Matinee Classics - William Wellman Biography & Filmography

William Wellman DIRECTOR

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WILLIAM WELLMAN BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

William Wellman, or “Wild Bill”, was an American film director, writer, producer, and actor, most recognized for his directing, particularly in the first movie to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture, “Wings” (1927). Throughout his eighty plus movie career filled with crime, action, adventure, and comedy alike, Wellman managed to excite audiences everywhere. His personality proved to also be as big as his movies, as he has been described as dynamic and larger than life – so much so that he has been given the nickname “Wild Bill.”

Wellman was born February 29, 1896 in Brookline, Massachusetts. Upon expulsion from his high school, he tried to become a professional hockey player but failed to make it. He went between jobs before becoming fascinated with aviation and signing up for the US Air Force. However, since he was not a college graduate, Wellman was denied acceptance, and instead became employed as an ambulance driver in the Norton-Harjes Volunteers association. While in Paris, he signed up to be a part of the French Foreign Legion and was assigned to be a fighter pilot in the Lafayette Flying Corps. This is where he earned the nickname “Wild Bill”, for he was a dare-devil in the sky. In 1918, he was recruited by the US Army Air Corps and stationed in San Diego, California to teach combat techniques to the new pilots.

During weekends, Wellman would fly to Hollywood, where he used Douglas Fairbanks’ polo field as a landing strip. Fairbanks was intrigued by his war stories, and became determined to find the pilot a job in the motion picture industry. For that reason, Wellman was cast in the film “Knickerbocker Kangaroo” (1919). Soon after, he appeared in “Evangeline” (1919). He discovered he did not particularly like acting, but wanted to become a director, so slowly he worked his way up the movie business ladder. In 1920 he landed his first directorial position in “The Twins of Suffering Creek”, although his name was not credited. After working on a few films, he moved to Fox in 1922. Wellman’s first directorial jobs there were for “The Man Who Won” (1923) and “Second Hand Love” (1923), both of which were released on the same exact day. He went on to direct a number of films starring Buck Jones, as well as a handful of low-budget ‘horse-opera’ pictures, before getting hired by Paramount in 1927 to direct “Wings”.

“Wings” was the perfect type of movie for the director, as it was a major war drama that dealt with World War I pilots. Wellman lost himself in the film, working as hard as he could to produce the best feature he possibly could, complete with realistic air combat and climatic battle scenes. In the process, he crashed a couple of Air Force fighter jets, but ended up getting the film the very first Best Picture Oscar. As well, he went way over budget, but still the movie came out financially on top. “Wings”, as well as his next fighter pilot picture, “The Legion of the Condemned” (1928), which also served as his producer debut, launched the new World War I aviation genre at the movies.

After filming “Young Eagles” (1930), the director’s third World War I film, he went to Warner Brothers. Following a couple of films there, he fell in love with the script of “Public Enemy” (1931), begging to be put as director. The studio obliged, and the film turned out to be one of Wellman’s biggest. He also made a string of films for Paramount, and then left Warner Brothers after directing the failed “Wild Boys of the Road” (1933). Next he joined the newly formed 20th Century Fox, although throughout his career he found it hard to stick to one studio and quite often switched around to many of the major Hollywood studios.

He also tried on a lot of different positions involved in the movie making process. In 1936 he directed and helped write the screenplay for “Robin Hood of El Dorado”. The consequent picture he helped write and direct was “A Star is Born” (1937), which was so successful it won Wellman a Best Director Oscar nomination and Best Writing Oscar win, as well as was remade twice. He went on to only be involved in the writing of a few more features. However, he did also begin to produce more, his grand total being ten productions. Films like “Men with Wings” (1938), “Reaching For the Sun” (1941), and “Gallant Journey” (1946) showed what he could help create as producer. As well, even though he declared to not enjoy being in front of the camera, even once stating “I couldn’t stand being an actor”, he had a total of seven acting positions in pictures such as “Wings” (1927), “Frisco Jenny” (1932), and “Lafayette Escadrille” (1958). Still, though, Wellman’s main job was as a director.

He persisted in coming out with a great number of enjoyable and critically acclaimed pictures, including the romantic comedy “Nothing Sacred” (1937), thoughtful western “The Ox-Bow Incident” (1943), musical comedy “Lady of Burlesque” (1943), WWI infantry films “The Story of G.I. Joe” (1945) and “Battleground” (1949), and John Wayne vehicles “Island in the Sky” (1953) and “The High and the Mighty” (1954). In Wellman’s final film, “Lafayette Escadrille” (1958), which was not surprisingly about American aces flying for France in World War I, he served as director, producer, writer, and narrator. Unfortunately, it was a flop, and the director retired. He passed away from leukemia on December 9, 1975. For his contributions to the motion picture industry, the Director’s Guild of America bestowed upon him a Lifetime Achievement Award. As well, he was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

1976 A Star Is Born

1958 Lafayette Escadrille

1958 Darby's Rangers

1956 Good-bye, My Lady

1955 Blood Alley

1954 Track of the Cat

1954 Light's Diamond Jubilee

1954 Ring of Fear

1954 The High and the Mighty

1954 A Star Is Born

1953 Island in the Sky

1952 My Man and I