William Nuelsen Witney (May 15, 1915 – March 17, 2002) 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 ...
and
television director
A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...
. He is best remembered for the action films he made for Republic Pictures, particularly serials: ''
Dick Tracy Returns
''Dick Tracy Returns'' (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial ''Dick Tracy'', with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the ...
'', ''
G-Men vs. the Black Dragon
''G-Men vs. The Black Dragon'' (1943) is a Republic Pictures movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen.
This was Witne ...
'', ''
Daredevils of the Red Circle
''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' (1939) is a 12-chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Charles Quigley, David Sharpe, Herman Brix (better known under his subsequent stage name, Bruce Bennett), Carole Landis, Miles Mander (in a dual role) an ...
'', ''
Zorro's Fighting Legion
''Zorro's Fighting Legion'' is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against ...
'', and ''
Drums of Fu Manchu
''Drums of Fu Manchu'' (1940) is a 15-chapter Republic serial film based on the character created by Sax Rohmer. Though using the title of the ninth novel in the series, it actually is based on numerous elements from throughout the series to that ...
''. Prolific and pugnacious, Witney began directing while still in his 20s, and continued working until 1982.
Early years
Witney was born in
Lawton, Oklahoma
Lawton is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County, in the U.S. state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Ce ...
. He was four years old when his father died, and he lived with his uncle, who was an Army captain at
Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston is a U.S. Army post in San Antonio, Texas.
"Fort Sam Houston, TX • About Fort Sam Houston" (overview),
US Army, 2007, webpageSH-Army.
Known colloquially as "Fort Sam," it is named for the U.S. Senator from Texas, U.S. Represen ...
.
Colbert Clark
Colbert Clark (August 31, 1898 – May 4, 1960) was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer. He particularly specialized in making western films.Tuska p.196
As a producer at Columbia Pictures, Clark was responsible for resum ...
, Witney's brother-in-law, introduced him to films by letting him ride in some chase scenes for the serial ''
Fighting with Kit Carson
''Fighting with Kit Carson'' is a 1933 American pre-Code
Mascot Pictures film serial. It was edited into a feature film by Al Dezel Productions in 1946 and released to theaters as a movie. Johnny Mack Brown starred as Kit Carson, and Betsy Kin ...
'' (1933). Witney stayed around the
Mascot Pictures
Mascot Pictures Corporation was an American film company of the 1920s and 1930s best known for producing and distributing film serials and B-westerns. Mascot was formed in 1927 by film producer Nat Levine. In 1936 it merged with several other ...
headquarters while preparing for the entrance exam to the U.S. Naval Academy. After he failed that exam, he continued at the studio.
In 1936 Mascot was absorbed by Republic, and Witney was now working for studio president
Herbert Yates
Herbert John Yates (August 24, 1880 – February 3, 1966) was the founder and president of Republic Pictures, who had western stars John Wayne, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers under contract. Between the years 1935 and 1959, Republic, under Yates' l ...
. He was an assistant on the serial ''
The Painted Stallion
''The Painted Stallion'' is a 1937 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studio t ...
'' when director Ray Taylor's drinking problem had gotten out of hand and Taylor had to leave the location. Witney replaced Taylor, and became a director permanently.
Witney teamed with director John English for several of Republic's most successful and best-remembered serials. Witney is credited with devising the modern system of filming movie fight sequences. Instead of filming a crowd of people wildly throwing punches at each other, as in a barroom brawl, Witney broke the action down into separate, carefully choreographed shots, which he patterned after the dance sequences in
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 ...
-
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...
musicals.
During World War II he served in the US Marine Corps combat cameraman unit.
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American film director, writer, producer, and actor. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue, profanity, dark humor, non-linear storylines, cameos, ensembl ...
has called him "one of the greatest action directors in the history of the business." Tarantino considers four films as Witney's best work: '' The Golden Stallion'' (1949), a
Roy Rogers
Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...
The Bonnie Parker Story
''The Bonnie Parker Story'' is a 1958 crime film directed by William Witney. The movie is loosely based on the life of Bonnie Parker, a well-known outlaw of the 1930. The film stars Dorothy Provine as Parker; Parker's actual historical partner, ...
