Henry King (January 24, 1886June 29, 1982) was an American actor and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...

. Widely considered one of the finest and most successful filmmakers of his era, King was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director, and directed seven films nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...

Biography

Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres and first started to take small film roles in 1912. Between 1913 and 1925, he appeared as an actor in approximately sixty films. He directed for the first time in 1915 and grew to become one of the most commercially successful

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

directors of the 1920s and '30s. He was twice nominated for the Best Director Oscar. In 1944, he was awarded the first

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...

for Best Director for his film '' The Song of Bernadette''. He worked most often with

Tyrone Power Tyrone Edmund Power III (May 5, 1914 – November 15, 1958) was an American actor. From the 1930s to the 1950s, Power appeared in dozens of films, often in swashbuckler roles or romantic leads. His better-known films include ''Jesse James (193 ...

and

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

and for

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

. Henry King was one of the 36 founders of the

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motion ...

, which awards excellence of cinematic achievements every year, and was the last surviving founder. He directed more than 100 films in his career. In 1955, King was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by the

George Eastman House The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...

for distinguished contribution to the art of film. During World War II, King served as the deputy commander of the

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...

coastal patrol base in Brownsville, Texas, holding the grade of captain. In his final years, he was the oldest licensed private pilot in the United States, having obtained his license in 1918. Henry King died of a heart attack while asleep at his home. He was 96 years old. King was interred with his second wife Ida Davis in the Davis King family plot at Myrtle Hill Cemetery in Tampa, Florida.

Partial filmography

Director

* '' Should a Wife Forgive?'' (1915) * '' Little Mary Sunshine'' (1916) * '' Pay Dirt'' (1916) * '' Shadows and Sunshine'' (1916) * '' The Mate of the Sally Ann'' (1917) * '' Twin Kiddies'' (1917) * '' Beauty and the Rogue'' (1917) * '' Sunshine and Gold'' (1917) * '' A Game of Wits'' (1917) * '' Told at Twilight'' (1917) * '' The Bride's Silence'' (1917) * ''

Southern Pride ''Southern Pride'' was a steam-powered whaler built by the Smiths Dock Company of Middlesbrough in 1936. She was the initial design inspiration for the s used to escort convoys in the North Atlantic in World War II.Powers That Prey'' (1918) * ''

Up Romance Road ''Up Romance Road'' is a 1918 American silent comedy film directed by Henry King and starring William Russell, Charlotte Burton, and John Burton.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * William Russell as Gregory Thorn ...

'' (1918) * ''

Hobbs in a Hurry ''Hobbs in a Hurry'' is a 1918 American silent Western film directed by Henry King and starring William Russell, Henry A. Barrows, and Winifred Westover.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166. Cast * William Russell as J ...

'' (1918) * '' Hearts or Diamonds?'' (1918) * ''

Social Briars ''Social Briars'' is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Henry King and starring Mary Miles Minter. The story was by Jeanne Judson, and it was filmed under the working title of "The Greater Call." As with many of Minter's fe ...

'' (1918) * ''

The Locked Heart ''The Locked Heart'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Henry King and starring King, Gloria Joy, and Vola Vale.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * Gloria Joy as Martha Mason * Henry King as Harry M ...

'' (1918) * ''

All the World to Nothing ''All the World to Nothing'' is a 1918 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Henry King and starring William Russell, Winifred Westover, and J. Morris Foster. As noted in an advertisement, it was based on the novel of the same name b ...

'' (1918) * '' Where the West Begins'' (1919) * ''

Brass Buttons ''Brass Buttons'' is a 1919 American silent comedy Western film directed by Henry King, and starring William Russell, Eileen Percy, and Helen Howard.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 A New York cop in Arizona tackle ...

'' (1919) * ''

This Hero Stuff ''This Hero Stuff'' is a 1919 American silent Western comedy film directed by Henry King and starring William Russell, Winifred Westover, and J. Barney Sherry.Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema p. 166 Cast * William Russell as ...

