Norman Foster
2.3Directing

Norman Foster

Dec 13, 1903 - Richmond, Indiana, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Norman Foster (December 13, 1903 - July 7, 1976) was an American film director and actor.

Born John Hoeffer in Richmond, Indiana, Foster originally became a cub reporter on a local newspaper in Indiana before going to New York in the hopes of getting a better newspaper job but there were no vacancies. He tried a number of theatrical agencies before getting stage work and later appeared on Broadway in the George S. Kaufman / Ring Lardner play June Moon in 1929. He has also acted in London, England.

He started working in crowd scenes in films before moving to bigger parts. His film acting credits include Prosperity (1932), Pilgrimage (1933), Rafter Romance (1933) with Ginger Rogers and State Fair (1933). He has written several plays. He gave up acting in the late 1930s to pursue directing, although he occasionally appeared in movies and television programs.

Some of Foster's directorial efforts include The Sign of Zorro (1958), and the stylish films noir Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948), Woman on the Run (1950) and Journey into Fear (1943). Foster directed Rachel and the Stranger and the Davy Crockett segments of Disneyland that were edited into feature films Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates where he did not accept any interference from Walt Disney.

In 1967, he directed Brighty of the Grand Canyon, based on a children's novel by Marguerite Henry about a burro in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The film starred Joseph Cotten, Karl Swenson, Dick Foran, and Pat Conway.

It was rumored that Orson Welles took over direction of Journey Into Fear, which Welles later denied. Foster was the director of the "My Friend Bonito" segment of Orson Welles' Pan-American anthology film It's All True until RKO aborted the project.

Foster directed a number of Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto mysteries, including Charlie Chan in Panama (1940), Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939), Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939), Charlie Chan in Reno (1939), Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939), Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938), Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938), Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937), and Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937).

Foster was married to Claudette Colbert from 1928 until their divorce in 1935. In 1937, he wed actress Sally Blane, an older sister of Loretta Young. The couple remained married until his death in 1976 from cancer in Santa Monica at the age of 75. They had two children, Robert and Gretchen.

He is buried in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Norman Foster, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Credits

Cast

Media
Movie1938Mysterious Mr. MotoHoodlum in Tavern
Movie1933State FairWayne Frake
Movie1932Skyscraper SoulsTom Shepherd
Movie1932Under EighteenAlf
Movie1935Behind the Green LightsDetective Lt. Dave Britten
Movie1933Rafter RomanceJack
Movie1931Confessions of a Co-EdHal Evans
Movie1933PilgrimageJim 'Jimmy' Jessop (Hannah's son)
Movie1931It Pays to AdvertiseRodney Martin
Movie1932Week-End MarriageKen Hayes
Movie1936High TensionEddie Mitchell
Movie1935The Hoosier SchoolmasterRalph Hartsook
Movie1935Suicide SquadLarry Barker
Movie1935Ladies Crave ExcitementDon Phelan
Movie1931Reckless LivingDoggie
Movie1934Strictly DynamiteFleming
Movie1930Young Man of ManhattanToby McLean
Movie1933Professional SweetheartJim
Movie1935The Fire-TrapBill Farnsworth
Movie1932Girl of the RioJohnny Powell
Movie1932Play GirlWallace 'Wally' Dennis
Movie1931No LimitDouglas Thayer
Movie1932Strange JusticeWally Baker
Movie1932ProsperityJohn Warren
Movie1932Alias the DoctorStephan Brenner
Movie1932Steady CompanyJim
Movie1935Behind the EvidenceTony Sheridan
Movie1936I Cover ChinatownEddie Barton
Movie1936Fatal LadyPhillip Roberts
Movie1933Walls of GoldBarnes Ritchie
Movie1974Double SolitaireErnest Potter
Movie1931Up Pops the DevilSteve Merrick
Movie1936The Leavenworth CaseDetective Bob Grice
Movie1934Orient ExpressCarlton Myatt
Movie1935The Bishop MisbehavesDonald Meadows
Movie1931Men Call It LoveJack
Movie1929Gentlemen of the PressTed Hanley
Movie1934Elinor NortonBill Foster
Movie2018The Other Side of the WindBilly Boyle
Movie2018They'll Love Me When I'm DeadSelf (archive footage)
Movie1929Love at First Sight
Movie1972Play It as It LaysAbortionist
Movie1954The Disneyland Story
Movie1935Escape from Devil's IslandAndre Dion
Movie1932The Cohens and Kellys in HollywoodMaurice Cohen
Movie1976Woman in the RainAssistant Director for HighShine
Movie1936Everybody's Old ManRonald Franklin
Movie1937Sunday Night at the TrocaderoNorman Foster
TV Show1971Cannon2
TV Show1963Espionage1

