1930s and 1940s.Obituary '' Variety'', April 16, 1975, ...
and
Janet Gaynor Janet Gaynor (born Laura Augusta Gainor; October 6, 1906 – September 14, 1984) was an American film, stage, and television actress. Gaynor began her career as an extra in shorts and silent films. After signing with Fox Film Corporation (later ...
(''A Star Is Born''),
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 ...
(''Beau Geste''),
Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He rose to prominence with an Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), followed by his starring in ...
(''The Story of G.I. Joe''),
James Whitmore James Allen Whitmore Jr. (October 1, 1921 – February 6, 2009) was an American actor. He received numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Theatre World Award, and a Tony Award, plus two Aca ...
(''Battleground''), and
Jan Sterling Jan Sterling (born Jane Sterling Adriance; April 3, 1921 – March 26, 2004) was an American film, television and stage actress. At her most active in films during the 1950s (immediately prior to which she had joined the Actors Studio), Sterling ...
and
Claire Trevor Claire Trevor ( Wemlinger; March 8, 1910April 8, 2000) was an American actress. She appeared in 65 feature films from 1933 to 1982, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in ''Key Largo'' (1948), and received nomina ...
(''The High and Mighty''). Regarding actors, Wellman in a 1952 interview stated, "Movie stardom isn't about acting ability, it's personality and temperament". He then added, "I once directed
Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...
. She was mad and crazy but what a personality!"


Innovations

''Wings'' led to several firsts in filmmaking including newly invented camera mounts that could be secured to plane fuselages and motor-driven cameras to shoot actors while flying as the cameramen ducked out of frame in their cockpits. Star
Richard Arlen Richard Arlen (born Sylvanus Richard Mattimore, September 1, 1899 – March 28, 1976) was an American actor of film and television. Biography Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Arlen attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served in Canada as a ...
had some flying experience but co-star Buddy Rogers had to learn to fly for the film, as stunt pilots could not be used during close-up shots. Towers up to 100 feet were used to shoot low-flying planes and battle action on the ground. During the filming of ''Beggars of Life'', a silent film starring
Wallace Beery Wallace Fitzgerald Beery (April 1, 1885 – April 15, 1949) was an American film and stage actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in ''Min and Bill'' (1930) opposite Marie Dressler, as General Director Preysing in ''Grand Hotel'' (193 ...
, Richard Arlen and
Louise Brooks Mary Louise Brooks (November 14, 1906 – August 8, 1985) was an American film actress and dancer during the 1920s and 1930s. She is regarded today as an icon of the Jazz Age and flapper culture, in part due to the bob hairstyle that she helpe ...
, sound was added to Beery's introductory scene at the behest of Paramount Studio. Wellman reportedly hung a microphone from a broom so Beery could walk and talk within the scene, avoiding the static shot required for early sound shoots. During the filming of '' Chinatown Nights'' (1929), he sat under the camera on a dolly with the mic between his legs, essentially inventing a shotgun mic.


Awards

Wellman won a single Academy Award, for the story of ''A Star Is Born''. He was nominated as best director three times: for ''A Star Is Born'', ''Battleground'' and ''The High and Mighty'', for which he was also nominated by the
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...
as best director. In 1973, the DGA honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Copies of both ''Wings'' and ''The Story of G.I. Joe'' are preserved in the
Academy Film Archive The Academy Film Archive is part of the Academy Foundation, established in 1944 with the purpose of organizing and overseeing the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ educational and cultural activities, including the preservation of m ...
. Wellman also has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
, at 6125 Hollywood Blvd.


