Edward Killy: Difference between revisions
Tassedethe (talk | contribs) m v2.0 - Repaired 1 link to disambiguation page - (You can help) - Androcles and the Lion (film) |
Diffuse subcat |
||
(14 intermediate revisions by 8 users not shown) | |||
Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
{{short description|American film director}} |
{{short description|American film director (1903-1981)}} |
||
{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
||
| name = Edward Killy |
| name = Edward Killy |
||
| image = |
| image = Age-of-Innocence-Moeller.jpg |
||
| caption = Assistant director Edward Killy (center foreground) rehearses actor [[John Boles (actor)|John Boles]] (left) on the set of ''[[The Age of Innocence (1934 film)|The Age of Innocence]]'' (1934) |
|||
| caption = |
|||
| birth_date = {{birth date|1903|1|26}} |
| birth_date = {{birth date|1903|1|26}} |
||
| birth_place = [[Connecticut]], United States |
| birth_place = [[Connecticut]], United States |
||
Line 14: | Line 15: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''Edward Killy''' (January 26, 1903 – July 2, 1981) was an American director, assistant director and production manager in films and television. He was one of the few individuals to be nominated for the short-lived [[Academy Award for Best Assistant Director]]. During his 30-year career he worked on over 75 films and television shows. |
'''Edward Arthur Killy''' (January 26, 1903 – July 2, 1981) was an American director, assistant director and production manager in films and television. He was one of the few individuals to be nominated for the short-lived [[Academy Award for Best Assistant Director]]. During his 30-year career he worked on over 75 films and television shows. |
||
==Life and career== |
==Life and career== |
||
Killy was born on January 26, 1903 in Connecticut. He entered the film industry as an assistant director at [[RKO Pictures]], his first film being the 1931 musical comedy, ''[[Caught Plastered]]'', directed by [[William Seiter]], and starring the comedy duo of [[Bert Wheeler]] and [[Robert Woolsey]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5985 | title=Caught Plastered: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> Over the next five years he assisted on over a dozen films, many of them notable films. In 1932 he was one of two assistants to [[George Cukor]] on the drama ''[[What Price Hollywood?]]'', starring [[Constance Bennett]] and [[Lowell Sherman]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6829 | title=What Price Hollywood?: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> In 1933 he was one of several assistants to [[Dorothy Arzner]] on the melodrama ''[[Christopher Strong]]'', which featured [[Katharine Hepburn]] in her first starring role.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4812 | title=Christopher Strong: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> He |
Killy was born on January 26, 1903, in Connecticut. He entered the film industry as an assistant director at [[RKO Pictures]], his first film being the 1931 musical comedy, ''[[Caught Plastered]]'', directed by [[William Seiter]], and starring the comedy duo of [[Bert Wheeler]] and [[Robert Woolsey]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5985 | title=Caught Plastered: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> Over the next five years he assisted on over a dozen films, many of them notable films. In 1932 he was one of two assistants to [[George Cukor]] on the drama ''[[What Price Hollywood?]]'', starring [[Constance Bennett]] and [[Lowell Sherman]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6829 | title=What Price Hollywood?: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> In 1933 he was one of several assistants to [[Dorothy Arzner]] on the melodrama ''[[Christopher Strong]]'', which featured [[Katharine Hepburn]] in her first starring role.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4812 | title=Christopher Strong: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> He worked with Hepburn on two more films in 1933, ''[[Morning Glory (1933 film)|Morning Glory]]'' (one of three assisting [[Lowell Sherman]]),<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4905 | title=Morning Glory: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> and one of two assisting Cukor on the classic, ''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5986 | title=Little Women: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> That year he also assisted Seiter again on another Wheeler & Woolsey comedy, ''[[Diplomaniacs]]'',<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=852 | title=Diplomaniacs: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> as well as being one of three assistants to [[Thornton Freeland]] on the RKO musical ''[[Flying Down to Rio]]'', which featured the first on-screen pairing of [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Ginger Rogers]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6697 | title=Flying Down to Rio: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The following year Killy assisted [[Philip Moeller]] on the classic drama ''[[The Age of Innocence (1934 film)|The Age of Innocence]]'', the first talking version of the novel, starring [[Irene Dunne]] and [[John Boles (actor)|John Boles]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6865 | title=The Age of Innocence: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
||
He worked with Hepburn again, being one of three assistants to [[Richard Wallace (director)|Richard Wallace]] on ''[[The Little Minister (1934 film)|The Little Minister]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=3984 | title=The Little Minister: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> It was during the filming of this movie when Killy gained notoriety by telling off Hepburn. She was acting up on set one day and refusing to take her place on set, so he told her, "Get on the set before you're sent back to New York to do another ''[[The Lake (play)|Lake]]''." However, he soon became one of her favorite assistant directors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood | last=Fidler | first=Jimmie |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/88116365/?terms=%22Edward%2BKilly%22 |newspaper=Santa Ana Register |date=August 6, 1936 |page=24 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate =September 3, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> |
|||
In 1935 Killy became part of a concerted effort on RKO's part to build a cadre of young directors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Raymond Refuses to Darken Lucille Ball's Bright Future | last=Fidler | first=Jimmie |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/11994037/?terms=%22Edward%2BKilly%22 |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=December 24, 1936 |page=15 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate =September 3, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> His first assignment as the main man behind the camera was as co-director with [[William Hamilton (film editor)|William Hamilton]], on the 1935 film [[Freckles (1935 film)|Freckles]], based on the 1904 novel of the same name.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5863 | title=Freckles: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The two would again pair up to direct the 1935 version of ''[[Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935 film)|Seven Keys to Baldpate]]'', starring [[Gene Raymond]] and [[Margaret Callahan]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4361 | title=Seven Keys to Baldpate: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The pair |
In 1935 Killy became part of a concerted effort on RKO's part to build a cadre of young directors.<ref>{{cite news|title=Raymond Refuses to Darken Lucille Ball's Bright Future | last=Fidler | first=Jimmie |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/11994037/?terms=%22Edward%2BKilly%22 |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune |date=December 24, 1936 |page=15 |via = [[Newspapers.com]]|accessdate =September 3, 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref> His first assignment as the main man behind the camera was as co-director with [[William Hamilton (film editor)|William Hamilton]], on the 1935 film [[Freckles (1935 film)|Freckles]], based on the 1904 novel of the same name.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5863 | title=Freckles: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The two would again pair up to direct the 1935 version of ''[[Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935 film)|Seven Keys to Baldpate]]'', starring [[Gene Raymond]] and [[Margaret Callahan]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=4361 | title=Seven Keys to Baldpate: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> The pair co-directed two more films before Killy was given his first solo directing assignment, 1936's ''[[Second Wife (1936 film)|Second Wife]]'', starring [[Gertrude Michael]] and [[Walter Abel]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6399 | title=Second Wife: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> Over the next ten years, he directed another 20 films, mostly [[B movie]] Westerns, and being the chief director for [[Tim Holt]]'s Westerns.<ref name=Allmovie>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmovie.com/artist/edward-killy-p97388 | publisher=AllMovie | title=Edward Killy, biography | last=Erickson | first=Hal | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