'' (1919) * ''

A Fugitive from Matrimony ''A Fugitive from Matrimony'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Henry King and starring H.B. Warner, Seena Owen, and Adele Farrington.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * H.B. Warner as Stephen Van C ...

'' (1919) * ''

Six Feet Four ''Six Feet Four'' is a 1919 American silent Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, ...

'' (1919) * ''

Some Liar ''Some Liar'' is a 1919 American silent Western comedy film directed by Henry King and starring William Russell, Eileen Percy, and Heywood Mack.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166. Cast * William Russell as Robert Win ...

'' (1919) * '' A Sporting Chance'' (1919 * ''

Haunting Shadows ''Haunting Shadows'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film directed by Henry King and starring H.B. Warner, Edward Peil Sr., and Charles Hill Mailes.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 It was based on 1906 novel which had ...

'' (1919)Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 222.. * ''

One Hour Before Dawn ''One Hour Before Dawn'' (aka ''Behind Red Curtains'') is a 1920 silent film mystery directed by Henry King, written by Fred Myton and starring H. B. Warner, Frank Leigh and Anna Q. Nilsson. It was produced by Jesse D. Hampton and released by ...

'' (1920) * ''

Dice of Destiny ''Dice of Destiny'' is a 1920 American silent crime drama film directed by Henry King and starring H. B. Warner, Lillian Rich, and Howard Davies.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * H. B. Warner as Jimmy Doyle * L ...

'' (1920) * '' The White Dove'' (1920) * ''

Uncharted Channels ''Uncharted Channels'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Henry King and starring H. B. Warner, Kathryn Adams and Sam De Grasse Samuel Alfred De Grasse (June 12, 1875 – November 29, 1953) was a Canadian actor. He was the unc ...

'' (1920) * ''

Help Wanted - Male Help is a word meaning to give aid or signal distress. Help may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Help'' (2010 film), a Bollywood horror film * ''Help'' (2021 theatrical film), a British psychological thriller film * '' ...

'' (1920) * ''

When We Were 21 ''When We Were 21'' is a 1921 American silent comedy drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually ...

'' (1921) * ''

The Sting of the Lash ''The Sting of the Lash'' is a 1921 American silent drama film directed by Henry King and starring Pauline Frederick, Clyde Fillmore, and Lawson Butt.''Guide to the Silent Years of American Cinema'', p. 166 Cast * Pauline Frederick as Dorothy ...

'' (1921) * '' Salvage'' (1921) * ''

Tol'able David ''Tol'able David'' is a 1921 American silent film based on the 1917 Joseph Hergesheimer short story of the same name. It was adapted to the screen by Edmund Goulding and directed by Henry King for Inspiration Pictures. A rustic tale of viole ...

'' (1921) * ''

Sonny Sonny is a common nickname and occasional given name. Often it can be a derivative of the English word "Son", a name derived from the Ancient Germanic element *sunn meaning "sun", a nickname derived from the Italian name Salvatore (especially in N ...

'' (1922) * '' The Seventh Day'' (1922) * '' Fury'' (1923) * ''

The Bond Boy ''The Bond Boy'' is a lost 1922 American silent drama film directed by Henry King and starring Richard Barthelmess. It was produced by Barthelmess and Charles Duell and released through Associated First National Pictures. Cast *Richard Barth ...

'' (1923) * '' The White Sister'' (1923) * ''

Romola ''Romola'' (1862–63) is a historical novel written by Mary Ann Evans under the pen name of George Eliot set in the fifteenth century. It is "a deep study of life in the city of Florence from an intellectual, artistic, religious, and social poin ...

'' (1924) * '' Stella Dallas'' (1925) * ''

The Winning of Barbara Worth ''The Winning of Barbara Worth'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Henry King, and starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky and Gary Cooper (who replaced Monte Blue). Based on Harold Bell Wright's novel ''The Winning of Barbara W ...