Personal life and death

Wellman revealed near the end of his life that he had married a French woman named Renee during his time in The Lafayette Flying Corps. She was killed in a bombing raid during the war. Later, between 1918 and 1934, he married four additional times in the United States: *
Helene Chadwick Helene Chadwick (November 25, 1897 – September 4, 1940) was an American actress in silent and in early sound films. Early life and career Chadwick was born in the small town of Chadwicks, New York, which was named for her great-grandfather ...
: married (1918-1923) separated after a month; later divorced * Margery Chapin (daughter of
Frederic Chapin Frederic Chapin (December 1, 1873 – December 27, 1947) was an American screenwriter and composer. His name was also written as Frederick Chapin. He wrote the scores for several Broadway musicals. In addition he worked writing screenplays dur ...
): married (1925-1926); together for a short time; adopted
Robert Emmett Tansey Robert Emmett Tansey (June 28, 1897 – June 17, 1951) was an American actor, screenwriter, film producer and director. He was active in cinema in various roles from the 1910s to the 1950s. He was sometimes credited as Robert E. Tansey or Rober ...
's daughter, Gloria. * Marjorie Crawford: married (1930-1933) divorced * Dorothy "Dottie" Coonan: married (March 20, 1934 – 1975); until his death; they had seven children - four daughters, three sons. Dorothy starred in Wellman's 1933 film ''
Wild Boys of The Road ''Wild Boys of the Road'' is a 1933 pre-Code Depression-era American drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Frankie Darro, Rochelle Hudson, and Grant Mitchell. It tells the story of several teens forced into becoming hobos. The s ...
'' and had seven children with him, including actors Michael Wellman,
William Wellman Jr. William Wellman Jr. (born January 20, 1937) is an American former actor. In a career spanning 65 years, he appeared in about 77 films and television series. Life and career Wellman was born in Los Angeles, California, and is the son of actres ...
, Maggie Wellman, and Cissy Wellman. His daughter Kathleen "Kitty" Wellman married actor
James Franciscus James Grover Franciscus (January 31, 1934 – July 8, 1991) was an American actor, known for his roles in feature films and in six television series: '' Mr. Novak'', '' The Naked City'', '' The Investigators'', '' Longstreet'', '' Doc Elliot'', ...
, although they later divorced. His first daughter is Patty Wellman, and he had a third son, Tim Wellman. William Wellman died of leukemia in 1975 at his Brentwood home in Los Angeles. He was cremated, and his ashes were scattered at sea. His widow Dorothy, at age 95, died on September 16, 2009 in Brentwood, California.


Career assessments

Decades after Wellman's death, William Jr. wrote two biographies about his father, ''The Man and His Wings: William A. Wellman and the Making of the First Best Picture'' (2006) and ''Wild Bill Wellman—Hollywood Rebel'' (2015). Fellow filmmakers have also examined Wellman's career.
Richard Schickel Richard Warren Schickel (February 10, 1933 – February 18, 2017) was an American film historian, journalist, author, documentarian, and film and literary critic. He was a film critic for ''Time'' magazine from 1965–2010, and also w ...
in 1973 devoted an episode of his
PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
series ''The Men Who Made the Movies'' to Wellman, and in 1996, Todd Robinson made the feature-length documentary ''Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick''.