||
Some of the oater collaborations between Killy and Holt include: ''[[The Fargo Kid]]'' (1940), ''[[Wagon Train (1940 film)|Wagon Train]]'' (1940), ''[[Along the Rio Grande]]'' (1941), and ''[[Land of the Open Range]]'' (1942).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=6446 | title=The Fargo Kid: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=8044 | title=Wagon Train: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=26592 | title=Along the Rio Grande: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=27306 | title=Land of the Open Range: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> In the mid-1940s, a young actor, [[Robert Mitchum]], was signed to a seven-year contract with RKO, with the intent of making B-Westerns based on [[Zane Grey]] novels.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/133126%7C132297/Robert-Mitchum/ | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | title=Robert Mitchum, Biography | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> Killy was assigned the first of these films, 1944's ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=24100 | title=Nevada: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> He would also direct Mitchum in another film adaptation of a Grey novel, 1945's ''[[West of the Pecos (1945 film)|West of the Pecos]]'', which was also Killy's last credit as the director of a film.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=24653 | title=West of the Pecos: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
Some of the oater collaborations between Killy and Holt include: ''[[The Fargo Kid]]'' (1940), ''[[Wagon Train (1940 film)|Wagon Train]]'' (1940), ''[[Along the Rio Grande]]'' (1941), and ''[[Land of the Open Range]]'' (1942).<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=6446 | title=The Fargo Kid: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=8044 | title=Wagon Train: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=26592 | title=Along the Rio Grande: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=27306 | title=Land of the Open Range: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> In the mid-1940s, a young actor, [[Robert Mitchum]], was signed to a seven-year contract with RKO, with the intent of making B-Westerns based on [[Zane Grey]] novels.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/133126%7C132297/Robert-Mitchum/ | publisher=Turner Classic Movies | title=Robert Mitchum, Biography | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> Killy was assigned the first of these films, 1944's ''[[Nevada (1944 film)|Nevada]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=24100 | title=Nevada: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> He would also direct Mitchum in another film adaptation of a Grey novel, 1945's ''[[West of the Pecos (1945 film)|West of the Pecos]]'', which was also Killy's last credit as the director of a film.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=&Movie=24653 | title=West of the Pecos: Abbreviated View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
||
Even after getting the opportunity to take the helm of films, Killy was one of the rare people to continue to work at the assistant director level. As an assistant he worked on several notable features including: ''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'', directed by Seiter, and starring [[Irene Dunne]], [[Fred Astaire]], [[Ginger Rogers]], and [[Randolph Scott]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6281 | title=Roberta: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> again with Hepburn on ''[[Alice Adams (film)|Alice Adams]]'' (1935), with [[George Stevens]] directing;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5389 | title=Alice Adams: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> the classic war film ''[[Gunga Din (film)|Gunga Din]]'', again directed by Stevens, and starring [[Cary Grant]], [[Victor McLaglen]], and [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5125 | title=Gunga Din: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1939), assisting [[William Dieterle]], and starring [[Charles Laughton]] as Quasimodo and [[Maureen O'Hara]] as Esmeralda;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5097 | title=The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Gregory La Cava]]'s ''[[Primrose Path (film)|Primrose Path]]'', starring Ginger Rogers and [[Joel McCrea]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5069 | title=Primrose Path: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]'' (1943), directed by [[Richard Wallace (director)|Richard Wallace]], and starring [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] and [[Randolph Scott]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=8561 | title=Bombardier: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> 1944's romantic comedy, also directed by Wallace, ''[[Bride by Mistake]]'', starring [[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]] and [[Laraine Day]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=24301 | title=Bride by Mistake: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Susan Slept Here]]'' (1954), a romantic comedy directed by [[Frank Tashlin]] and starring [[Debbie Reynolds]] and [[Dick Powell]] in his final film performance;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=51367 | title=Susan Slept Here: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> and the [[Howard Hughes]]' production of ''[[The Conqueror (1956 film)|The Conqueror]]'', directed by [[Dick Powell]], and starring [[John Wayne]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=51789 | title=The Conqueror: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
Even after getting the opportunity to take the helm of films, Killy was one of the rare people to continue to work at the assistant director level. As an assistant he worked on several notable features including: ''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'', directed by Seiter, and starring [[Irene Dunne]], [[Fred Astaire]], [[Ginger Rogers]], and [[Randolph Scott]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=6281 | title=Roberta: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> again with Hepburn on ''[[Alice Adams (1935 film)|Alice Adams]]'' (1935), with [[George Stevens]] directing;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5389 | title=Alice Adams: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> the classic war film ''[[Gunga Din (film)|Gunga Din]]'', again directed by Stevens, and starring [[Cary Grant]], [[Victor McLaglen]], and [[Douglas Fairbanks Jr.]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5125 | title=Gunga Din: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939 film)|The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' (1939), assisting [[William Dieterle]], and starring [[Charles Laughton]] as Quasimodo and [[Maureen O'Hara]] as Esmeralda;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5097 | title=The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> [[Gregory La Cava]]'s ''[[Primrose Path (1940 film)|Primrose Path]]'', starring Ginger Rogers and [[Joel McCrea]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=5069 | title=Primrose Path: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Bombardier (film)|Bombardier]]'' (1943), directed by [[Richard Wallace (director)|Richard Wallace]], and starring [[Pat O'Brien (actor)|Pat O'Brien]] and [[Randolph Scott]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=8561 | title=Bombardier: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> 1944's romantic comedy, also directed by Wallace, ''[[Bride by Mistake]]'', starring [[Alan Marshal (actor)|Alan Marshal]] and [[Laraine Day]];<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=24301 | title=Bride by Mistake: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Susan Slept Here]]'' (1954), a romantic comedy directed by [[Frank Tashlin]] and starring [[Debbie Reynolds]] and [[Dick Powell]] in his final film performance;<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=51367 | title=Susan Slept Here: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> and the [[Howard Hughes]]' production of ''[[The Conqueror (1956 film)|The Conqueror]]'', directed by [[Dick Powell]], and starring [[John Wayne]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=51789 | title=The Conqueror: Detail View | publisher=American Film Institute | accessdate=September 3, 2015}}</ref> |
||
In the late 1940s through the 1950s, Killy would also occasionally work as a production manager on such films as: ''[[Blood on the Moon]]'' (1948), ''[[The Big Steal]]'' (1949), ''[[Angel Face (1953 film)|Angel Face]]'', ''[[Jet Pilot (film)|Jet Pilot]]'', and ''[[All Mine to Give]]'' (1958). |
In the late 1940s through the 1950s, Killy would also occasionally work as a production manager on such films as: ''[[Blood on the Moon]]'' (1948), ''[[The Big Steal]]'' (1949), ''[[Angel Face (1953 film)|Angel Face]]'', ''[[Jet Pilot (film)|Jet Pilot]]'', and ''[[All Mine to Give]]'' (1958). |
