George Melford
Encyclopedia
George H. Melford was an American
stage
and film
actor
, director
, producer
, and screenwriter
.
in 1877(though older sources state 1888), as George Henry Knauff, son of German immigrant Henrietta Knauff, the name Melford was an adopted stage name. George Knauff Melford had four sisters: Mary Knauff (Mrs. Godfrey Willis Wainwright); Henrietta Knauff; Alice Irene Knauff (Mrs. Edmond Francois Bernoudy) - all of Los Angeles, CA and Mrs. Frederick Kells/Keils of Ottawa, Canada. Melford graduated from McGill University
in Montreal, Canada. He was an accomplished stage actor working in Cincinnati, Ohio
before joining the Kalem Company
motion picture business in New York City
in 1909. Hired by Sidney Olcott
for character actor
roles, in the fall of 1910 he was sent to work with a film crew on the West Coast
. In 1911, with Robert Vignola, he co-directed Ruth Roland
in his first short film titled "Arizona Bill" based on a script he had written. From there, Melford went on to direct another thirty films for Kalem Studios until 1915 when he was hired by Jesse L. Lasky
to direct feature-length films for his Feature Play Company
. That same year, Melford became one of the founding members of the Motion Picture Directors Association
.
In 1916, George Melford directed To Have and to Hold
, a film based on the Mary Johnston
novel
that had been the bestselling novel in the United States for the year 1900. In 1921, he directed what is probably his most famous silent film
The Sheik
, starring Rudolph Valentino
.
Melford remained with Lasky's company for ten years then joined Universal Studios
where he directed his first talkie
in 1929. The following year, because he could speak the language, he co-directed four Spanish language
films including the 1931 acclaimed Spanish version of Dracula
. Melford filmed it simultaneously with the English version on the same sets at night using a different cast and crew.
His last major work as a director came in 1937 when he and Harry L. Fraser
co-directed Columbia Pictures
' first serial
, a 15 episode, five hour long adventure film
titled Jungle Menace
and starring Frank Buck
. At age sixty, the workaholic
Melford needed to slow down and decided to give up the stressful job of directing to take on simple character actor
roles. However, in 1946 Harry L. Fraser convinced him to co-direct "Jungle Terror," a feature-length sequel
to their successful Jungle Menace serial.
who died of tuberculosis
on December 19, 1927, at the age of 25.
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
, appearing in six films written and directed by Sturges. He also made a notable appearance in the 1956 epic The Ten Commandments.
He appeared in his last film in 1960 at the age of eighty-three, passing away in Hollywood on April 25, 1961 of heart failure. He is interred in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
and film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Career
Born in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
in 1877(though older sources state 1888), as George Henry Knauff, son of German immigrant Henrietta Knauff, the name Melford was an adopted stage name. George Knauff Melford had four sisters: Mary Knauff (Mrs. Godfrey Willis Wainwright); Henrietta Knauff; Alice Irene Knauff (Mrs. Edmond Francois Bernoudy) - all of Los Angeles, CA and Mrs. Frederick Kells/Keils of Ottawa, Canada. Melford graduated from McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal, Canada. He was an accomplished stage actor working in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
before joining the Kalem Company
Kalem Company
The Kalem Company was an American film studio founded in New York City in 1907 by George Kleine, Samuel Long , and Frank J. Marion.The company immediately joined other studios in the Motion Picture Patents Company that held a monopoly on production and distribution...
motion picture business in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1909. Hired by Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott
Sidney Olcott was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Born John Sidney Alcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great directors of the motion picture business...
for character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
roles, in the fall of 1910 he was sent to work with a film crew on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. In 1911, with Robert Vignola, he co-directed Ruth Roland
Ruth Roland
Ruth Roland was an American stage and film actress and film producer.-Early life and career:Born in San Francisco, California, her father managed a theatre and she became a child actress who went on to work in vaudeville...
in his first short film titled "Arizona Bill" based on a script he had written. From there, Melford went on to direct another thirty films for Kalem Studios until 1915 when he was hired by Jesse L. Lasky
Jesse L. Lasky
Jesse Louis Lasky, Sr. was a pioneer Hollywood film producer. He was a key founder of Paramount Pictures with Adolph Zukor, and father of screenwriter Jesse L...
to direct feature-length films for his Feature Play Company
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. That same year, Melford became one of the founding members of the Motion Picture Directors Association
Motion Picture Directors Association
The Motion Picture Directors Association was an American non-profit fraternal organization formed by twenty-six film directors on June 18, 1915 in Los Angeles, California.Its articles of incorporation stated as that the organization existed to:...