'' (1958), and ''
Paratroop Command
''Paratroop Command'' is a 1959 American war film directed by William Witney, starring Richard Bakalyan, Ken Lynch and Jack Hogan. American International Pictures originally released the film as a double feature with '' Submarine Seahawk''.
P ...
'' (1959). Interview with Quentin Tarantino; Lyman and Tarantino watched ''The Golden Stallion'' together.
Republic closed in 1957, forcing Witney to find freelance work, mostly in television. He directed the Jim Davissyndicated adventure
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite television, satellite, or cable television, cable, excluding breaking news, television adverti ...
, ''
Rescue 8
''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...
'', which aired from 1958 to 1960. He became one of the staff directors of the
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
network series '' The Wild Wild West''. Witney's serial experience was ideal for this series, which ended each quarter-hour with a suspenseful
cliffhanger
A cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode or a film of serialized fiction. A cliffhang ...
. He also made feature films into the 1960s, such as '' Master of the World'' (1961) starring
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
and Charles Bronson.
Witney was married to former actress Maxine Doyle until her death in 1973. In his later years he was a popular speaker at film and nostalgia conventions. He died of a stroke in 2002.''Los Angeles Times'' /ref>
Selected filmography
*''
The Law of the Wild
''The Law of the Wild'' is a 1934 American western serial film produced by Nat Levine, directed by B. Reeves Eason and Armand Schaefer, distributed by Mascot Pictures, and starring two famous animal stars, Rex the Wonder Horse and Rin Tin Tin ...
'' (1934) (serial) - assistant director
*''
The Phantom Empire
''The Phantom Empire'' is a 1935 American Western serial film directed by Otto Brower and B. Reeves Eason and starring Gene Autry, Frankie Darro, and Betsy King Ross.Magers 2007, p. 21. This 12-chapter Mascot Pictures serial combined the ...
'' (1935) (serial) - assistant director
*''
The Miracle Rider
''The Miracle Rider'' is a 1935 American Western film serial directed by B. Reeves Eason and Armand Schaefer for Mascot. It stars silent movie cowboy star Tom Mix in his last major film role.
Plot summary
Zaroff ( Charles Middleton), a rancher ...
'' (1935) (serial) - editor
*''
The Vigilantes Are Coming
''The Vigilantes Are Coming'' is a 1936 American Republic film serial directed by Ray Taylor and Mack V. Wright. It was the third of the sixty six serials made by Republic Pictures (and the third released in 1936).
This serial was filmed betwee ...
Darkest Africa
''Darkest Africa'' (1936) is a Republic movie serial. This was the first serial produced by Republic Pictures and was a loose sequel to a Mascot Pictures serial called ''The Lost Jungle'', also starring Clyde Beatty. Mascot, and other companies, ...
'' (1936) (serial) - script supervisor
*'' Red River Valley'' (1936) - script supervisor
*''
Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island Robinson may refer to:
People and names
* Robinson (name)
Fictional characters
* Robinson Crusoe, the main character, and title of a novel by Daniel Defoe, published in 1719
Geography
* Robinson projection, a map projection used since the 1960 ...
'' (1936) (serial) - editor
*'' Dick Tracy'' (1937) (serial) - editor, 2nd unit director
* ''
The Painted Stallion
''The Painted Stallion'' is a 1937 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the sixth Republic serial of the sixty-six made by that company. Western serials such as this made up a third of the serials from Republic, a studio t ...
'' (1937) (serial) - director
* '' S.O.S. Coast Guard'' (1937) (serial) - director
* ''
The Trigger Trio
''The Trigger Trio'' is a 1937 American Western "Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by William Witney.
Plot
Cast
*Ray Corrigan as Tucson Smith
*Max Terhune as Lullaby Joslin
* Ralph Byrd as Larry Smith (Tucson's brother)
* Sandra Corday ...
