Phil Karlson
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Phil Karlson (July 2, 1908, Chicago, Illinois – December 12, 1985, Los Angeles, California) was a film director known for his no-nonsense film noirs. Karlson directed 99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential and Hell's Island all with actor John Payne in the early 1950s. Other films include Rocky (1948), The Phenix City Story (1955), 5 Against the House (1955) and The Young Doctors (1961).
Phil Karlson was the son of popular Irish actress Lillian O'Brien.
He studied painting at Chicago's Art Institute, and law, at his father's request, at Loyola Marymount University in California.
Karlson got into the film industry working as a prop man while a law student. After working a number of film jobs, including being an assistant director for a number of Abbott and Costello films, Karlson directed his first film in 1944 and in 1948 directed the first film starring Marilyn Monroe, Ladies of the Chorus. He worked on a number of low-budget projects for Monogram Pictures and Eagle-Lion Films before making his mark in 1950. It was then that he was known for directing tough, realistic and sometimes violent gritty crime films. In the 1960s the quality of his directed films declined, which included working on Kid Galahad (1962) with Elvis Presley and two Dean Martin Matt Helm spy films, including The Wrecking Crew (1969) co-starring Sharon Tate and Elke Sommer. He had his biggest success in 1973 when he directed the hit film, Walking Tall. The film made the director a rich man many times over, thanks to the fact that he owned a huge part of the movie.
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Movies (61)
Framed
1975 · Director
Walking Tall
1973 · Director
Ben
1972 · Director
Hornets' Nest
1970 · Director
The Wrecking Crew
1968 · Director
Alexander The Great
1968 · Director
A Time for Killing
1967 · Director
The Silencers
1966 · Director
Rampage
1963 · Director
Kid Galahad
1962 · Director
The Young Doctors
1961 · Director
The Secret Ways
1961 · Director
Key Witness
1960 · Director
Hell to Eternity
1960 · Director
The Scarface Mob
1959 · Director
Gunman's Walk
1958 · Director
The Brothers Rico
1957 · Director
The Phenix City Story
1955 · Director
5 Against the House
1955 · Director
Hell's Island
1955 · Director
Tight Spot
1955 · Director
They Rode West
1954 · Director
99 River Street
1953 · Director
Kansas City Confidential
1952 · Director
The Brigand
1952 · Director
Scandal Sheet
1952 · Director
Mask of the Avenger
1951 · Director
The Texas Rangers
1951 · Director
Lorna Doone
1951 · Director
The Iroquois Trail
1950 · Director
Down Memory Lane
1949 · Director
The Big Cat
1949 · Director
Ladies of the Chorus
1948 · Director
Thunderhoof
1948 · Director
Adventures in Silverado
1948 · Director
Rocky
1948 · Director
Louisiana
1947 · Director
Black Gold
1947 · Director
Kilroy Was Here
1947 · Director
Wife Wanted
1946 · Director
The Missing Lady
1946 · Director
Bowery Bombshell
1946 · Director
Dark Alibi
1946 · Director
Behind the Mask
1946 · Director
Swing Parade of 1946
1946 · Director
The Three Stooges: Swing Parade
1946 · Director
Live Wires
1946 · Director
The Shanghai Cobra
1945 · Director
G.I. Honeymoon
1945 · Director
There Goes Kelly
1945 · Director
A Wave, a WAC and a Marine
1944 · Director
It Started with Eve
1941 · Assistant Director
The Flame of New Orleans
1941 · Assistant Director
In the Navy
1941 · Assistant Director
Seven Sinners
1940 · Assistant Director
The Invisible Man Returns
1940 · Assistant Director
Manhattan Moon
1935 · Assistant Director
Werewolf of London
1935 · Assistant Director
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
1935 · Assistant Director
Great Expectations
1934 · Assistant Director
Romance in the Rain
1934 · Assistant Director