Crew

Media
Movie1943Journey into FearDirectorDirecting
Movie1946El ahijado de la muerteDirectorDirecting
Movie1948Kiss the Blood Off My HandsDirectorDirecting
Movie1939Charlie Chan at Treasure IslandDirectorDirecting
Movie1939Charlie Chan in RenoDirectorDirecting
Movie1955Davy Crockett, King of the Wild FrontierDirectorDirecting
Movie1950Woman on the RunDirectorDirecting
Movie1950Woman on the RunScreenplayWriting
Movie1938Mysterious Mr. MotoScreenplayWriting
Movie1938Mysterious Mr. MotoDirectorDirecting
Movie1948Rachel and the StrangerDirectorDirecting
Movie1940Charlie Chan in PanamaDirectorDirecting
Movie1949The Bewitched HouseOriginal StoryWriting
Movie1938Mr. Moto Takes a ChanceDirectorDirecting
Movie1938Mr. Moto Takes a ChanceOriginal StoryWriting
Movie1939Mr. Moto's Last WarningDirectorDirecting
Movie1939Mr. Moto's Last WarningScreenplayWriting
Movie1962Hans Brinker, or the Silver SkatesDirectorDirecting
Movie1956Davy Crockett and the River PiratesDirectorDirecting
Movie1937Thank You, Mr. MotoScreenplayWriting
Movie1937Think Fast, Mr. MotoDirectorDirecting
Movie1937Think Fast, Mr. MotoWriterWriting
Movie1937Thank You, Mr. MotoDirectorDirecting
Movie1939Mr. Moto Takes a VacationDirectorDirecting
Movie1993It's All TrueDirectorDirecting
Movie1962Hans Brinker, or the Silver SkatesAssociate ProducerProduction
Movie1962Hans Brinker, or the Silver SkatesTeleplayWriting
Movie1948El canto de la sirenaWriterWriting
Movie1948El canto de la sirenaDirectorDirecting
Movie1952Sky Full of MoonWriterWriting
Movie1952Sky Full of MoonDirectorDirecting
Movie1965Indian PaintDirectorDirecting
Movie1950Father Is a BachelorDirectorDirecting
Movie1954Davy Crockett, Indian FighterDirectorDirecting
Movie1955Davy Crockett at the AlamoDirectorDirecting
Movie1940Viva Cisco KidDirectorDirecting
Movie1974The Deathhead VirginDirectorDirecting
Movie1953SombreroDirectorDirecting
Movie1953SombreroScreenplayWriting
Movie1949Tell It to the JudgeDirectorDirecting
Movie1955Davy Crockett's Keelboat RaceDirectorDirecting
Movie1958The Nine Lives of Elfego BacaDirectorDirecting
Movie1936I Cover ChinatownDirectorDirecting
Movie1945The Hour of TruthDirectorDirecting
Movie1943SantaDirectorDirecting
Movie1944La FugaDirectorDirecting
Movie1941Ride, Kelly, RideDirectorDirecting
Movie1941Scotland YardDirectorDirecting
Movie1974The Green HornetDirectorDirecting
Movie1939Mr. Moto Takes a VacationScreenplayWriting
Movie1962Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates: Part 2DirectorDirecting
Movie1937Fair WarningDirectorDirecting
Movie1937Fair WarningScreenplayWriting
Movie1956Davy Crockett and the River PiratesWriterWriting
Movie1958The Sign of ZorroDirectorDirecting
Movie1958The Sign of ZorroScreenplayWriting
Movie1966Brighty of the Grand CanyonDirectorDirecting
Movie1966Brighty of the Grand CanyonWriterWriting
Movie1968The Legend of CusterDirectorDirecting
Movie1965Indian PaintScreenplayWriting
Movie1955Davy Crockett Goes to CongressDirectorDirecting
Movie1952NavajoDirectorDirecting
Movie1952NavajoWriterWriting
Movie1938Walking Down BroadwayDirectorDirecting
Movie1955Davy Crockett's Keelboat RaceWriterWriting
Movie193920,000 Men a YearAssistant DirectorDirecting
Movie2005The Green HornetDirectorDirecting
Movie1962Von Drake in SpainDirectorDirecting
Movie1945The Hour of TruthScreenplayWriting
Movie1990As Aventuras do General CusterDirectorDirecting
TV Show1966The MonroesDirectorDirecting
TV Show1962The New Loretta Young ShowDirectorDirecting
TV Show1954The Wonderful World of DisneyDirectorDirecting
TV Show1966BatmanDirectorDirecting
TV Show1959Adventures in ParadiseDirectorDirecting
TV Show1965The LonerDirectorDirecting
TV Show1957ZorroDirectorDirecting
TV Show1958Bat MastersonDirectorDirecting
TV Show1957Tombstone TerritoryDirectorDirecting
TV Show1967CusterDirectorDirecting
TV Show1954Davy CrockettDirectorDirecting
TV Show1952Cavalcade of AmericaDirectorDirecting
TV Show1961The Wonderful World of DisneyDirectorDirecting
TV Show1953Letter to LorettaDirectorDirecting
TV Show1966The Green HornetDirectorDirecting
TV Show1957ZorroWriterWriting
TV Show1954The Wonderful World of DisneyWriterWriting