'' (1926) * ''

Partners Again ''Partners Again'' is a 1926 American silent comedy film that was produced by Samuel Goldwyn, released through United Artists, and directed by Henry King. This ethnic Jewish humor film is based on the 1922 Broadway play ''Partners Again'' star ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Magic Flame ''The Magic Flame'' is a 1927 American silent drama film directed by Henry King, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and based on the 1900 play ''Konig Harlekin'' by Rudolph Lothar. George Barnes was nominated at the 1st Academy Awards for Best Cin ...

'' (1927) * '' The Woman Disputed'' (1928) * '' She Goes to War'' (1929) * '' Hell Harbor'' (1930) * '' The Eyes of the World'' (1930) * '' Lightnin''' (1930) * ''

Merely Mary Ann ''Merely Mary Ann'' a 1931 American pre-Code romantic comedy drama film starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell. Gaynor and Farrell made almost a dozen films together, including Frank Borzage's classics '' Seventh Heaven'' (1927), '' Street A ...

'' (1931) * '' Over the Hill'' (1931) * ''

The Woman in Room 13 ''The Woman in Room 13'' is a lost 1920 American silent mystery drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Pauline Frederick. It was produced and distributed by Goldwyn Pictures and is based on a Broadway play of the same name, ''The Woma ...

'' (1932) * '' State Fair'' (1933) * ''

I Loved You Wednesday ''I Loved You Wednesday'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy drama film directed by Henry King and William Cameron Menzies and written by Philip Klein and Horace Jackson, adapted from the 1932 play of the same title by Molly Ricardel and Wi ...

'' (1933) * '' Marie Galante'' (1934) * '' One More Spring'' (1935) * ''

Way Down East ''Way Down East'' is a 1920 American silent romantic drama film directed by D. W. Griffith and starring Lillian Gish. It is one of four film adaptations of the melodramatic 19th century play ''Way Down East'' by Lottie Blair Parker. There wer ...

'' (1935) * '' The Country Doctor'' (1936) * '' Ramona'' (1936) * ''

Lloyd's of London Lloyd's of London, generally known simply as Lloyd's, is an insurance and reinsurance market located in London, England. Unlike most of its competitors in the industry, it is not an insurance company; rather, Lloyd's is a corporate body gove ...

'' (1936) * '' Seventh Heaven'' (1937) * ''

In Old Chicago ''In Old Chicago'' is a 1938 American disaster musical drama film directed by Henry King. The screenplay by Sonya Levien and Lamar Trotti was based on the Niven Busch story, "We the O'Learys". The film is a fictionalized account about the G ...

'' (1937) * ''

Alexander's Ragtime Band "Alexander's Ragtime Band" is a Tin Pan Alley song by American composer Irving Berlin released in 1911 and is often inaccurately cited as his first global hit. Despite its title, the song is a march as opposed to a rag and contains little sync ...

'' (1938) * ''

Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained st ...

'' (1939) * ''

Stanley and Livingstone ''Stanley and Livingstone'' is a 1939 American adventure film directed by Henry King and Otto Brower. It is loosely based on the true story of Welsh reporter Sir Henry M. Stanley's quest to find Dr. David Livingstone, a Scottish missionary presum ...

'' (1939) * '' Little Old New York'' (1940) * ''

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean t ...

'' (1940) * '' Chad Hanna'' 1940) * ''

A Yank in the RAF ''A Yank in the R.A.F.'' is a 1941 American black-and-white war film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Betty Grable. Released three months before the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II, it is ...

'' (1941) * ''

Remember the Day ''Remember the Day'' is a 1941 film released by 20th Century Fox, directed by Henry King, and starring Claudette Colbert and John Payne. Plot Elderly schoolteacher Nora Trinell reflects on her life and teaching career while waiting to see Dew ...