'' (1937) - director
* ''
Zorro Rides Again
''Zorro Rides Again'' (1937) is a 12-chapter Republic Pictures film serial. It was the eighth of the sixty-six Republic serials, the third with a Western theme (a third of Republic's serials were westerns) and the last produced in 1937. The s ...
'' (1937) (serial) - director
* ''
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.
He first appeared in 1933 in ...
'' (1938) (serial) - director - edited into the feature ''Hi Yo Silver!'' (1940)
* ''
The Fighting Devil Dogs
''The Fighting Devil Dogs'' (1938) is a 12-chapter Republic movie serial starring Lee Powell and Herman Brix, the latter better known by his later stage name, Bruce Bennett. It was directed by William Witney and John English. While not often co ...
'' (1938) (serial) - director
* ''
Dick Tracy Returns
''Dick Tracy Returns'' (1938) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was the eleventh of the sixty-six serials Republic produced and a sequel to the 1937 serial ''Dick Tracy'', with Ralph Byrd reprising his role as the ...
'' (1938) (serial) - director
* ''
Hawk of the Wilderness
''Hawk of the Wilderness'' (1938) is a Republic movie serial based on the ''Kioga'' adventure novels written by pulp writer William L. Chester (1907-1971). Kioga was a Tarzanesque white child raised on a lost island in the Arctic Circle, somewh ...
'' (1938) (serial) - director
* ''
The Lone Ranger Rides Again
''The Lone Ranger Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Republic serial. It was a sequel to Republic's 1938 serial '' The Lone Ranger'', which had been highly successful, and the thirteenth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic.
The serial ...
'' (1939) (serial) - director
* ''
Zorro's Fighting Legion
''Zorro's Fighting Legion'' is a 1939 Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against ...
'' (1939) (serial) - director
* ''
Daredevils of the Red Circle
''Daredevils of the Red Circle'' (1939) is a 12-chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Charles Quigley, David Sharpe, Herman Brix (better known under his subsequent stage name, Bruce Bennett), Carole Landis, Miles Mander (in a dual role) an ...
'' (1939) (serial) - director
* ''
Dick Tracy's G-Men
''Dick Tracy's G-Men'' (1939) is a 15-Chapter Republic movie serial based on the ''Dick Tracy'' comic strip by Chester Gould. It was directed by William Witney and John English.
This serial was the fifteenth of the sixty-six produced by Rep ...
'' (1939) (serial) - director
* ''
Heroes of the Saddle
''Heroes of the Saddle'' is a 1940 American Western " Three Mesquiteers" B-movie directed by William Witney.
Cast
* Robert Livingston as Stony Brooke
* Raymond Hatton as Rusty Joslin
* Duncan Renaldo as Renaldo
* Patsy Parsons as Peggy Bell ...
'' (1940) - director
* ''
Drums of Fu Manchu
''Drums of Fu Manchu'' (1940) is a 15-chapter Republic serial film based on the character created by Sax Rohmer. Though using the title of the ninth novel in the series, it actually is based on numerous elements from throughout the series to that ...
'' (1940) (serial) - director
* ''
Adventures of Red Ryder
''The Adventures of Red Ryder'' is a 1940 12-chapter Republic movie serial directed by William Witney and John English and starring Don "Red" Barry and Noah Beery, Sr., based on the Western comic strip '' Red Ryder''. This serial is t ...
'' (1940) (serial) - director
* ''
King of the Royal Mounted
''King of the Royal Mounted'' is an American comics series which debuted February 17, 1935 by Stephen Slesinger, based on popular Western writer Zane Grey's byline and marketed as ''Zane Grey's King of the Royal Mounted''. The series' protagonist ...
'' (1940) (serial) - director
* ''
Mysterious Doctor Satan
''Mysterious Doctor Satan'' (also known as ''Doctor Satan's Robot'') is a 1940 American film serial directed by William Witney and John English. Produced by Republic Pictures, the serial stars Edward Ciannelli, Robert Wilcox, William Newell, C ...
Jungle Girl
A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. An alternate depiction i ...
