William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor and military pilot. He was known for his work in

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in Ca ...

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 extr ...

, and action 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 exp ...

'', 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 categor ...

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 ...

ceremony."Dorothy Wellman dies at 95."
'' Variety'', 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 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) ...

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 Gloucestersh ...

. 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 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 merg ...

's Lifetime Achievement Award. 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 List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

, serving in the Lafayette Flying Corps of the

French Air Force The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Ar ...

, 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 coloni ...

. 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 Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. P ...

Thomas Wellman, 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 peopl ...

-born Francis Lewis 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 ...

. 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 t ...

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), suc ...

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

, 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, cavalry, engineers, airborne troops. It was created in 1831 to allow foreign nationals into the French Army ...

and was assigned on December 3, 1917 as a fighter pilot, becoming the first American to join ''

Escadrille N.87 ''Escadrille Spa.87'' (also known as ''Escadrille N.87'') was a French fighter squadron active during the First World War, from March 1917 to the Armistice. They were credited with 28 confirmed victories over enemy aircraft, History ''Escadrille ...

'' in the Lafayette Flying Corps (not the sub-unit Lafayette Escadrille as usually stated), where he earned himself the nickname "Wild Bill", and was awarded the

with two palms.Curtiss, Thomas Quinn
"The Film Career of William Wellman."
' International Herald Tribune'' (iht.com), February 9, 1994. Retrieved: December 5, 2007. N.87, ''les Chats Noir'' (Black Cat Group) was stationed at Lunéville 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 Ni ...

and later Nieuport 24 "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 fi ...

" 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 G ...

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 gen ...

'' (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 warf ...

, 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 Thi ...

' 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'' (1919), but he was fired for slapping Miriam Cooper, the film's star and also the wife of the production’s director,

Raoul Walsh Raoul Walsh (born Albert Edward Walsh; March 11, 1887December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, founding member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the brother of silent screen actor George Walsh. He w ...

. 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 ''

'', 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

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 ...

)'', 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'' (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 re ...

'' (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'' (1943), '' Lady of Burlesque'' (1943), '' The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945), ''

Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troops ...

'' (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. Lead ...

(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'' (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''. 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 Screenp ...

. Wellman is credited for the story in the remakes released in 1954,

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 Phil ...

, and

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

. 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 Classical Hollywood cinema, classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is ...

, 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 (''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 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actor for ''The Story of G.I. Jo ...

(''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 and Claire Trevor (''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. 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'' (1 ...

, 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

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, Calif ...

, 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: married (1918-1923) separated after a month; later divorced * Margery Chapin (daughter of Frederic Chapin): 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 scr ...

'' and had seven children with him, including actors Michael Wellman, William Wellman Jr., 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 in 1973 devoted an episode of his PBS 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'' (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'' (1923) *'' Big Dan'' (1923) *'' Cupid's Fireman'' (1923) *'' The Vagabond Trail'' (1924) *'' Not a Drum Was Heard'' (1924) *'' The Circus Cowboy'' (1924) *'' When Husbands Flirt'' (1925) *''

The Boob ''The Boob'' (released in the UK as ''The Yokel'') is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by William A. Wellman, and starring Gertrude Olmstead, Antonio D'Algy, George K. Arthur, and Joan Crawford as a law enforcement agent. P ...

'' (1926) *''

You Never Know Women ''You Never Know Women'' is a 1926 American silent romantic drama film from director William Wellman that was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The stars of the picture are Florence Vidor, Lowell Sherman, ...

'' (1926) *'' The Cat's Pajamas'' (1926) *''

'' (1927) *'' Ladies of the Mob'' (1928) *'' Beggars of Life'' (1928) *'' The Legion of the Condemned'' (1928) *'' Chinatown Nights'' (1929) *'' Woman Trap'' (1929) *'' The Man I Love'' (1929) *'' Young Eagles'' (1930) *'' Dangerous Paradise'' (1930) *'' Maybe It's Love'' (1930) *'' The Public Enemy'' (1931) *'' Other Men's Women'' (1931) *'' Night Nurse'' (1931) *'' The Star Witness'' (1931) *'' Safe in Hell'' (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 Fr ...

'' (1932) *'' The Purchase Price'' (1932) *'' Love Is a Racket'' (1932) *'' The Conquerors'' (1932) *''

Central Airport Central Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located in Central, in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area of the U.S. state of Alaska. Commercial service is subsidized by the Essential Air Service program. As per Federal Aviation Administration ...

'' (1933) *'' Midnight Mary'' (1933) *'' Lilly Turner (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 scr ...

'' (1933) *'' College Coach'' (1933) *'' Viva Villa!'' (1934) (uncredited) *'' The President Vanishes'' (1934) *''

Stingaree The Stingaree was a neighborhood of San Diego between the boom of the 1880s and the demolition and vice eradication campaign of 1916. The reason for the neighborhood's fame was its role as the home to the city's "undesirables", including prostitut ...

'' (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 Bu ...

'' (1935) *'' The Robin Hood of El Dorado'' (1936) *'' Small Town Girl'' (1936) *'' Tarzan Escapes'' (1936) (uncredited) *'' A Star Is Born'' (also Story) (1937) *'' Nothing Sacred'' (1937) *'' Men with Wings'' (1938) *''

'' (1939) *'' The Light that Failed'' (1939) *'' Thunder Birds'' (1942) *'' Roxie Hart'' (1942) *'' The Great Man's Lady'' (1942) *'' Lady of Burlesque'' (1943) *'' The Ox-Bow Incident'' (1943) *''

Buffalo Bill William Frederick Cody (February 26, 1846January 10, 1917), known as "Buffalo Bill", was an American soldier, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years ...

'' (1944) *'' This Man's Navy'' (1945) *'' The Story of G.I. Joe'' (1945) *'' Gallant Journey'' (1946) *'' Magic Town'' (1947) *'' The Iron Curtain'' (1948) *'' Yellow Sky'' (1948) *''

'' (1949) *'' The Happy Years'' (1950) *'' The Next Voice You Hear...'' (1950) *'' Across the Wide Missouri'' (1951) *'' Westward the Women'' (1951) *'' My Man and I'' (1952) *'' Island in the Sky'' (Director + Narrator (Uncredited)) (1953) *'' The High and the Mighty'' (1954) *'' Track of the Cat'' (1954) *'' Ring of Fear'' (uncredited) (1954) *'' Blood Alley'' (1955) *''

Good-bye, My Lady ''Good-bye, My Lady'' is a novel by James H. Street about a boy and his dog. It was published by J. B. Lippincott Company in June 1954 and reprinted in paperback by Pocket Books in February 1978. It is based on Street's short story "Weep No More ...

'' (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 Wor ...

'' (1958) *'' Lafayette Escadrille'' (1958)

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