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MONTA BELL (b. February 5, 1891 Washington, DC; d. April 4, 1958 Hollywood, CA) Starting as a journalist in Washington DC, Bell later played on stage and entered films in 1923 as an actor. Charlie Chaplin employed Bell as a film editor and assistant director and in 1924, he became a full-fledged director of sophisticated sex comedies. Bell is known for directing Greta Garbor’s first American film, “The Torrent.” Bell joined up with Paramount serving as head of production at the Astoria studio in New York. As sound films came in, Bell directed a number of high comedies and low melodramas later moving to producing films. Bell was married for a brief time to actress Betty Lawford, mother of actor Peter Lawford. Monta directed 20 films from 1924 to 1945. In addition, he producer 20 films and wrote 9 screenplays.
EDWIN CAREWE (Jay Fox, b. March 5, 1883 Gainesville, TX; d. January 22, 1940 Hollywood, CA) A stage actor from his teens, he also spent a few months as a hobo before his career took off. He directed films for Metro and First National as far back as 1914. Carewe discovered such famous stars at Dolores Del Rio, Warner Baxter, Wallace Beery, Francis X. Bushman and Gary Cooper. His career went down hill with the advent of sound. His daughter, Rita, appeared in several of his films. Carewe died from a heart ailment in his Hollywood apartment. Edwin directed 57 films from 1914 to 1934. In addition, he acted in 34 and produced 19 films.
CECIL B. DeMILLE. (b. August 12, 1881 Ashfield, MA; d. January 21, 1959 Hollywood, CA) Brother of William DeMille and husband of stage actress Constance Adams. DeMille, along with Samuel Goldwyn and Jesse L. Lasky, founded the Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company in 1913. He produced “The Squaw Man,” the first film made in Hollywood. He was very influential in the careers of Gloria Swanson, Bebe Daniels, Geraldine Farrar, Julia Faye, Wallace Reid, Monte Blue and Elliott Dexter. From 1936-1945, DeMille hosted and directed a weekly radio show “Lux Radio Theatre.” Cecil directed 79 films from 1914 to 1956. In addition, he wrote 22 screenplays, edited 30 films and produced 80 films.
FRANKLIN, Sidney (b. March 21, 1893 San Francisco, CA; d. May 18, 1972 Santa Monica, CA) Franklin began his career as an actor in 1913, the next year he turned to co-directing with his brother Chester. The brothers made several films, mostly for children. Franklin signed with MGM in 1926. A favorite of Irving Thalberg, Franklin was given two prestige films to direct, “The Barretts of Wimpole Street” and “The Good Earth.” In 1939 he turned to producing. Franklin had the reputation of treating writers very badly and was once quoted by a writer as being, “A poisonous little fellow who liked to portray himself as a supersensitive aesthetic person... He was so lofty it was sometimes hard to see him up there in the clouds.” Sidney directed 56 films from 1916 to 1957. In addition, he produced 18 films, wrote 6 screenplays and acted in 6 films.
LEO D. MALONEY (b. 1888 San Jose, CA; d. November 2, 1929 New York, NY) Maloney was owner of the “Leo Maloney Studio” located in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. Several early Westerns were filmed at the studio, which overlooked orange groves and included a small city that housed thirty-five people who lived there year round. The last film he directed/produced, “Overland Bound,” was one of the first all talking pictures. After a celebration for the new film, Maloney suffered a heart attack and was unable to enjoy the film’s success. Maloney died at the Hotel Astor in New York after eight weeks of drinking. His death was attributed to acute alcoholism. Leo directed 40 films from 1914 to 1929. In addition, he acted in 102 films, produced 7 and wrote 6 screenplays.
JOE MAY (Julius Otto Mandl, b. November 7, 1880 Vienna, Austria; d. May 5, 1954) Father of actress Eva May who committed suicide in 1924, at 22 years of age. A pioneer of German cinema, May directed some of Germany’s earliest serials and feature films, many starring his wife Mia. May helped Fritz Lang gain notoriety as a filmmaker. Fleeing Germany after the rise of Hitler, May moved to Hollywood and joined up with Universal Pictures as a director. In addition to directing, May also wrote screenplays for Universal’s “The Invisible Woman” and “The Stranger Death of Adolf Hitler.” Retiring in 1950, May spent the last years of his life running the Blue Danube restaurant in Hollywood. May directed 81 films from 1911 to 1944. In addition, he produced 47 films and wrote 33 screenplays.
ARTHUR ROSSON (b. August 24, 1886 London, England; d. July 17, 1960 Los Angeles, CA) Brother of cinematographer Hal, director Richard and actress Helene Rosson. Arthur started in films as a stuntman and joined Vitagraph in 1909 later working as an associate director with Cecil B. Demille for sixteen years. By the 1920s, Rosson was a full-time director and from 1929 to 1938, he directed mainly Western films. He also served as second-unit director of every Cecil B. DeMille picture from 1939 to 1956. Arthur directed 56 films from 1917 to 1948. In addition, he served as second unit director on 22 films, acted in 7 and wrote 11 screenplays.
WILIAM DESMOND TAYLOR (William Cunningham Deane Taylor, b. April 26, 1872 Carlow, Ireland; d. February 1, 1922 Los Angeles, CA) A trail of mystery seemed to follow Taylor wherever he went. He abondoned his family and moved to Hollywood to work in the film industry. Some time later his ‘abandoned’ wife saw him on screen, appearing in a movie. Taylor lived in a beautiful courtyard apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles, the same complex shared by actress Edna Purviance. After spending an evening with actress Mabel Normand, Taylor was shot to death in his apartment. The murder has never been solved, but all fingers seem to point to Charlotte Shelby, actress Mary Miles Minter’s mother, who was angry that Mary was seeing him. As mentioned earlier in this book, actor Carl Stockdale stated that he was with Charlotte Shelby at the time Taylor was supposedly shot. Another prime suspect in the murder was Taylor’s chauffer. William directed 51 films from 1914 to 1922. In addition, he acted in 25 films and produced 3.
WILSON, Ben F. (Benjamin Franklin Wilson, b. July 7, 1876 IA; d. August 25, 1930 Glendale, CA – Colonnade unmarked) Wilson started his career as a stock player in the East. He then played leads in films for the Nextor and Edison companies and eventually started his own company where he made several Westerns for Universal.
BEN F. WILSON (b. July 7, 1876 IA; d. August 25, 1930 Glendale, CA) Wilson started his career as a stock player in the East. He then played leads in films for the Nestor and Edison companies and eventually started his own company where he made several Westerns for Universal. Funeral services were held on August 27, after which Ben was cremated. Ben 117 films from 1912 to 1930. In addition, he acted in 137 films, produced 46 films and wrote 8 screenplays.
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