Selected filmography

*''
The Knickerbocker Buckaroo ''The Knickerbocker Buckaroo'' is a 1919 American silent Western/romantic comedy film directed by Albert Parker and starring Douglas Fairbanks, who also wrote (under the pseudonym Elton Thomas) and produced the film.
'' (1919) (Wellman's debut as an actor) *''The Twins of Suffering Creek'' (1920) (first film as director—uncredited) *'' The Man Who Won'' (1923) *''
Second Hand Love ''Second Hand Love'' is a 1923 American film directed by William A. Wellman. Cast *Buck Jones as Andy Hanks (*as Charles Jones) *Ruth Dwyer as Angela Trent * Charles Coleman as Dugg * Harvey Clark as Scratch, The Detective *Frank Weed as Deacon ...
'' (1923) *'' Big Dan'' (1923) *''
Cupid's Fireman ''Cupid's Fireman'' is a 1923 American silent action drama film directed by William A. Wellman and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation The Fox Film Corporation (also known as Fox Studios) was an American Independent film produc ...
'' (1923) *''
The Vagabond Trail ''The Vagabond Trail'' is a 1924 American silent Western film directed by William A. Wellman and produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. The film is based on the 1923 novel ''Donnegan'' by George Owen Baxter (aka Max Brand). P ...
'' (1924) *''
Not a Drum Was Heard ''Not a Drum Was Heard'' is a 1924 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by William A. Wellman. The title is taken from the first line of Charles Wolfe's poem "The Burial of John Moore (British Army officer), Sir Jo ...
'' (1924) *''
The Circus Cowboy ''The Circus Cowboy'' is a lost 1924 American silent Western film directed by William A. Wellman and produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Plot As described in a film magazine review, returning home from Africa, Buck Saxon finds ...
'' (1924) *''
When Husbands Flirt ''When Husbands Flirt'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by William A. Wellman released by Columbia Pictures. It stars Dorothy Revier. Plot As described in a film magazine review, Violet Gilbert, a young wife, accuses her husban ...
'' (1925) *'' The Boob'' (1926) *'' You Never Know Women'' (1926) *''
The Cat's Pajamas ''The Cat's Pajamas'' is a 1926 American comedy silent film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Louis D. Lighton, Hope Loring and Ernest Vajda. The film stars Betty Bronson, Ricardo Cortez, Arlette Marchal, Theodore Roberts, Gordon ...
'' (1926) *''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expresse ...
'' (1927) *''
Ladies of the Mob ''Ladies of the Mob'' (1928) is a 1928 American silent crime drama film directed by William A. Wellman, produced by Jesse L. Lasky and Adolph Zukor for Famous Players-Lasky, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on a story b ...
'' (1928) *''
Beggars of Life ''Beggars of Life'' is an American film directed by William Wellman and starring Wallace Beery and Richard Arlen as hobos, and Louise Brooks as a young woman who dresses as a young man and flees the law. The film is regarded as Brooks's best Ame ...
'' (1928) *''
The Legion of the Condemned ''The Legion of the Condemned'' (aka ''Legion of the Condemned'') is a 1928 American silent film directed by William A. Wellman and produced by Jesse L. Lasky, Wellman, and Adolph Zukor and distributed by Paramount Pictures.Wynne 1987, p. 62. ...
'' (1928) *'' Chinatown Nights'' (1929) *'' Woman Trap'' (1929) *'' The Man I Love'' (1929) *''
Young Eagles The Young Eagles is a program created by the US Experimental Aircraft Association designed to give children between the ages of 8 to 17 an opportunity to experience flight in a general aviation airplane while educating them about aviation. The pr ...
'' (1930) *'' Dangerous Paradise'' (1930) *'' Maybe It's Love'' (1930) *''
The Public Enemy ''The Public Enemy'' (''Enemies of the Public'' in the UK) is a 1931 American all-talking pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward ...
'' (1931) *''
Other Men's Women ''Other Men's Women'' is a 1931 American pre-Code drama film directed by William A. Wellman and written by Maude Fulton. The film stars Grant Withers, Regis Toomey, Mary Astor, James Cagney and Joan Blondell. It was produced and distributed by ...
'' (1931) *'' Night Nurse'' (1931) *''
The Star Witness ''The Star Witness'' is a 1931 American pre-Code crime drama film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. and directed by William A. Wellman. The film stars Walter Huston, Frances Starr, Grant Mitchell, and Chic Sale. ''The Star Witness'' wa ...
'' (1931) *''
Safe in Hell ''Safe in Hell'' is a 1931 American pre-Code thriller film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Dorothy Mackaill and Donald Cook, with featured performances by Morgan Wallace, Ralf Harolde, Nina Mae McKinney, Clarence Muse, and Noble Jo ...
'' (1931) *'' The Hatchet Man'' (1932) *'' So Big!'' (1932) *''
Frisco Jenny ''Frisco Jenny'' is a 1932 American pre-Code drama film starring Ruth Chatterton and Louis Calhern, and directed by William A. Wellman. Its storyline bears a resemblance to Chatterton's previous hit film, ''Madame X''. Plot In 1906 San Fran ...
'' (1932) *''
The Purchase Price ''The Purchase Price'' is a 1932 pre-Code American romantic drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent and Lyle Talbot. Adapted from the novel by Arthur Stringer, with a screenplay by Robert Lord, the f ...
'' (1932) *''
Love Is a Racket ''Love Is a Racket'' ( UK title: ''Such Things Happen'') is a 1932 American pre-Code romantic comedy-drama film, starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Ann Dvorak. The movie was written by Courtney Terrett from the novel by Rian James Rian Jame ...
'' (1932) *'' The Conquerors'' (1932) *'' Central Airport'' (1933) *''
Midnight Mary ''Midnight Mary'' is a 1933 American pre-Code crime drama film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Loretta Young, Ricardo Cortez, and Franchot Tone. Plot The very scary story begins with an indifferent Mary Martin (Young) sitting in a ...
'' (1933) *''
Lilly Turner ''Lilly Turner'' is a 1933 American pre-Code melodrama directed by William A. Wellman and starring Ruth Chatterton. It was based on the 1932 play of the same name by Phillip Dunning and George Abbott. Plot A woman who marries a bigamist, then ...
(1933) *'' Heroes for Sale'' (1933) *''
Wild Boys of the Road ''Wild Boys of the Road'' is a 1933 pre-Code Depression-era American drama film directed by William Wellman and starring Frankie Darro, Rochelle Hudson, and Grant Mitchell. It tells the story of several teens forced into becoming hobos. The s ...
'' (1933) *''
College Coach ''College Coach'' (UK title ''Football Coach'') is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film starring Dick Powell and Ann Dvorak. The film features John Wayne in his last bit-part role. Plot Calvert College begins taking football more seriously, over ...
'' (1933) *''