||
Killy married Pauline Watkins, and would remain married to her until his death in 1981. The two adopted a daughter in the 1930s, Audrey K. Killy. Killy died July 2, 1981 in Orange County, California. |
Killy married Pauline Watkins, and would remain married to her until his death in 1981. The two adopted a daughter in the 1930s, Audrey K. Killy. Killy died July 2, 1981, in Orange County, California. |
||
==Filmography== |
==Filmography== |
||
Line 43: | Line 46: | ||
*''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933) - Assistant director |
*''[[Little Women (1933 film)|Little Women]]'' (1933) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Flying Down to Rio]]'' (1933) - Assistant director |
*''[[Flying Down to Rio]]'' (1933) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Finishing School (film)|Finishing School]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
*''[[Finishing School (1934 film)|Finishing School]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Sing and Like It]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
*''[[Sing and Like It]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[The Little Minister (1934 film)|The Little Minister]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
*''[[The Little Minister (1934 film)|The Little Minister]]'' (1934) - Assistant director |
||
Line 51: | Line 54: | ||
*''[[Break of Hearts]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
*''[[Break of Hearts]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935 film)|Seven Keys to Baldpate]]'' (1935) - Director |
*''[[Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935 film)|Seven Keys to Baldpate]]'' (1935) - Director |
||
*''[[Alice Adams (film)|Alice Adams]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
*''[[Alice Adams (1935 film)|Alice Adams]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Freckles (1935 film)|Freckles]]'' (1935) - Director |
*''[[Freckles (1935 film)|Freckles]]'' (1935) - Director |
||
*''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
*''[[Roberta (1935 film)|Roberta]]'' (1935) - Assistant director |
||
Line 69: | Line 72: | ||
*''[[Gunga Din (film)|Gunga Din]]'' (1939) - Assistant director |
*''[[Gunga Din (film)|Gunga Din]]'' (1939) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[The Flying Irishman]]'' (1939) - Assistant director |
*''[[The Flying Irishman]]'' (1939) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Primrose Path (film)|Primrose Path]]'' (1940) - Assistant director |
*''[[Primrose Path (1940 film)|Primrose Path]]'' (1940) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[The Fargo Kid]]'' (1940) - Director |
*''[[The Fargo Kid]]'' (1940) - Director |
||
*''[[Wagon Train (1940 film)|Wagon Train]]'' (1940) - Director |
*''[[Wagon Train (1940 film)|Wagon Train]]'' (1940) - Director |
||
Line 96: | Line 99: | ||
*''[[The Big Steal]]'' (1949) - Production manager |
*''[[The Big Steal]]'' (1949) - Production manager |
||
*''[[The Set-Up (1949 film)|The Set-Up]]'' (1949) - Assistant director |
*''[[The Set-Up (1949 film)|The Set-Up]]'' (1949) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Stromboli (film)|Stromboli]]'' (1950) - Production manager |
*''[[Stromboli (1950 film)|Stromboli]]'' (1950) - Production manager |
||
*''[[The Lusty Men]]'' (1952) - Assistant director |
*''[[The Lusty Men]]'' (1952) - Assistant director |
||
*''[[Androcles and the Lion (1952 film)|Androcles and the Lion]]'' (1953) - Production manager |
*''[[Androcles and the Lion (1952 film)|Androcles and the Lion]]'' (1953) - Production manager |
||
Line 122: | Line 125: | ||
[[Category:1903 births]] |
[[Category:1903 births]] |
||
[[Category:1981 deaths]] |
[[Category:1981 deaths]] |
||
[[Category: |
[[Category:Film directors from Connecticut]] |
Latest revision as of 18:11, 2 May 2024
Edward Killy | |
---|---|
![]() Assistant director Edward Killy (center foreground) rehearses actor John Boles (left) on the set of The Age of Innocence (1934) | |
Born | Edward Arthur Killy January 26, 1903 Connecticut, United States |
Died | July 2, 1981 Orange County, California, United States | (aged 78)
Occupation(s) | Director, assistant director, production manager |
Years active | 1931–61 |
Spouse | Pauline Watkins Killy (?-1981, his death) |
Edward Arthur Killy (January 26, 1903 – July 2, 1981) was an American director, assistant director and production manager in films and television. He was one of the few individuals to be nominated for the short-lived Academy Award for Best Assistant Director. During his 30-year career he worked on over 75 films and television shows.
