Norman Foster
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.
Photos
Movies (97)
Al otro lado del viento
2018 · Billy Boyle
They'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018 · Self (archive footage)
The Green Hornet
2005 · Director
It's All True
1993 · Director
Crazy Horse and Custer: The Untold Story
1990 · Director
Woman in the Rain
1976 · Assistant Director for HighShine
The Deathhead Virgin
1974 · Director
The Green Hornet
1974 · Director
Double Solitaire
1974 · Ernest Potter
Play It as It Lays
1972 · Abortionist
The Great Sex War
1969 · Director
The Legend of Custer
1968 · Director
Brighty of the Grand Canyon
1966 · Director, Writer
Indian Paint
1965 · Director, Screenplay
Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
1962 · Director, Associate Producer, Teleplay
The Sign of Zorro
1958 · Director, Screenplay
The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca
1958 · Director
Davy Crockett and the River Pirates
1956 · Director, Writer
Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race
1955 · Director, Writer
Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier
1955 · Director
Davy Crockett at the Alamo
1955 · Director
Davy Crockett Goes to Congress
1955 · Director
Davy Crockett, Indian Fighter
1954 · Director
The Disneyland Story
1954 · Self
Sombrero
1953 · Director, Screenplay
Sky Full of Moon
1952 · Writer, Director
Navajo
1952 · Director, Writer
Woman on the Run
1950 · Director, Screenplay
Father Is a Bachelor
1950 · Director
Tell It to the Judge
1949 · Director
The Bewitched House
1949 · Story
Kiss the Blood Off My Hands
1948 · Director
Rachel and the Stranger
1948 · Director
El canto de la sirena
1948 · Writer, Director
El ahijado de la muerte
1946 · Director, Screenplay
The Hour of Truth
1945 · Director, Screenplay
La fuga
1944 · Director, Adaptation
Santa
1943 · Director
Journey into Fear
1943 · Director
It's All True
1943 · Director
Scotland Yard
1941 · Director
Ride, Kelly, Ride
1941 · Director
Viva Cisco Kid
1940 · Director
Charlie Chan in Panama
1940 · Director
20,000 Men a Year
1939 · Assistant Director
Charlie Chan at Treasure Island
1939 · Director
Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation
1939 · Director, Screenplay
Charlie Chan in Reno
1939 · Director
Mr. Moto's Last Warning
1939 · Director, Screenplay
Mysterious Mr. Moto
1938 · Hoodlum in Tavern, Screenplay, Director
Mr. Moto Takes a Chance
1938 · Director, Original Story
Walking Down Broadway
1938 · Director
Thank You, Mr. Moto
1937 · Screenplay, Director
Sunday Night at the Trocadero
1937 · Norman Foster
Think Fast, Mr. Moto
1937 · Director, Writer
Fair Warning
1937 · Director, Screenplay
I Cover Chinatown
1936 · Eddie Barton, Director
High Tension
1936 · Eddie Mitchell
Fatal Lady
1936 · Phillip Roberts
Everybody's Old Man
1936 · Ronald Franklin
The Leavenworth Case
1936 · Detective Bob Grice
Suicide Squad
1935 · Larry Barker
Super Speed
1935 · Randy Rogers
The Fire-Trap
1935 · Bill Farnsworth
Escape from Devil's Island
1935 · Andre Dion
The Bishop Misbehaves
1935 · Donald Meadows
Ladies Crave Excitement
1935 · Don Phelan
The Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935 · Ralph Hartsook
Behind the Green Lights
1935 · Detective Lt. Dave Britten
Behind the Evidence
1935 · Tony Sheridan
Elinor Norton
1934 · Bill Foster
Strictly Dynamite
1934 · Fleming
Orient Express
1934 · Carlton Myatt
Walls of Gold
1933 · Barnes Ritchie
Rafter Romance
1933 · Jack
Pilgrimage
1933 · Jim 'Jimmy' Jessop (Hannah's son)
Professional Sweetheart
1933 · Jim
State Fair
1933 · Wayne Frake
Prosperity
1932 · John Warren
Strange Justice
1932 · Wally Baker
Skyscraper Souls
1932 · Tom Shepherd
Week-End Marriage
1932 · Ken Hayes
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
1932 · Maurice Cohen
Steady Company
1932 · Jim
Play Girl
1932 · Wallace 'Wally' Dennis
Alias the Doctor
1932 · Stephan Brenner
Girl of the Rio
1932 · Johnny Powell
Under Eighteen
1932 · Alf
Reckless Living
1931 · Doggie
Confessions of a Co-Ed
1931 · Hal Evans
Up Pops the Devil
1931 · Steve Merrick
Men Call It Love
1931 · Jack
It Pays to Advertise
1931 · Rodney Martin
No Limit
1931 · Douglas Thayer
Young Man of Manhattan
1930 · Toby McLean
Love at First Sight
1929
Gentlemen of the Press
1929 · Ted Hanley
TV shows (17)
The South Bank Show
1978
Cannon
1971
Custer
1967 · Director
The Green Hornet
1966 · Director
The Monroes
1966 · Director
Batman
1966 · Director
The Loner
1965 · Director
The New Loretta Young Show
1962 · Director
The Wonderful World of Disney
1961 · Director
Adventures in Paradise
1959 · Director
Bat Masterson
1958 · Director
Tombstone Territory
1957 · Director
Zorro
1957 · Director, Writer
Davy Crockett
1954 · Director
The Wonderful World of Disney
1954 · Director, Writer
Letter to Loretta
1953 · Director
Cavalcade of America
1952 · Director