Tod Browning (1880-1962)
Born Charles Albert Browning Jr,
Tod Browning was one of the most inventive directors of horror films in
both the silent and sound era. His early fascination with carnival and
circus life manifested itself in the cult classic Freaks (1932). He was
the perfect director for the movie having travelled extensively with sideshows, carnivals and circuses. His jobs included
working as a talker (barker, as the term is also known isn't correct)
for the , performing a live burial act in
which he was billed as "The Living Corpse", and performing as a clown with the Ringling Brothers Circus.
Browning first became interested in the movies when he met D.W.Griffith in 1912. His association with Lon Chaney began with The Wicked Darling (1919). Browning's delight in the macabre was given free rein in further collaborations including The Unholy Three (1925), The Unknown (1927) and London After Midnight (1927).
At Universal Browning directed his most famous film Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi though the director had wanted an unknown European actor in the title role. Horror films were suddennly very popular and MGM wanted to cash in so hired Browning to direct Freaks (1932).
The movie's commercial failure derailed the director's career, the projects he wanted to do were no longer given the go ahead by the studio though he did make Mark of the Vampire (1935) and The Devil Doll (1936). In 1942 he retired and became a recluse.
Filmography
1916 THE DEADLY GLASS OF BEER (short) director
1916 INTOLERANCE performer
1917 JIM BLUDSO director
1917 THE JURY OF FATE director
1917 A LOVE SUBLIME director
1917 PEGGY, THE WILL O' THE WISP director
1918 THE BRAZEN BEAUTY director
1918 THE DECIDING KISS director
1918 THE EYES OF MYSTERY director
1918 THE LEGION OF DEATH director
1918 REVENGE director
1918 SET FREE director, screenwriter
1918 WHICH WOMAN director
1919 BONNIE, BONNIE LASSIE director, screenwriter
1919 THE EXQUISITE THIEF director
1919 A PETAL ON THE CURRENT director
1919 THE UNPAINTED WOMAN director
1919 THE WICKED DARLING director
1920 THE VIRGIN OF STAMBOUL director, screenwriter
1921 NO WOMAN KNOWS director, screenwriter
1921 OUTSIDE THE LAW director, screenwriter, story
1922 MAN UNDER COVER director
1922 UNDER TWO FLAGS adaptation, director
1922 THE WISE KID director
1923 DAY OF FAITH director
1923 DRIFTING director, screenwriter
1923 WHITE TIGER director, screenwriter, story
1924 THE DANGEROUS FLIRT director
1924 SILK STOCKING SAL director
1925 DOLLAR DOWN director
1925 THE MYSTIC director, story
1925 THE UNHOLY THREE director, producer
1926 THE BLACK BIRD director, story
1926 THE ROAD TO MANDALAY director, story
1927 LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT director, story
1927 THE SHOW director
1927 THE UNKNOWN director, story
1928 THE BIG CITY director, producer, story
1928 WEST OF ZANZIBAR director
1929 THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR director, producer
1929 WHERE EAST IS EAST director, producer, story
1930 OUTSIDE THE LAW director, screenwriter
1931 DRACULA director
1931 IRON MAN director, producer
1932 FREAKS/ NATURE'S MISTAKES director, producer
1933 FAST WORKERS director, producer
1935 MARK OF THE VAMPIRE director—from short story—"The Hypnotist"
1936 THE DEVIL-DOLL director, screenwriter
1939 MIRACLES FOR SALE director
1946 INSIDE JOB story
Browning first became interested in the movies when he met D.W.Griffith in 1912. His association with Lon Chaney began with The Wicked Darling (1919). Browning's delight in the macabre was given free rein in further collaborations including The Unholy Three (1925), The Unknown (1927) and London After Midnight (1927).
At Universal Browning directed his most famous film Dracula (1931) starring Bela Lugosi though the director had wanted an unknown European actor in the title role. Horror films were suddennly very popular and MGM wanted to cash in so hired Browning to direct Freaks (1932).
The movie's commercial failure derailed the director's career, the projects he wanted to do were no longer given the go ahead by the studio though he did make Mark of the Vampire (1935) and The Devil Doll (1936). In 1942 he retired and became a recluse.
Filmography
1916 THE DEADLY GLASS OF BEER (short) director
1916 INTOLERANCE performer
1917 JIM BLUDSO director
1917 THE JURY OF FATE director
1917 A LOVE SUBLIME director
1917 PEGGY, THE WILL O' THE WISP director
1918 THE BRAZEN BEAUTY director
1918 THE DECIDING KISS director
1918 THE EYES OF MYSTERY director
1918 THE LEGION OF DEATH director
1918 REVENGE director
1918 SET FREE director, screenwriter
1918 WHICH WOMAN director
1919 BONNIE, BONNIE LASSIE director, screenwriter
1919 THE EXQUISITE THIEF director
1919 A PETAL ON THE CURRENT director
1919 THE UNPAINTED WOMAN director
1919 THE WICKED DARLING director
1920 THE VIRGIN OF STAMBOUL director, screenwriter
1921 NO WOMAN KNOWS director, screenwriter
1921 OUTSIDE THE LAW director, screenwriter, story
1922 MAN UNDER COVER director
1922 UNDER TWO FLAGS adaptation, director
1922 THE WISE KID director
1923 DAY OF FAITH director
1923 DRIFTING director, screenwriter
1923 WHITE TIGER director, screenwriter, story
1924 THE DANGEROUS FLIRT director
1924 SILK STOCKING SAL director
1925 DOLLAR DOWN director
1925 THE MYSTIC director, story
1925 THE UNHOLY THREE director, producer
1926 THE BLACK BIRD director, story
1926 THE ROAD TO MANDALAY director, story
1927 LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT director, story
1927 THE SHOW director
1927 THE UNKNOWN director, story
1928 THE BIG CITY director, producer, story
1928 WEST OF ZANZIBAR director
1929 THE THIRTEENTH CHAIR director, producer
1929 WHERE EAST IS EAST director, producer, story
1930 OUTSIDE THE LAW director, screenwriter
1931 DRACULA director
1931 IRON MAN director, producer
1932 FREAKS/ NATURE'S MISTAKES director, producer
1933 FAST WORKERS director, producer
1935 MARK OF THE VAMPIRE director—from short story—"The Hypnotist"
1936 THE DEVIL-DOLL director, screenwriter
1939 MIRACLES FOR SALE director
1946 INSIDE JOB story
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Written content of the Golden Age of Hollywood Website (except where indicated) copyright Derek McLellan, 2007.