.
To Have and to Hold
-Screen adaptations:The book has been twice adapted to the screen. The first silent film in 1916 was made by Jesse L. Lasky’s Famous Players company. It was directed by George Melford and starred Wallace Reid and Mae Murray. In 1922, Lasky did a remake, this time starring Bert Lytell and Betty...
, a film based on the Mary Johnston
Mary Johnston
Mary Johnston was an American novelist and women's rights advocate.The daughter of an American Civil War soldier who became a successful lawyer, Mary Johnston was born in the small town of Buchanan, Virginia. A small and frail girl, she was educated at home by family and tutors...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
that had been the bestselling novel in the United States for the year 1900. In 1921, he directed what is probably his most famous silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
The Sheik
The Sheik (film)
The Sheik is a 1921 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford and starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, and Adolphe Menjou...
, starring Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
.
Melford remained with Lasky's company for ten years then joined Universal Studios
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
where he directed his first talkie
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
in 1929. The following year, because he could speak the language, he co-directed four Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
films including the 1931 acclaimed Spanish version of Dracula
Dracula (Spanish-language version)
Drácula is a 1931 American Spanish-language horror film directed by George Melford. It is an adaptation of the 1897 novel of the same name by Bram Stoker and was filmed during the night on the same sets that were being used for the 1931 English-language film of the same name...
. Melford filmed it simultaneously with the English version on the same sets at night using a different cast and crew.
His last major work as a director came in 1937 when he and Harry L. Fraser
Harry L. Fraser
Harry L. Fraser was an American film director. He directed over 80 films between 1925 and 1951, including the 1934 John Wayne film Randy Rides Alone and the Frank Buck cliffhanger serial Jungle Menace . He had a small acting role in the John Wayne film Neath the Arizona Skies...
co-directed Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
' first serial
Serial (film)
Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials, Film serials or Chapter plays, were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film. They were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction...
, a 15 episode, five hour long adventure film
Adventure film
Adventure films are a genre of film.Unlike pure, low-budget action films they often use their action scenes preferably to display and explore exotic locations in an energetic way....
titled Jungle Menace
Jungle Menace
-External links:* * * **...
and starring Frank Buck
Frank Buck (animal collector)
Frank Howard Buck was a hunter and "collector of wild animals," as well as a movie actor, director, writer and producer...
. At age sixty, the workaholic
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
Melford needed to slow down and decided to give up the stressful job of directing to take on simple character actor
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
roles. However, in 1946 Harry L. Fraser convinced him to co-direct "Jungle Terror," a feature-length sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to their successful Jungle Menace serial.
Personal life
George Melford married Louise Marsland (daughter of Clarence Marsland of Ossining, New York and Mary LaFrance of Brooklyn, New York) in 1904. Louise brought into the marriage her son from a previous marriage to Albert W. LeRoy of Brooklyn, New York (Louise was a widow), named Judson Calkins LeRoy, born November 3, 1900, New York City. Judson took the name Melford from his adoptive father. As Judson Melford, he appeared with his father in several films between 1911 and 1913, including On the Warpath (1911). A minor child celebrity, a cigarette collectors card of Judson was issued as part of the 96 card Major Drapkin, Cinematograph Actors series in 1913. George Melford subsequently had an affair with actress Jacqueline Logan and after a scandalous divorce trial reported in the newspapers, Louise was granted a divorce on January 10, 1924. Although Melford was reported to have begged Louise subsequently to take him back, she refused. Louise died on November 15, 1941 and is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Judson dropped the name Melford and later worked for thirty years as an electrician for Paramount Studios using his real name of LeRoy, dying childless in Santa Clara, California in 1978. Judson is buried in Santa Paula Cemetery. Melford's next marriage, which lasted two years, was to actress Diana MillerDiana Miller
Diana Miller was an American actress in silent motion pictures. She had Titian red hair and excelled in playing roles which required delineation of character. She was briefly married director and producer George Melford....
who died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
on December 19, 1927, at the age of 25.