'' (1941) (serial) - director
* ''
King of the Texas Rangers
''King of the Texas Rangers'' (1941) is a Republic film serial. Set in the years prior to America entering World War II, the plot is slightly anachronistic in that the serial features a mix of period western and modern elements, which was not un ...
'' (1941) (serial) - director
* ''
Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.
''Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.'' (1941) is a Republic Movie serial based on the Dick Tracy comic strip. It was directed by the team of William Witney and John English with Ralph Byrd reprising his role from the earlier serials. It was the last ...
'' (1941) (serial) - director
* ''
Spy Smasher
Spy Smasher is the name of two fictional characters appearing in comics published by Fawcett and DC Comics. The first is a superhero that was formerly owned and published by Fawcett Comics. The second is a female anti-terrorism government agent, ...
'' (1942) (serial) - director
*'' The Girl from Alaska'' (1942) - director (uncredited)
* ''
Perils of Nyoka
''Perils of Nyoka'' is a 1942 Republic serial directed by William Witney. It stars Kay Aldridge as Nyoka the Jungle Girl, a character who first appeared in the Edgar Rice Burroughs-inspired serial ''Jungle Girl''.
Plot
Nyoka, with help from La ...
'' (1942) (serial) - director
* ''
King of the Mounties
''King of the Mounties'' is a 1942 Republic 12-chapter film serial, directed by William Witney. Allan Lane played Sgt. Dave King of the Mounties, with Peggy Drake as heroine Carol Brent, and Abner Biberman played the villainous Japanese admiral ...
'' (1942) (serial) - director
*''
Outlaws of Pine Ridge
''Outlaws of Pine Ridge'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Don 'Red' Barry, Lynn Merrick and Noah Beery.Martin p.139
The film's art direction was by Russell Kimball.
Cast
* Don 'Red' Barry as Chips Ba ...
'' (1942) - director
* ''
G-Men vs. the Black Dragon
''G-Men vs. The Black Dragon'' (1943) is a Republic Pictures movie serial. It is noteworthy among adventure serials as containing an unusually high number of fistfights, all staged by director William Witney and a team of stuntmen.
This was Witne ...
'' (1943) (serial) - director
*''
Roll on Texas Moon
'' Roll on Texas Moon '' is a 1946 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers.
Cast
* Roy Rogers as Himself
* Trigger as Roy's Horse (The Smartest Horse in the Movies)
* George 'Gabby' Hayes as Gabby Whittaker
* D ...
'' (1946) - director
*''
Home in Oklahoma
'' Home in Oklahoma '' is a 1946 American Western film starring Roy Rogers.
Cast
*Roy Rogers - himself
* Trigger - Trigger, the smartest horse in the movies.
* George "Gabby" Hayes - Gabby Whittaker
* Dale Evans - Connie Edwards
* Carol Hughes ...
'' (1946) - director
* '' The Crimson Ghost'' (1946) (serial) - director
*''
Heldorado
'' Heldorado '' is a 1946 American Western film starring Roy Rogers set during the annual Helldorado Days celebrations in Las Vegas. It was the last teaming of Roy and comedy relief sidekick Gabby Hayes. Hayes shares a scene with Pat Brady w ...
'' (1946) - director
*''
Apache Rose
''Apache Rose'' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers. It was the first Roy Rogers Western shot in the process though most copies on DVD are in monochrome.
Plot
When oil is discovered on a ...
'' (1947) - director
*''
Bells of San Angelo
'' Bells of San Angelo '' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers. The first Roy Rogers film shot in Trucolor, this modern day Western mixes half a dozen songs with mystery, international smu ...
'' (1947) - director
*''
Springtime in the Sierras
''Springtime in the Sierras'' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers, Trigger, Jane Frazee and Andy Devine.
The film is now in the public domain.
Plot
Singing cowboy Roy Rogers and the So ...
'' (1947) - director
*''
On the Old Spanish Trail
''On the Old Spanish Trail'' is a 1947 American Trucolor Western film starring Roy Rogers and directed by William Witney.
Plot
Cast
*Roy Rogers as Roy Rogers
*Trigger as Trigger, the Smartest Horse in the West
*Tito Guízar as Rico / Th ...
