Matinee Classics - Henry Hathaway Biography & Filmography

Henry Hathaway DIRECTOR

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HENRY HATHAWAY BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Henry Hathaway was born on March 13, 1898 in Sacramento, California to a stage actress and manager. Growing up, he acted in Allan Dwan western films, but was forced to stop because of the outbreak of World War I. After he was discharged, he tried to start a career in finance, but then moved back to Hollywood to be an assistant under directors like Frank Lloyd, Paul Bern, Josef von Sternberg, and Victor Fleming. He helped direct future celebrities such as Clara Bow, Walter Huston, Noah Beery, Fay Wray, and Gary Cooper.

In 1932, Hathaway made his directorial debut with the western romance “Heritage of the Desert”. This film also gave Randolph Scott his first starring role, which led him to becoming a famous cowboy star. Hathaway was also a fan of this genre, and went on to create a large number of other western flicks. He directed “Lives of a Bengal Lancer” in 1935, which was nominated for numerous Academy Awards, including Best Director. Soon after, he came out with Paramount’s first Technicolor picture, “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” (1936). The director quickly became a pioneer of location shooting and was deemed a technically gifted, consistent entertainer.

During the 1940's, Hathaway moved to 20th Century Fox, where he stayed almost exclusively for the next twenty years. It was around this time that he also began creating films that followed the semi-documentary style. The first of these was “The House on 92nd Street” (1945). Another one of them was “Call Northside 777” (1948) starring James Stewart, in which he also demonstrated one of the initial Fax machine on screen appearances. He later directed film noirs like “Kiss of Death” (1947) and “Niagara” (1953), which in addition boasted the up and coming Marilyn Monroe. In the 1960's, Hathaway returned to his initial film genre: westerns. He directed many notable movies, often times with John Wayne. The director produced the Steve McQueen picture “Nevada Smith” (1966), as well as the Oscar winning classic “True Grit” (1969).

In 1974, Hathaway created his sixty-fifth and final film, “Hangup”. On February 11, 1985, the director died in Hollywood from a heart attack. While his work has received little attention from critics, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his contributions to the motion picture industry.

Filmography

1974 Hangup

1971 Shoot Out

1971 Raid on Rommel

1970 Airport

1969 True Grit

1969 Mark of the Gun

1968 5 Card Stud

1967 The Last Safari

1966 Nevada Smith

1965 The Sons of Katie Elder

1964 Of Human Bondage

1964 Circus World