Later career and death
Melford loved the film business, and although financially independent, he never stopped working. Having directed more than one hundred and thirty films, he continued to work in small character roles. In the 1940s, Melford was part of Preston SturgesPreston Sturges
Preston Sturges , originally Edmund Preston Biden, was a celebrated playwright, screenwriter and film director born in Chicago, Illinois...
' unofficial "stock company" of character actors
Preston Sturges Unofficial Stock Company Actors
Actors who frequently worked with film director Preston Sturges: !! Christmas in July !! The Lady Eve !! Sullivan's Travels !! The Palm Beach Story !! The Miracle of Morgan's Creek !! Hail the Conquering Hero !! The Great Moment !! The Sin of Harold Diddlebock !! Unfaithfully Yours !! The...
, appearing in six films written and directed by Sturges. He also made a notable appearance in the 1956 epic The Ten Commandments.
He appeared in his last film in 1960 at the age of eighty-three, passing away in Hollywood on April 25, 1961 of heart failure. He is interred in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery
Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery is located at 10621 Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood, California.The cemetery has a special section called the Portal of the Folded Wings Shrine to Aviation that is the final resting place for a number of aviation pioneers — barnstormers, daredevils and...
in North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
North Hollywood is a district in the San Fernando Valley region of the city of Los Angeles, California, along the Tujunga Wash. It is bounded on the south by Moorpark Street and the Ventura Freeway, on the southwest by Burbank Blvd...
.
Actor
- The Wayward Daughter (1909)
- The Touch of a Child's Hand (1910)
- When Two Hearts Are Won (1911)
- The Bugler of Battery B (1912)
- Perils of the Sea (1913)
- The Barrier of Ignorance (1914)
- Ambush (1939)
- Brigham Young (1940)
- Robbers of the Range (1941)
- That Other Woman (1942)
- Dixie Dugan (1943)
- The Big NoiseThe Big NoiseThe Big Noise is a 1944 comedy film starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. It was produced by Sol M. Wurtzel and directed by Mal St.Clair. It has been regarded by many film critics and Laurel and Hardy historians as being among the duo's worst films....
(Uncredited, 1944) - A Tree Grows in BrooklynA Tree Grows In Brooklyn (film)A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a 1945 film, the first film directed by Greek-American director Elia Kazan, starring James Dunn , Dorothy McGuire, Joan Blondell, and Peggy Ann Garner .The film is based on an American novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith first published in 1943...
(Uncredited, 1945) - The Bride Wore BootsThe Bride Wore BootsThe Bride Wore Boots is a 1946 romantic comedy film with Barbara Stanwyck in the title role, playing opposite Robert Cummings. A very young Natalie Wood is seen in the film, directed by Irving Pichel....
(Uncredited, 1946) - Thunder in the Valley (Uncredited, 1947)
- When My Baby Smiles at Me (Uncredited, 1948)
- The Stratton StoryThe Stratton StoryThe Stratton Story is a 1949 film directed by Sam Wood which tells the true story of Monty Stratton, a Major League Baseball pitcher who pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1934-1938...
(Uncredited, 1949) - A Ticket to TomahawkA Ticket to TomahawkA Ticket to Tomahawk is a 1950 comedy/western film directed by Richard Sale and starring Dan Dailey and Anne Baxter.-Plot:In 1876 Dawson wants to prevent a train from getting to Tomahawk, Colorado on time, so to keep it from competing with his stage coach line. Kit Dodge Jr...
(Uncredited, 1950) - CarrieCarrie (1952 film)Carrie is a 1952 feature film based on the novel Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.Directed by William Wyler, the film stars Jennifer Jones in the title role and Laurence Olivier as Hurstwood. Carrie received two Academy Award Nominations: Costume Design, and Best Art Direction...
(Uncredited, 1952) - A Blueprint for MurderA Blueprint for MurderA Blueprint for Murder is a thriller film starring Joseph Cotten, Jean Peters, and Gary Merrill, and directed and written by Andrew L. Stone.-Plot:...
