Norman Foster
Directing
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.
Known for
Directing63
movieThe Green Hornet
2005
Director
movieIt's All True
1993
Director
movieThe Deathhead Virgin
1974
Director
movieThe Green Hornet
1974
Director
movieThe Legend of Custer
1968
Director
tvCuster
1967
Director
tvThe Green Hornet
1966
Director
tvThe Monroes
1966
Director
tvBatman
1966
Director
tvThe Loner
1965
Director
movieIndian Paint
1965
Director
tvThe New Loretta Young Show
1962
Director
tvAdventures in Paradise
1959
Director
movieThe Sign of Zorro
1958
Director
tvBat Masterson
1958
Director
tvTombstone Territory
1957
Director
tvZorro
1957
Director
tvDavy Crockett
1954
Director
tvLetter to Loretta
1953
Director
movieSombrero
1953
Director
movieSky Full of Moon
1952
Director
tvCavalcade of America
1952
Director
movieNavajo
1952
Director
movieWoman on the Run
1950
Director
movieFather Is a Bachelor
1950
Director
movieTell It to the Judge
1949
Director
movieRachel and the Stranger
1948
Director
movieEl canto de la sirena
1948
Director
movieEl ahijado de la muerte
1946
Director
movieThe Hour of Truth
1945
Director
movieLa Fuga
1944
Director
movieSanta
1943
Director
movieJourney into Fear
1943
Director
movieScotland Yard
1941
Director
movieRide, Kelly, Ride
1941
Director
movieViva Cisco Kid
1940
Director
movieCharlie Chan in Panama
1940
Director
movie20,000 Men a Year
1939
Assistant Director
movieCharlie Chan in Reno
1939
Director
movieMr. Moto's Last Warning
1939
Director
movieMysterious Mr. Moto
1938
Director
movieMr. Moto Takes a Chance
1938
Director
movieWalking Down Broadway
1938
Director
movieThank You, Mr. Moto
1937
Director
movieThink Fast, Mr. Moto
1937
Director
movieFair Warning
1937
Director
movieI Cover Chinatown
1936
Director
Acting50
movieThe Other Side of the Wind
2018
Billy Boyle
movieThey'll Love Me When I'm Dead
2018
Self (archive footage)
Woman in the Rain
1976
Assistant Director for HighShine
movieDouble Solitaire
1974
Ernest Potter
moviePlay It as It Lays
1972
Abortionist
movieMysterious Mr. Moto
1938
Hoodlum in Tavern
movieSunday Night at the Trocadero
1937
Norman Foster
movieI Cover Chinatown
1936
Eddie Barton
movieHigh Tension
1936
Eddie Mitchell
movieFatal Lady
1936
Phillip Roberts
movieEverybody's Old Man
1936
Ronald Franklin
movieThe Leavenworth Case
1936
Detective Bob Grice
movieSuicide Squad
1935
Larry Barker
movieSuper Speed
1935
Randy Rogers
The Fire-Trap
1935
Bill Farnsworth
movieEscape from Devil's Island
1935
Andre Dion
movieThe Bishop Misbehaves
1935
Donald Meadows
movieLadies Crave Excitement
1935
Don Phelan
movieThe Hoosier Schoolmaster
1935
Ralph Hartsook
movieBehind the Green Lights
1935
Detective Lt. Dave Britten
Behind the Evidence
1935
Tony Sheridan
movieElinor Norton
1934
Bill Foster
movieStrictly Dynamite
1934
Fleming
movieOrient Express
1934
Carlton Myatt
movieWalls of Gold
1933
Barnes Ritchie
moviePilgrimage
1933
Jim 'Jimmy' Jessop (Hannah's son)
movieState Fair
1933
Wayne Frake
movieProsperity
1932
John Warren
movieStrange Justice
1932
Wally Baker
movieSkyscraper Souls
1932
Tom Shepherd
movieWeek-End Marriage
1932
Ken Hayes
movieThe Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
1932
Maurice Cohen
moviePlay Girl
1932
Wallace 'Wally' Dennis
movieAlias the Doctor
1932
Stephan Brenner
movieGirl of the Rio
1932
Johnny Powell
movieConfessions of a Co-Ed
1931
Hal Evans
movieUp Pops the Devil
1931
Steve Merrick
movieIt Pays to Advertise
1931
Rodney Martin
movieNo Limit
1931
Douglas Thayer
movieYoung Man of Manhattan
1930
Toby McLean
movieGentlemen of the Press
1929
Ted Hanley
Writing23
movieIndian Paint
1965
Screenplay
movieThe Sign of Zorro
1958
Screenplay
tvZorro
1957
Writer
movieSombrero
1953
Screenplay
movieNavajo
1952
Writer
movieWoman on the Run
1950
Screenplay
movieThe Bewitched House
1949
Original Story
movieThe Hour of Truth
1945
Screenplay
movieLa Fuga
1944
Writer
movieMr. Moto Takes a Vacation
1939
Screenplay
movieMr. Moto's Last Warning
1939
Screenplay
movieMysterious Mr. Moto
1938
Screenplay
movieMr. Moto Takes a Chance
1938
Original Story
movieThank You, Mr. Moto
1937
Screenplay
movieFair Warning
1937
Screenplay
Production1
movieHans Brinker, or the Silver Skates
1962
Associate Producer