Life and career
[edit]Killy was born on January 26, 1903, in Connecticut. He entered the film industry as an assistant director at RKO Pictures, his first film being the 1931 musical comedy, Caught Plastered, directed by William Seiter, and starring the comedy duo of Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey.[1] Over the next five years he assisted on over a dozen films, many of them notable films. In 1932 he was one of two assistants to George Cukor on the drama What Price Hollywood?, starring Constance Bennett and Lowell Sherman.[2] In 1933 he was one of several assistants to Dorothy Arzner on the melodrama Christopher Strong, which featured Katharine Hepburn in her first starring role.[3] He worked with Hepburn on two more films in 1933, Morning Glory (one of three assisting Lowell Sherman),[4] and one of two assisting Cukor on the classic, Little Women.[5] That year he also assisted Seiter again on another Wheeler & Woolsey comedy, Diplomaniacs,[6] as well as being one of three assistants to Thornton Freeland on the RKO musical Flying Down to Rio, which featured the first on-screen pairing of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.[7] The following year Killy assisted Philip Moeller on the classic drama The Age of Innocence, the first talking version of the novel, starring Irene Dunne and John Boles.[8]
He worked with Hepburn again, being one of three assistants to Richard Wallace on The Little Minister.[9] It was during the filming of this movie when Killy gained notoriety by telling off Hepburn. She was acting up on set one day and refusing to take her place on set, so he told her, "Get on the set before you're sent back to New York to do another Lake." However, he soon became one of her favorite assistant directors.[10]
In 1935 Killy became part of a concerted effort on RKO's part to build a cadre of young directors.[11] His first assignment as the main man behind the camera was as co-director with William Hamilton, on the 1935 film Freckles, based on the 1904 novel of the same name.[12] The two would again pair up to direct the 1935 version of Seven Keys to Baldpate, starring Gene Raymond and Margaret Callahan.[13] The pair co-directed two more films before Killy was given his first solo directing assignment, 1936's Second Wife, starring Gertrude Michael and Walter Abel.[14] Over the next ten years, he directed another 20 films, mostly B movie Westerns, and being the chief director for Tim Holt's Westerns.[15] Some of the oater collaborations between Killy and Holt include: The Fargo Kid (1940), Wagon Train (1940), Along the Rio Grande (1941), and Land of the Open Range (1942).[16][17][18][19] In the mid-1940s, a young actor, Robert Mitchum, was signed to a seven-year contract with RKO, with the intent of making B-Westerns based on Zane Grey novels.[20] Killy was assigned the first of these films, 1944's Nevada.[21] He would also direct Mitchum in another film adaptation of a Grey novel, 1945's West of the Pecos, which was also Killy's last credit as the director of a film.[22]
Even after getting the opportunity to take the helm of films, Killy was one of the rare people to continue to work at the assistant director level. As an assistant he worked on several notable features including: Roberta, directed by Seiter, and starring Irene Dunne, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, and Randolph Scott;[23] again with Hepburn on Alice Adams (1935), with George Stevens directing;[24] the classic war film Gunga Din, again directed by Stevens, and starring Cary Grant, Victor McLaglen, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.;[25] The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), assisting William Dieterle, and starring Charles Laughton as Quasimodo and Maureen O'Hara as Esmeralda;[26] Gregory La Cava's Primrose Path, starring Ginger Rogers and Joel McCrea;[27] Bombardier (1943), directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Pat O'Brien and Randolph Scott;[28] 1944's romantic comedy, also directed by Wallace, Bride by Mistake, starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day;[29] Susan Slept Here (1954), a romantic comedy directed by Frank Tashlin and starring Debbie Reynolds and Dick Powell in his final film performance;[30] and the Howard Hughes' production of The Conqueror, directed by Dick Powell, and starring John Wayne.[31]
In the late 1940s through the 1950s, Killy would also occasionally work as a production manager on such films as: Blood on the Moon (1948), The Big Steal (1949), Angel Face, Jet Pilot, and All Mine to Give (1958).
Killy married Pauline Watkins, and would remain married to her until his death in 1981. The two adopted a daughter in the 1930s, Audrey K. Killy. Killy died July 2, 1981, in Orange County, California.
