S. Sylvan Simon
Encyclopedia
S. Sylvan Simon was an American
stage/film director
and producer
. He began his film career at Warner Bros.
in 1935, directing screen tests. In 1937, he moved to MGM, where he worked on the Marx Brothers
' The Big Store
, supervising many of the slapstick
sequences. He directed Red Skelton
's first starring feature, 1941
's Whistling in the Dark, and later worked with Skelton again on Skelton's 1948
vehicle, A Southern Yankee
and The Fuller Brush Man
in 1948
. Simon also directed Wallace Beery
in Bad Bascomb
(1946).
He died suddenly of a heart attack
at the age of 41.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
stage/film 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:...
and 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...
. He began his film career at Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
in 1935, directing screen tests. In 1937, he moved to MGM, where he worked on the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
' The Big Store
The Big Store
The Big Store is a Marx Brothers comedy film in which Groucho, Chico and Harpo work to save the Phelps Department Store, owned by Martha Phelps . Groucho plays her detective and bodyguard Wolf J...
, supervising many of the slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
sequences. He directed Red Skelton
Red Skelton
Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton was an American comedian who is best known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while pursuing...
's first starring feature, 1941
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
's Whistling in the Dark, and later worked with Skelton again on Skelton's 1948
1948 in film
The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :...
vehicle, A Southern Yankee
A Southern Yankee
A Southern Yankee is an American comedy film, directed by Edward Sedgwick, starring Red Skelton and Arlene Dahl, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A semi-remake of Buster Keaton's The General , Skelton plays a Union soldier who spies for the Confederacy during the American Civil War....
and The Fuller Brush Man
The Fuller Brush Man
The Fuller Brush Man is a 1948 comedy film starring Red Skelton as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company who becomes a murder suspect.-Cast:*Red Skelton as Red Jones*Janet Blair as Ann Elliott*Don McGuire as Keenan Wallick...
in 1948
1948 in film
The year 1948 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Laurence Olivier's Hamlet becomes the first British film to win the American Academy Award for Best Picture.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue- Awards :...
. Simon also directed Wallace Beery
Wallace Beery
Wallace Fitzgerald Beery was an American actor. He is best known for his portrayal of Bill in Min and Bill opposite Marie Dressler, as Long John Silver in Treasure Island, as Pancho Villa in Viva Villa!, and his titular role in The Champ, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor...
in Bad Bascomb
Bad Bascomb (1946 film)
Bad Bascomb is a 1946 western film starring Wallace Beery and Margaret O'Brien. The movie was directed by S. Sylvan Simon.-Plot:"Bad" Bascomb is a notorious outlaw wanted by federal marshals after outwitting every group sent to capture him. He and fellow bandit Bart Ramsay , a cold-blooded...
(1946).
He died suddenly of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
at the age of 41.
Director
- Hollywood Screen Test (1937)
- A Girl with Ideas (1937)
- Prescription for Romance (1937)
- The Crime of Dr. Hallet (1938)
- The Nurse from Brooklyn (1938)
- The Ranger and the Lady (1938)
- Spring Madness (1938)
- Four Girls in White (1939)
- The Kid from Texas (1939)
- These Glamour GirlsThese Glamour GirlsThese Glamour Girls is a 1939 comedy-drama film directed by S. Sylvan Simon. It stars Lana Turner and Ann Ruthford.-Plot summary:A drunken college student invites a dance hostess to the big college dance and then forgets he asked her. When she shows up at school, he tries to get rid of her, but she...
(1939) - Dancing Co-Ed (1939)
- Two Girls on Broadway (1940)
- Sporting Blood aka Sterling Metal (1940)
- Dulcy (1940)
- Keeping CompanyKeeping CompanyKeeping Company is a 1940 drama film starring Frank Morgan as a real estate broker with three daughters who all have their own problems. The film was followed by This Time for Keeps .-Cast:*Frank Morgan - Harry C. Thomas...
(1940) - Washington Melodrama (1941)
- Whistling in the Dark (1941)
- The Bugle SoundsThe Bugle SoundsThe Bugle Sounds is a 1942 World War II movie starring Wallace Beery as a cavalry sergeant resistant to replacing horses with tanks. The supporting cast includes Marjorie Main, Lewis Stone, George Bancroft, Donna Reed, and Chill Wills. The film was directed by S...
(1942) - Rio RitaRio Rita (1942 film)Rio Rita is a 1942 comedy film starring Abbott and Costello. It was based upon the 1927 Flo Ziegfeld Broadway musical, which was previously made into a 1929 film also titled Rio Rita that starred the comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey.-Plot:...