Viva Villa! ''Viva Villa!'' is a 1934 American pre-Code film directed by Jack Conway and starring Wallace Beery as Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The screenplay was written by Ben Hecht, adapted from the 1933 book '' Viva Villa!'' by Edgecumb Pinchon a ...
'' (1934) (uncredited) *''
The President Vanishes ''The President Vanishes'' is a political novel by Rex Stout that was published in 1934. It was written after, but published before, '' Fer-de-Lance'', the first Nero Wolfe novel. "''The President Vanishes'' was published anonymously," wrote Stou ...
'' (1934) *'' Stingaree'' (1934) *'' Looking for Trouble'' (1934) *''
The Call of the Wild ''The Call of the Wild'' is a short adventure novel by Jack London, published in 1903 and set in Yukon, Canada, during the 1890s Klondike Gold Rush, when strong sled dogs were in high demand. The central character of the novel is a dog named ...
'' (1935) *''
The Robin Hood of El Dorado ''Robin Hood of El Dorado'' is a 1936 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman for MGM. It stars Warner Baxter as real-life Mexican folk hero Joaquin Murrieta and Ann Loring as his love interest, with Bruce Cabot as Bill Warren and ...
'' (1936) *'' Small Town Girl'' (1936) *''
Tarzan Escapes ''Tarzan Escapes'' is a 1936 Tarzan film based on the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was the third in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ''Tarzan'' series to feature Johnny Weissmuller as the "King of the Apes". Previous films were '' Tarzan ...
'' (1936) (uncredited) *'' A Star Is Born'' (also Story) (1937) *'' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) *'' Men with Wings'' (1938) *''
Beau Geste ''Beau Geste'' is an adventure novel by British writer P. C. Wren, which details the adventures of three English brothers who enlist separately in the French Foreign Legion following the theft of a valuable jewel from the country house of a rel ...
'' (1939) *''
The Light that Failed ''The Light That Failed'' is the first novel by the Nobel Prize-winning English author Rudyard Kipling, first published in ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine'' in January 1891. Most of the novel is set in London, but many important events through ...
'' (1939) *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) *''
Roxie Hart Roxanne "Roxie" Hart is a fictional character. She is the main character of the 1926 play ''Chicago'' and its various remakes and derivatives. Development The playwright, reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins, was inspired by the trials, both of which ...
'' (1942) *''
The Great Man's Lady ''The Great Man's Lady'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Joel McCrea. It is based on the short story "The Human Side" by Viña Delmar. It was filmed at two locations in Thousand ...
'' (1942) *''
Lady of Burlesque ''Lady of Burlesque'' (also known as ''The G-String Murders'' and in the UK, ''Striptease Lady'') is a 1943 American musical comedy-mystery film, produced by RKO Pictures and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Mich ...
'' (1943) *''
The Ox-Bow Incident ''The Ox-Bow Incident'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews and Mary Beth Hughes, with Anthony Quinn, William Eythe, Harry Morgan and Jane Darwell. Two cowboys arrive in a Western ...
'' (1943) *''
Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, Bison hunting, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa, Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but ...
'' (1944) *''
This Man's Navy ''This Man's Navy'' (aka ''Airship Squadron No. 4.'' and ''Lighter Than Air'') is a 1945 World War II film about U.S. Navy blimps directed by William A. Wellman and starring Wallace Beery, Tom Drake, Jan Clayton and James Gleason. The supporting ...
'' (1945) *''
The Story of G.I. Joe ''The Story of G.I. Joe'', also credited in prints as ''Ernie Pyle's Story of G.I. Joe'', is a 1945 American war film directed by William A. Wellman, starring Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, i ...
'' (1945) *''
Gallant Journey ''Gallant Journey'' (aka ''The Great Highway'') is a 1946 American historical film written, produced and directed by William A. Wellman and starring Glenn Ford and Janet Blair. The film is a biopic of the early U.S. aviation pioneer John Joseph M ...
'' (1946) *''
Magic Town ''Magic Town'' is a 1947 comedy film directed by William A. Wellman and starring James Stewart and Jane Wyman. The picture is one of the first films about the then-new practice of public opinion polling. The film was inspired by the Middletown ...
'' (1947) *'' The Iron Curtain'' (1948) *''
Yellow Sky ''Yellow Sky'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark, and Anne Baxter. The story is believed to be loosely adapted from William Shakespeare's '' The Tempest''. The screenplay ...
'' (1948) *'' Battleground'' (1949) *''
The Happy Years ''The Happy Years'' is a 1950 film based on the 1910 novel ''The Varmint'' by Owen Johnson. It concerns the adventures of Dink Stover, a boy attending the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Plot Expelled from other preparatory schools, most rec ...
'' (1950) *'' The Next Voice You Hear...'' (1950) *'' Across the Wide Missouri'' (1951) *''
Westward the Women ''Westward the Women'' is a 1951 Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Taylor, Denise Darcel and John McIntire. Plot In 1851, Roy Whitman wants to keep the lonely men who live in Whitman's Valley from leaving, so he ...
'' (1951) *''
My Man and I ''My Man and I'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by William Wellman, about an ambitious Mexican immigrant farm laborer ( Ricardo Montalban), who falls in love with an alcoholic waitress (Shelley Winters) despite being pursued by the beautif ...
'' (1952) *'' Island in the Sky'' (Director + Narrator (Uncredited)) (1953) *'' The High and the Mighty'' (1954) *''
Track of the Cat ''Track of the Cat'' is a 1954 American Western film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Robert Mitchum, Teresa Wright and Diana Lynn. The film is based on a 1949 adventure novel of the same name by Walter Van Tilburg Clark. This was ...
'' (1954) *'' Ring of Fear'' (uncredited) (1954) *''
Blood Alley ''Blood Alley'' is a 1955 American seafaring Cold War adventure film produced by John Wayne, directed by William A. Wellman, and starring Wayne and Lauren Bacall. The film was distributed by Warner Bros. and shot in CinemaScope and Warnercolor. ...
'' (1955) *'' Good-bye, My Lady'' (1956) *''
Darby's Rangers ''Darby's Rangers'' (released in the UK as ''The Young Invaders'') is a 1958 war film directed by William Wellman and starring James Garner as William Orlando Darby, who organizes and leads the first units of United States Army Rangers during Wo ...
'' (1958) *''
Lafayette Escadrille The La Fayette Escadrille (french: Escadrille de La Fayette) was the name of the French Air Force unit escadrille N 124 during the First World War (1914–1918). This escadrille of the ''Aéronautique Militaire'' was composed largely of Ameri ...
'' (1958)