Filmography
[edit]- Caught Plastered (1931) - Assistant director
- Too Many Cooks (1931) - Assistant director
- What Price Hollywood? (1932) - Assistant director
- Diplomaniacs (1933) - Assistant director
- Bed of Roses (1933) - Assistant director
- Emergency Call (1933) - Assistant director
- Christopher Strong (1933) - Assistant director
- Morning Glory (1933) - Assistant director
- Little Women (1933) - Assistant director
- Flying Down to Rio (1933) - Assistant director
- Finishing School (1934) - Assistant director
- Sing and Like It (1934) - Assistant director
- The Little Minister (1934) - Assistant director
- Down to Their Last Yacht (1934) - Assistant director
- Hips, Hips, Hooray! (1934) - Assistant director
- The Age of Innocence (1934) - Assistant director
- Break of Hearts (1935) - Assistant director
- Seven Keys to Baldpate (1935) - Director
- Alice Adams (1935) - Assistant director
- Freckles (1935) - Director
- Roberta (1935) - Assistant director
- The Big Game (1936) - Director
- Murder on a Bridle Path (1936) - Director
- Bunker Bean (1936) - Director
- Second Wife (1936) - Director
- Wanted! Jane Turner (1936) - Director
- Criminal Lawyer (1937) - Director
- Saturday's Heroes (1937) - Director
- Quick Money (1937) - Director
- The Big Shot (1937) - Director
- China Passage (1937) - Director
- 5th Avenue Girl (1939) - Assistant director
- Bachelor Mother (1939) - Assistant director
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939) - Assistant director
- Gunga Din (1939) - Assistant director
- The Flying Irishman (1939) - Assistant director
- Primrose Path (1940) - Assistant director
- The Fargo Kid (1940) - Director
- Wagon Train (1940) - Director
- Triple Justice (1940) - Assistant director
- Stage to Chino (1940) - Director
- Along the Rio Grande (1941) - Director
- The Bandit Trail (1941) - Director
- Come on Danger (1941) - Director
- Cyclone on Horseback (1941) - Director
- Robbers of the Range (1941) - Director
- Land of the Open Range (1942) - Director
- The Navy Comes Through (1942) - Assistant director
- Riding the Wind (1942) - Director
- The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) - Assistant director
- The Iron Major (1943) - Assistant director
- Bombardier (1943) - Assistant director
- Marine Raiders (1944) - Assistant director
- Nevada (1944) - Director
- Bride by Mistake (1944) - Assistant director
- Wanderer of the Wasteland (1945) - Director
- West of the Pecos (1945) - Director
- Sinbad the Sailor (1947) - Production assistant
- Tycoon (1947) - Production assistant
- Blood on the Moon (1948) - Production manager
- Adventure in Baltimore (1949) - Production manager
- The Big Steal (1949) - Production manager
- The Set-Up (1949) - Assistant director
- Stromboli (1950) - Production manager
- The Lusty Men (1952) - Assistant director
- Androcles and the Lion (1953) - Production manager
- Angel Face (1953) - Unit manager
- She Couldn't Say No (1954) - Unit production manager
- Dangerous Mission (1954) - Unit production manager
- Susan Slept Here (1954) - Assistant director
- The Girl Rush (1955) - Assistant director
- The Conqueror (1956) - Assistant director
- Run for the Sun (1956) - Assistant director
- Tension at Table Rock (1956) - Unit manager
- Jet Pilot (1957) - Unit production manager
- Gunsight Ridge (1957) - Assistant director
- All Mine to Give (1958) - Unit manager
References
[edit]- ^ "Caught Plastered: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "What Price Hollywood?: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Christopher Strong: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Morning Glory: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Little Women: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Diplomaniacs: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Flying Down to Rio: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Age of Innocence: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Little Minister: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ Fidler, Jimmie (August 6, 1936). "Jimmie Fidler in Hollywood". Santa Ana Register. p. 24. Retrieved September 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fidler, Jimmie (December 24, 1936). "Raymond Refuses to Darken Lucille Ball's Bright Future". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 15. Retrieved September 3, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Freckles: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Seven Keys to Baldpate: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Second Wife: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ Erickson, Hal. "Edward Killy, biography". AllMovie. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Fargo Kid: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Wagon Train: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Along the Rio Grande: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Land of the Open Range: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Robert Mitchum, Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Nevada: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "West of the Pecos: Abbreviated View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Roberta: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Alice Adams: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Gunga Din: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Primrose Path: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Bombardier: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Bride by Mistake: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Susan Slept Here: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "The Conqueror: Detail View". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 3, 2015.
- ^ "Edward Killy filmography". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
- ^ "Edward Killey filmography". American Film Institute. Retrieved September 5, 2015.