'' (1941) * '' The Black Swan'' (1942) * '' The Song of Bernadette'' (1943) * ''

Wilson Wilson may refer to: People *Wilson (name) ** List of people with given name Wilson ** List of people with surname Wilson * Wilson (footballer, 1927–1998), Brazilian manager and defender * Wilson (footballer, born 1984), full name Wilson R ...

'' (1944) * '' A Bell for Adano'' (1945) * '' Margie'' (1946) * '' Captain from Castile'' (1947) * '' Deep Waters'' (1948) * ''

Prince of Foxes ''Prince of Foxes'' is a 1947 historical novel by Samuel Shellabarger, following the adventures of the fictional Andrea Orsini, a captain in the service of Cesare Borgia during his conquest of the Romagna. Plot introduction Andrea Zoppo, an Ita ...

'' (1949) * '' Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949) * ''

The Gunfighter ''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewri ...

'' (1950) * ''

I'd Climb the Highest Mountain '' I'd Climb the Highest Mountain'' is a 1951 Technicolor religious drama film made by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Henry King and produced by Lamar Trotti from a screenplay by King and Trotti. The story is based ...

'' (1951) * '' David and Bathsheba'' (1951) * '' O. Henry's Full House'' (1952) * '' The Snows of Kilimanjaro'' (1952) * '' Wait till the Sun Shines, Nellie'' (1952) * ''

King of the Khyber Rifles ''King of the Khyber Rifles'' is a novel by British writer Talbot Mundy. Captain Athelstan King is a secret agent for the British Raj at the beginning of the First World War. Heavily influenced both by Mundy's own unsuccessful career in India ...

'' (1953) * '' Untamed'' (1955) * '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' (1955) * ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...

'' (1956) * ''

The Sun Also Rises ''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the bu ...

'' (1957) * '' The Bravados'' (1958) * '' This Earth Is Mine'' (1959) * ''

Beloved Infidel ''Beloved Infidel'' is a 1959 DeLuxe Color biographical drama film made by 20th Century Fox in CinemaScope and based on the relationship of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheilah Graham. The film was directed by Henry King and produced by Jerry Wald f ...

'' (1959) * ''

Tender Is the Night ''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young p ...

'' (1962)

Actor

* ''Who Pays?'' (1915) * '' Should a Wife Forgive?'' (1915) - Jack Holmes * '' Little Mary Sunshine'' (1916) - Bob Daley * '' Pay Dirt'' (1916) - The Easterner * ''The Power of Evil'' (1916) - Stuart Merwin * '' Shadows and Sunshine'' (1916) - Minor Role (uncredited) * ''

Joy and the Dragon ''Joy and the Dragon'' is a surviving 1916 silent film directed by Henry King and starring himself and 'Baby' Marie Osborne. It was produced at the Balboa Amusement Producing Company and distributed by the Pathé Exchange. Copies survive in Lon ...

'' (1916) - Hal Lewis * '' Twin Kiddies'' (1917) - Jasper Hunt * ''In the Hands of the Law'' (1917) * ''

The Devil's Bait ''The Devil's Bait'' is an extant 1917 dramatic silent feature film starring Ruth Roland, an actress usually associated with serials. It was directed by Harry Harvey and produced by the Balboa Amusement Producing Company. General Film Company han ...

'' (1917) * '' Told at Twilight'' (1917) - The Father * '' Sunshine and Gold'' (1917) - The Chauffeur * '' Hearts or Diamonds?'' (1918) * ''

'' (1918) - Harry Mason * ''

'' (1920) - Tubbs * '' Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ'' (1925) - Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) (final film role)

Academy Awards

References

External links

* *
Forgotten By Fox: Henry King of the Khyber Rifles
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Henry 1886 births 1982 deaths Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences founders People from Christiansburg, Virginia Film directors from Virginia Western (genre) film directors People from Toluca Lake, Los Angeles Film directors from Los Angeles American male silent film actors 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Virginia Male actors from Los Angeles Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City