Allan Dwan: Difference between revisions

Content deleted Content added

Inline

Revision as of 22:35, 3 May 2005

Allan Dwan (April 3, 1885 – December 21, 1981) was a Canadian born pioneering motion picture director, producer and screenwriter.

Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, his family moved to the United States when he was eleven years of age. At university, he trained as an engineer and began working for a lighting company in Chicago. However, he had a strong interest in the fledgling motion picture industry and when Essanay Studios offered him the opportunity to become a scriptwriter, he took the job. At that time, some of the East Coast movie makers began to spend winters in California where the climate allowed them to continue productions requiring warm weather. Soon, a number of movie companies worked there year-round and, in 1911, Dwan began working part time in Hollywood. While still in New York, in 1817 he was the founding president of the East Coast chapter of the Motion Picture Directors Association.

Allan Dwan became a true innovator in the motion picture industry. After making a series of westerns and comedies, he directed fellow Canadian, Mary Pickford in several very successful movies as well as her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, notably in the acclaimed 1922 Robin Hood.

Following the introduction of the talkies, in 1937 he directed child-star Shirley Temple in Heidi and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm the following year.

Over his long and successful career spanning over fifty years, he directed over 400 motion pictures, many of them highly acclaimed, such as the 1949 box office smash, The Sands of Iwo Jima. His last movie was in 1961.

Dwan is one of the directors who spanned the silent to sound era. Most of the silent movies he directed are lost due to poor preservation. Little historical writing has been devoted to Dwan, but some believe that he will be the last "discovered" great director from the Classic Hollywood Era.

He died in Los Angeles at the age of ninety-six, and is interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery, Mission Hills, California.

Allan Dwan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6263 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.

Selected films

As director:

Manhattan Madness (1916)
Fairbanks Fine Arts (1916)
Fairbanks Fragments (1916-1918) also screenwriter
Robin Hood (1922)
The Iron Mask (1929)
Heidi (1937)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm/The Little Colonel (1938)
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1938)
The Three Musketeers (1939)
The Gorilla (1939)
Young People (1940)
Look Who's Laughing (1941) also producer
Friendly Enemies (1942)
Around the World (1943) also producer
Up in Mabel's Room (1944)
Abroad With Two Yanks (1944)
Getting Gertie's Garter (1945) also screenwriter
Brewster's Millions (1945)
Driftwood (1947)
Calendar Girl (1947)
Northwest Outpost (1947) also associate producer
Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
Montana Belle (1952)
Silver Lode (1954)
Passion (1954)
Cattle Queen of Montana (1954)
Tennessee's Partner (1955)
Pearl of the South Pacific (1955)
Escape to Burma (1955)
Slightly Scarlet (1956)
The Restless Breed (1957)
Enchanted Island (1958)

Template:Lived

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 '''Allan Dwan''' ([[April 3]], [[1885]] &ndash; [[December 21]], [[1981]]) was a [[Canada|Canadian]] born pioneering [[film|motion picture]] [[film director|director]], producer and screenwriter.
-Born '''Joseph Aloysius Dwan''' in [[Toronto, Ontario]], [[Canada]], his family moved to the [[United States]] when he was eleven years of age. At university, he trained as an engineer and began working for a lighting company in [[Chicago]]. However, he had  a strong interest in the fledgling motion picture industry and when [[Essanay Studios]] offered him the opportunity to become a scriptwriter, he took the job. At that time, some of the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] movie makers began to spend winters in [[California]] where the climate allowed them to continue productions requiring warm weather. Soon, a number of movie companies worked there year-round and, in [[1911]], Dwan moved to [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. There, he obtained work as a writer and actor and soon as a director and producer, the field for which he is most remembered.
+Born '''Joseph Aloysius Dwan''' in [[Toronto, Ontario]], [[Canada]], his family moved to the [[United States]] when he was eleven years of age. At university, he trained as an engineer and began working for a lighting company in [[Chicago]]. However, he had  a strong interest in the fledgling motion picture industry and when [[Essanay Studios]] offered him the opportunity to become a scriptwriter, he took the job. At that time, some of the [[East Coast of the United States|East Coast]] movie makers began to spend winters in [[California]] where the climate allowed them to continue productions requiring warm weather. Soon, a number of movie companies worked there year-round and, in [[1911]], Dwan began working part time in [[Hollywood, California|Hollywood]]. While still in New York, in 1817 he was the founding president of the [[East Coast]] chapter of the [[Motion Picture Directors Association]].
 Allan Dwan became a true innovator in the motion picture industry. After making a series of westerns and comedies,  he directed fellow Canadian, [[Mary Pickford]] in several very successful movies as well as her husband, [[Douglas Fairbanks (1883-1939)|Douglas Fairbanks]], notably in the acclaimed [[1922 in film|1922]] ''[[Robin Hood]]''.
-In [[1917]], Alan Dwan became president of the Motion Picture Directors Association. Following the introduction of the [[sound film|talkies]], in [[1937 in film|1937]] he directed child-star [[Shirley Temple]] in ''[[Heidi]]'' and ''[[Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm]]'' the following year.
+Following the introduction of the [[sound film|talkies]], in [[1937 in film|1937]] he directed child-star [[Shirley Temple]] in ''[[Heidi]]'' and ''[[Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm]]'' the following year.
 Over his long and successful career spanning over fifty years, he directed over 400 motion pictures, many of them highly acclaimed, such as the [[1949 in film|1949]] box office smash, ''[[The Sands of Iwo Jima]]''. His last movie was in [[1961]].