Louis King

For other people named Louis King, see Louis King (disambiguation).
Louis King
Born(1898-06-28)June 28, 1898
Christiansburg, Virginia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 7, 1962(1962-09-07) (aged 64)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting placeWestwood Memorial Park
Occupation(s)Film director, actor
RelativesHenry King (brother)

Louis King (June 28, 1898 – September 7, 1962) was an American actor and film director of westerns and adventure movies in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s.[1][2]

Early years

King was born in 1898 in Christiansburg, Virginia.[3] His name was also written as L.H. King and Lewis King.[4] A brother of director Henry King, he grew up on a tobacco farm. Their parents died in 1918, after which he moved to California, where his brother was already working in films.[5]

Career

King first worked for his brother, who was acting and directing for the Balboa Film Company. Then he became a "general handy man" for American Film Company.[5]

He entered the film business in 1919 as a character actor. He specialized in villains and blusterers. He began his career as a director of a series of Westerns in the 1920s as Lewis King: The Bantam Cowboy (1928), The Fightin' Redhead (1928), The Pinto Kid (1928), The Little Buckaroo (1928), The Slingshot Kid (1927), The Boy Rider (1927), Montana Bill (1921), Pirates of the West (1921) and The Gun Runners (1921).

He directed Hollywood action adventures and Westerns in the 1930s and 1940s and 20th Century-Fox wartime film Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas in 1943. In the 1950s, he directed Westerns on television, including episodes of Gunsmoke in 1957, the Zane Grey Theater in 1958, The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok and The Deputy in 1960–61.[citation needed]

Death

King died of undisclosed causes on September 7, 1962, in Hollywood, California, at the age of 64.[6]

Partial filmography

References

  1. ^ New York Times
  2. ^ Profile, Citwf.com; accessed July 23, 2015.
  3. ^ "California, World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1945", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGXB-7TCP : Thu Jul 18 07:22:32 UTC 2024), Entry for Louis King and Vernon D Wood, 14 Feb 1942.
  4. ^ British Film Institute (1988). The BFI Companion to the Western. Athenium. p. 360. ISBN 9780233983325.
  5. ^ a b Cunningham, Frank (December 27, 1936). "Louis King, Who Hails From Lafayette, Va. Is Veteran Director At 34". The Times Dispatch. Virginia, Richmond. p. 52. Retrieved November 16, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Ellenberger, Allan R. (May 1, 2001). Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. McFarland. p. 217. ISBN 978-0-7864-0983-9. Retrieved April 9, 2023.


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