'' (1947) - director
*''
The Gay Ranchero
'' The Gay Ranchero '' is a 1948 American Western film starring Roy Rogers. It was filmed in Wildwood Regional Park in Thousand Oaks, California.Fleming, E.J. (2010). ''The Movieland Directory: Nearly 30,000 Addresses of Celebrity Homes, Film ...
Night Time in Nevada
'' Night Time in Nevada '' is a 1948 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers.
Plot
Ran Farrell kills his mining partner and instead of giving the money to his partner's (Jim Andrews) daughter he steals it. Joan ...
'' (1948) - director
*''
Grand Canyon Trail
'' Grand Canyon Trail '' is a 1948 American Western film starring Roy Rogers combining Western action with Three Stooges-style slapstick. Robert Livingston plays the head villain and James Finlayson plays the sheriff. The Republic Pictures f ...
'' (1948) - director
*''
The Far Frontier
'' The Far Frontier '' is a 1948 American Western film starring Roy Rogers.
Plot
Tom Sharper of the border patrol stops a truck to inspect its cargo. He is knocked cold by the drivers, who report back to their boss, Bart Carroll.
Coming fro ...
'' (1948) - director
*'' Susanna Pass'' (1949) - director
*''
Down Dakota Way
'' Down Dakota Way '' is a 1949 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney starring Roy Rogers.
Plot
Roy Rogers is called in to investigate after the murder of a veterinarian by a rancher named McKenzie (Roy Barcroft) who is ill ...
'' (1949) - director
*''Land of Opportunity: The American Rodeo'' (1949) (documentary) - director
* '' The Golden Stallion'' (1949) - director
*''Land of Opportunity: The Sponge Driver'' (1949) (documentary) - director
*''
Bells of Coronado
''Bells of Coronado'' is a 1950 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney starring Roy Rogers, Trigger the horse, and Dale Evans.
Plot
The owner of the El Coronado Mine is ambushed on the road into town by thieves, who steal a ...
'' (1950) - director
*''Land of Opportunity: Tillers of the Soil'' (1950) (documentary) - director
*''Land of Opportunity: Mardi Gras'' (1950) (documentary) - director
*''
Twilight in the Sierras
'' Twilight in the Sierras '' is a 1950 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers and his horse Trigger (billed in the film's opening credits as the "Smartest Horse in the Movies"), along with Dale Evans, ...
'' (1950) - director
*'' Trigger, Jr.'' (1950) - director
*''
Sunset in the West
'' Sunset in the West '' is a 1950 American Trucolor Western film produced by Republic Pictures, directed by William Witney, and starring the "King of the Cowboys" Roy Rogers and his palomino Trigger, promoted as "The Smartest Horse in the Movi ...
'' (1950) - director
*''
North of the Great Divide
'' North of the Great Divide '' is a 1950 American western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers, Penny Edwards and Gordon Jones.
Plot
An Indian tribe, the Osekas, in the north-west near the Canadian border has been dependin ...
'' (1950) - director
* ''
Trail of Robin Hood
'' Trail of Robin Hood '' is a 1950 American Trucolor Western film directed by William Witney and starring Roy Rogers. Filmed in the San Bernardino Mountains and Big Bear Lake California, it is notable for featuring a large cast of Western stars ...
'' (1950) - director
*''
Spoilers of the Plains
'' Spoilers of the Plains '' is a 1951 American Western film directed by William Witney, and starring Roy Rogers and Penny Edwards, with Foy Willing and the Riders of the Purple Sage. The film was distributed by Republic Pictures.
"Happy Tra ...
'' (1951) - director
*''
The Wild Blue Yonder
''The Wild Blue Yonder'' is a 2005 science fiction fantasy film by German director Werner Herzog. It was presented at the 62nd Venice Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Award. It was screened in competition at the Mar del Plata Internati ...
In Old Amarillo
'' In Old Amarillo '' is a 1951 American Western film starring Roy Rogers.
Plot
Roy is sent to investigate when a greedy land owner tries to capitalize on a drought, cheating property holders like Madge Adams and her grandmother out of the pro ...