See also

*
List of ambulance drivers during World War I This is a list of notable people who served as ambulance drivers during the First World War. A remarkable number—writers especially—volunteered as ambulance drivers for the Allied Powers. In many cases, they sympathized strongly with the ideal ...


References

;Bibliography * William A. Wellman
''Go, Get 'Em!: The True Adventures of an American Aviator of the Lafayette Flying Corps''
tc. Boston: The Page Company, 1918 * William A. Wellman, ''A Short Time for Insanity: An Autobiography''. New York: Hawthorn Books, 1974. * William A. Wellman, ''Growing Old Disgracefully''. 2nd, unpublished volume of memoirs completed shortly before his death; copies were privately printed and distributed to his wife and each of their children * William R. Meyer, ''Warner Brothers Directors: The Hard-Boiled, the Comic, and the Weepers''. New Rochelle, NY: Arlington House Publishers, 1978, pp. 327–355. * Frank T. Thompson, ''William A. Wellman'' (Filmmakers series, no. 4). Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow Press, 1983. * Wheeler Winston Dixon,
Wellman, William Augustus
. John A. Garraty, Mark C. Carnes (gen. eds.), ''
American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...
'', Volume 23. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 12–14. * William Wellman Jr., ''The Man and His ''Wings'': William A. Wellman and the Making of the First Best Picture''. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2006. * William Wellman Jr., ''Wild Bill Wellman: Hollywood Rebel''. New York: Pantheon Books, 2015. * Leonard Maltin, "On Director William Wellman" 0-minute documentary short ''The High and the Mighty'' (Special Collector's Edition). DVD. Burbank, CA: Paramount Home Entertainment, 2005 ;Notes


External links

* * * * *
"Go Get 'Em!", by William A. Wellman, Google ebook
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wellman, William A. 1896 births 1975 deaths 20th-century screenwriters American film directors American people of Irish descent American people of Welsh descent American people of English descent Best Story Academy Award winners Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from leukemia French World War I pilots Shot-down aviators Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion Western (genre) film directors French military personnel of World War I American military personnel of World War I