(Uncredited, 1953) - The EgyptianThe Egyptian (film)The Egyptian is an American 1954 epic film made in CinemaScope by 20th Century Fox, directed by Michael Curtiz and produced by Darryl F. Zanuck. It is based on Mika Waltari's novel and the screenplay was adapted by Philip Dunne and Casey Robinson...
(Uncredited, 1954) - Prince of PlayersPrince of PlayersPrince of Players is a 1955 20th Century Fox biographical film about the 19th century American actor Edwin Booth. The film was directed and produced by Philip Dunne from a screenplay by Moss Hart, based on the book by Eleanor Ruggles. The music score was by Bernard Herrmann and the cinematography...
(Uncredited, 1955) - The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments (1956 film)The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
- (Uncredited, 1956) - Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons (1960)
Director
- Arizona Bill (1911)
- The Soldier Brothers of Susanna (1912)
- The Battle of Bloody Ford (1913)
- The Boer War (1914)
- Young RomanceYoung Romance (1915 film)Young Romance is a 1915 silent film romance produced by Jesse Lasky and released by Paramount Pictures. It is based on a play, Young Romance, by William C. deMille and was directed by George Melford. Edith Taliaferro, who made only three films in her career, stars in the film and it's the only one...
(1915) - To Have and to HoldTo Have and to Hold (1916 film)To Have and to Hold is a 1916 silent film historical drama directed by George Melford and starring Mae Murray and Wallace Reid. Murray's film debut. This film is now lost...
(1916) - Nan of Music MountainNan of Music MountainNan of Music Mountain is a 1917 short drama film directed by George Melford and Cecil B. DeMille. A lost film. -Cast:* Wallace Reid - Henry de Spain* Ann Little - Nan Morgan * Theodore Roberts - Duke Morgan* James Cruze - Gale Morgan...
(1917) - Wild Youth (1918)
- The Sea Wolf (1920)
- The Round-Up (1920)
- The SheikThe Sheik (film)The Sheik is a 1921 silent film produced by Famous Players-Lasky, directed by George Melford and starring Rudolph Valentino, Agnes Ayres, and Adolphe Menjou...
(1921) - Burning Sands (1922)
- You Can't Fool Your Wife (1923)
- The Dawn of a TomorrowThe Dawn of a TomorrowThe Dawn of a Tomorrow is a 1924 silent film drama produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. It is based on the 1906 novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett and stars Jacqueline Logan. George Melford directed the story which had been filmed before in 1915 with Mary...
(1924) - Simon the Jester (1925)
- Going Crooked (1926)
- A Man's Past (1927)
- Freedom of the Press (1928)
- La Voluntad del muertoLa Voluntad del muertoLa Voluntad del muerto is a 1930 Spanish-language remake of the 1927 silent film The Cat and the Canary and a Spanish-language version of The Cat Creeps which is now considered a lost film....
(1930) Spanish-language version of The Cat and the Canary and The Cat Creeps - Drácula (1931) Spanish-language version of Dracula
- The VikingThe Viking (1931 film)-External links:*...
(1931) - East of BorneoEast of BorneoEast of Borneo is an adventure film directed by George Melford, co-written by Edwin H. Knopf and Dale Van Every, starring Rose Hobart, Charles Bickford, Georges Renavent, Lupita Tovar, and Noble Johnson, and released by Universal Studios....
(1931) - The Penal CodeThe Penal Code- Cast :*Regis Toomey as Robert Palmer*Helen Cohan as Marguerite Shannon*Pat O'Malley as Sergeant Detective W. J. Bender*Robert Ellis as James Forrester*Virginia True Boardman as Mrs. Sarah Palmer*Henry Hall as Mr. Shannon...
(1933) - Jungle MenaceJungle Menace-External links:* * * **...
(serial) (1937) - Jungle Terror (1946)
Producer
- Behold My Wife (1920)
- Moran of the Lady Letty (1922)
- East of Borneo (1931)
Writer
- Arizona Bill (1911)
- Prisoners of War (1913)
- The Wartime Siren (Scenario, 1913)
- The Fire-Fighting Zouaves (Scenario, 1913)
- Big Timber (1924)
- Sea Fury (1929)
- Jungle Menace (Story, 1937)