Pals of the Golden West
'' Pals of the Golden West '' is a 1951 American Western film starring Roy Rogers, Dale Evans and Pinky Lee
Pincus Leff (May 2, 1907 – April 3, 1993), better known as Pinky Lee, was an American burlesque comic and host of the children's t ...
'' (1951) - director
*''
Colorado Sundown
''Colorado Sundown'' is a black and white 1952 American Western film directed by William Witney. It mixes genres: western, musical, crime story and comedy.
Interspersed during the action are musical selections sung by The Republic Rhythm Riders ...
'' (1952) - director
* ''
The Last Musketeer
''The Last Musketeer'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by William Witney and written by Arthur E. Orloff. The film stars Rex Allen (with Koko the Miracle Horse), Mary Ellen Kay, Slim Pickens, James Anderson, Boyd Morgan and Monte Mon ...
'' (1952) - director
* ''
Border Saddlemates
''Border Saddlemates'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by William Witney and written by Albert DeMond. The film stars Rex Allen, Mary Ellen Kay, Slim Pickens, Roy Barcroft, Forrest Taylor and Jimmy Moss. The film was released on April ...
'' (1952) - director
* ''
Old Oklahoma Plains
''Old Oklahoma Plains'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by William Witney and written by Milton Raison. The film stars Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, Elaine Edwards, Roy Barcroft, John Crawford and Joel Marston. The film was released on ...
South Pacific Trail
''South Pacific Trail'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by William Witney, written by Arthur E. Orloff, and starring Rex Allen, Estelita Rodriguez, Slim Pickens, Nestor Paiva, Roy Barcroft and Douglas Evans. It was released on Octob ...
'' (1952) - director
* ''
Old Overland Trail
''Old Overland Trail'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Witney and written by Milton Raison. The film stars Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, Roy Barcroft, Virginia Hall, Gil Herman and Wade Crosby. The film was released on February ...
'' (1953) - director
* ''
Iron Mountain Trail
''Iron Mountain Trail'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Witney and written by Gerald Geraghty. The film stars Rex Allen, Slim Pickens, Grant Withers, Nan Leslie, Roy Barcroft and Forrest Taylor. The film was released on ...
'' (1953) - director
*''
Down Laredo Way
''Down Laredo Way'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Rex Allen, Dona Drake and Slim Pickens.Pitts p.93
The film's art direction was by Frank Arrigo.
Plot
Cast
* Rex Allen as Rex Allen
* Koko as Kok ...
'' (1953) - director
* ''
Shadows of Tombstone
''Shadows of Tombstone'' is a 1953 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Rex Allen, Jeanne Cooper and Slim Pickens.Drew p.624
The film's art direction
Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions ...
'' (1953) - director
*''
The Outcast
Outcast or Outcasts may refer to:
*Outcast (person), a person with social stigma or untouchability
Literature
* ''Outcast'' (Ballas novel), 1991 book by Iraqi-Israeli author Shimon Ballas
* ''Outcast'' (Sutcliff novel), 1955 children's novel by R ...
Santa Fe Passage
''Santa Fe Passage'' is a 1955 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring John Payne, Faith Domergue and Rod Cameron.
Plot
Kirby Randolph ( John Payne) is a veteran scout who comes to hate all Indians after being betrayed ...
Panama Sal
''Panama Sal'' is a 1957 American musical comedy film directed by William Witney and written by Arnold Belgard. The film stars Elena Verdugo, Ed Kemmer, Carlos Rivas, Harry Jackson, Joe Flynn and Christine White. The film was released on Octob ...
'' (1957) - director
*''
Zorro
Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...
'' (1958–60) (TV series) - director
* ''
The Cool and the Crazy
''The Cool and the Crazy'' is a 1958 motion picture that was distributed by American International Pictures, American-International Pictures as a double feature with ''Dragstrip Riot''. It stars Scott Marlowe and Gigi Perreau.
Plot
''The Co ...