(1942) - Grand Central MurderGrand Central MurderGrand Central Murder is a comedy/mystery film released in 1942. It was based on Sue MacVeigh's 1939 novel of the same name, and stars Van Heflin as a private investigator who is one of the suspects in a murder on a private train car in Grand Central Terminal. The film was directed by S...
(1942) - Tish (1942)
- Whistling in Dixie (1942)
- Salute to the MarinesSalute to the MarinesSalute to the Marines is a 1943 World War II war film starring Wallace Beery. The movie, set in the Philippines and shot in Technicolor , was directed by S...
(1943) - Whistling in BrooklynWhistling in BrooklynWhistling in Brooklyn is the third and last film starring comedian Red Skelton as radio personality and amateur detective Wally "The Fox" Benton. Wally prepares to marry his girlfriend, but gets sidetracked when he is mistaken for a serial murderer...
(1943) - Song of the Open RoadSong of the Open RoadSong of the Open Road is a 1944 musical comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon, from a screenplay by Irving Phillips and Edward Verdier.-Overview:...
(1944) - Son of LassieSon of LassieSon of Lassie is a 1945 feature film produced by MGM based on characters created by Eric Knight, and starring Peter Lawford, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart and Lassie...
(1945) - Abbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. This film's full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood.-Plot:...
(1945) - Bad BascombBad Bascomb (1946 film)Bad Bascomb is a 1946 western film starring Wallace Beery and Margaret O'Brien. The movie was directed by S. Sylvan Simon.-Plot:"Bad" Bascomb is a notorious outlaw wanted by federal marshals after outwitting every group sent to capture him. He and fellow bandit Bart Ramsay , a cold-blooded...
(1946) - The Thrill of Brazil (1946)
- The Cockeyed Miracle aka The Return of Mr. Griggs (1946)
- Her Husband's Affairs (1947)
- I Love TroubleI Love Trouble (1948 film)I Love Trouble is a film noir written by Roy Huggins from his first novel The Double Take, directed by S. Sylvan Simon, and starring Franchot Tone as Stuart Bailey. The character of Stuart Baily was later portrayed by Efrem Zimbalist, Jr...
(1948) - The Fuller Brush ManThe Fuller Brush ManThe Fuller Brush Man is a 1948 comedy film starring Red Skelton as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company who becomes a murder suspect.-Cast:*Red Skelton as Red Jones*Janet Blair as Ann Elliott*Don McGuire as Keenan Wallick...
(1948) - Lust for GoldLust for GoldLust for Gold is a 1949 western film about the legendary Lost Dutchman gold mine, starring Glenn Ford as the "Dutchman" and Ida Lupino as the woman he loves. It was based on the book Thunder God's Gold by Barry Storm...
(1949)
Producer
- Abbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. This film's full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood.-Plot:...
(Uncredited, 1945) - I Love Trouble (1948)
- The Fuller Brush ManThe Fuller Brush ManThe Fuller Brush Man is a 1948 comedy film starring Red Skelton as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush Company who becomes a murder suspect.-Cast:*Red Skelton as Red Jones*Janet Blair as Ann Elliott*Don McGuire as Keenan Wallick...
(1948) - ShockproofShockproofShockproof is a 1949 movie starring Cornel Wilde and Patricia Knight.The director of Shockproof, Douglas Sirk, said he took the assignment because the movie dealt with one of his favorite themes: the price of flouting taboos....
(1949) - Lust for Gold (1949)
- Miss Grant Takes RichmondMiss Grant Takes RichmondMiss Grant Takes Richmond is a 1949 comedy film starring Lucille Ball and William Holden, directed by Lloyd Bacon and released by Columbia Pictures...
(1949) - Father Is a BachelorFather Is a BachelorFather Is a Bachelor is a 1950 romantic comedy film starring William Holden and Coleen Gray.-Plot:Carefree vagabond Johnny Rutledge is stuck in a small town when his medicine show employer and friend Professor Mordecai Ford is put in jail. He befriends a young girl named May Chalotte...
(1950) - The Good Humor Man (1950)
- The Fuller Brush GirlThe Fuller Brush GirlThe Fuller Brush Girl is a 1950 slapstick comedy starring Lucille Ball and directed by Lloyd Bacon. Animator Frank Tashlin wrote the script. Ball plays a quirky door-to-door cosmetics salesperson for the Fuller Brush Company...
(1950) - Born YesterdayBorn Yesterday (1950 film)Born Yesterday is a 1950 film based on the play of the same name by Garson Kanin and directed by George Cukor. The screenplay was written by Albert Mannheimer with uncredited contributions from Kanin....
(1950)