'' (1958) - director
* ''
Juvenile Jungle
, also known as ''Juvenile Jungle'', is a 1956 Japanese Sun Tribe film directed by Kō Nakahira. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Shintaro Ishihara, the older brother of cast member Yujiro Ishihara,Marc Moha"Crazed Fruit: Th ...
'' (1958) - director
* '' Young and Wild'' (1958) - director
* ''
The Bonnie Parker Story
''The Bonnie Parker Story'' is a 1958 crime film directed by William Witney. The movie is loosely based on the life of Bonnie Parker, a well-known outlaw of the 1930. The film stars Dorothy Provine as Parker; Parker's actual historical partner, ...
'' (1958) - director
*''
Mike Hammer Michael Hammer or Mike Hammer may refer to:
*Michael Armand Hammer (1955–2022), American philanthropist and businessman
*Michael Martin Hammer (1948–2008), engineer and author
*Mike Hammer (character), a fictional hard boiled detective
** ''Mick ...
'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*''
Special Agent 7
''Special Agent 7'' is a 1958 American TV series starring Lloyd Nolan.
Premise
Special Agent Philip Conroy (Nolan) works for the Internal Revenue Service.
Cast
*Lloyd Nolan
Lloyd Benedict Nolan (August 11, 1902 – September 27, 1985) was an ...
'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*'' Lassie'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*''
Paratroop Command
''Paratroop Command'' is a 1959 American war film directed by William Witney, starring Richard Bakalyan, Ken Lynch and Jack Hogan. American International Pictures originally released the film as a double feature with '' Submarine Seahawk''.
P ...
'' (1959) - director
*''
Sky King
''Sky King'' was an American radio and television series. Its lead character was Arizona rancher and aircraft pilot Schuyler "Sky" King.
The series had strong Western elements. King usually captured criminals and spies and found lost hikers, ...
'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*''
Rescue 8
''Rescue 8'' is a syndicated American action adventure crime drama series about Los Angeles County Fire Department Rescue Squad 8. It premiered in 1958 and originally ran for two seasons with syndicated reruns continuing for almost a decade th ...
'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*'' State Trooper'' (1959) (TV series) - director
*''
Frontier Doctor
''Frontier Doctor'' is an American Western television series starring Rex Allen that aired in syndication from September 26, 1958, until June 20, 1959. The series was also known as ''Unarmed'' and ''Man of the West''.TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes ...
'' (1956–59) (TV series) - director
*''
Riverboat
A riverboat is a watercraft designed for inland navigation on lakes, rivers, and artificial waterways. They are generally equipped and outfitted as work boats in one of the carrying trades, for freight or people transport, including luxury un ...
'' (1959–60) (TV series) - director
*''
Wagon Train
''Wagon Train'' is an American Western series that aired 8 seasons: first on the NBC television network (1957–1962), and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and became number one in the Nielsen ratings ...
'' (1959–65) (TV series) - director
* ''
Valley of the Redwoods
''Valley of the Redwoods'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by William Witney, written by Leo Gordon and Daniel Madison, and starring John Hudson, Lynette Bernay, Ed Nelson, Michael Forest, Robert Shayne and John Brinkley. It was releas ...
'' (1960) - director
*''
Overland Trail
The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail w ...
'' (1960) (TV series) - director
* ''
The Secret of the Purple Reef
''The Secret of The Purple Reef'' is a 1960 20th Century Fox CinemaScope DeLuxe Color film based on a short story by Dorothy Cottrell entitled "The Silent Reefs". It starred soon-to-be-famous actors Richard Chamberlain and Peter Falk. It is a ...
'' (1960) - director
*''
M Squad
''M Squad'' is an American crime drama television series that ran from 1957 to 1960 on NBC. It was produced by Lee Marvin's Latimer Productions and Revue Studios. Its main sponsor was the Pall Mall cigarette brand; Lee Marvin, the program's ...
'' (1960) (TV series) - director
*'' The Tall Man'' (1961) (TV series) - editor, director
*''
Coronado 9
''Coronado 9'' is an American crime drama series starring Rod Cameron that aired in syndication in 1960.
Synopsis
Set in San Diego, California, the series follows Dan Adams (Cameron), a former United States Navy intelligence officer turned pri ...
'' (1960–61) (TV series) - director
* '' The Long Rope'' (1961) - director
* ''
The Cat Burglar
''The Cat Burglar'' is a 1961 American neo-noir crime film written by actor and former criminal Leo Gordon and directed by William Witney. It starred Jack Hogan, June Kenney and John Baer.Master of the World'' (1961) - director
*'' Frontier Circus'' (1961–62) (TV series) - director
*'' Tales of Wells Fargo'' (1961–62) (TV series) - director
*''
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation
''Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation'' is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara. The film is based on the novel ''Mr. Hobbs' Vacation'', by Edward Streeter and features a popular singer of the ...
'' (1962) - 2nd unit director
*'' The Virginian'' (1962–69) (TV series) - director
*'' Wide Country'' (1963) (TV series) - director
*'' Laramie'' (1963) (TV series) - director
*''
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...
'' (1964) (TV series) - director
*''
Marnie
''Marnie'' is an English crime novel, written by Winston Graham and first published in 1961. It has been adapted as a film, a stage play and an opera.
Plot
''Marnie'' is about a young woman who makes a living by embezzling her employers' funds, ...
'' (1964) - 2nd unit director
*'' Destry'' (1964) (TV series) - director
*''
Apache Rifles
''Apache Rifles'' is a 1964 American Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy. The film was shot at Bronson Canyon and Red Rock Canyon State Park, California. It was the first of four Audie Murphy films for producer Gra ...
'' (1964) - director
*''
The Girls on the Beach
''The Girls on the Beach'' is a 1965 American beach party comedy film directed by William N. Witney and written by Sam Locke. The film stars Noreen Corcoran, Martin West, Linda Marshall, Steven Rogers, Ahna Capri and Aron Kincaid. The film wa ...
'' (1965) - director
* ''
Arizona Raiders
''Arizona Raiders'' is a 1965 American Techniscope Western (genre), Western film directed by William Witney and starring Audie Murphy.The Wild Wild West'' (1965) (TV series) - director
*'' Branded'' (1966) (TV series) - director
*'' Laredo'' (1966–67) (TV series) - director
*''
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...
'' (1966–67) (TV series) - director
*'' Bonanza'' (1966) (TV series) - director
* '' 40 Guns to Apache Pass'' (1967) - director
*''
Hondo
Hondo may refer to:
Places
* Rio Hondo (disambiguation), the name of several locations, derived from the Spanish word for "deep"
Canada
* Hondo, Alberta, an unincorporated community
United States
* Hondo, New Mexico, an unincorporated co ...
'' (1967) (TV series) - director
*''
Tarzan
Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...
'' (1967–68) (TV series) - director
*''
The High Chaparral
''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...
'' (1967–68) (TV series) - director
* ''
I Escaped from Devil's Island
''I Escaped from Devil's Island'' is a 1973 exploitation film about an escape attempt from Devil's Island. Roger Corman and Gene Corman produced this grim adventure saga which was made to cash in on the release of '' Papillon''.
Plot summary
P ...
'' (1973) - director
*''
The Cowboys
''The Cowboys'' is a 1972 American Western film starring John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Bruce Dern, and featuring Colleen Dewhurst and Slim Pickens. It was the feature film debut of Robert Carradine. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name ...
'' (1974) (TV series) - director
*'' Kodiak'' (TV series) - director
* ''
Darktown Strutters
''Darktown Strutters'' is a 1975 blaxploitation musical comedy film from New World Pictures. Despite having mixed reviews at the time it has gained cult status over the years with praise from film director Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino called it ...
'' (1974) - director
*''
Quell and Co.
''Quell and Co'' is a 1982 film directed by William Witney. It was Witney's last film credit. It is also known as ''Showdown at Eagle Gap''.
References
External links
Quell and Coat Letterbox DVD
Quell and Coat IMDb
IMDb (an abbrevi ...
'' (1982) aka ''Showdown at Eagle Gap'' - director, actor