Irvin V. Willat (November 18, 1890 – April 17, 1976) was an American

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 ...

of the

silent film era A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

. A short biography reprinted from ''Blue Book of the Screen'' (1923). He directed 39 films between 1917 and 1937. Early in his career Willat worked as a cinematographer on several films. His older brother Edwin Willat (1882–1950) was cinematographer on several silent films.

Partial filmography

* ''

Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...

'' (1914) *''

The Guilty Man ''The Guilty Man'' is a lost 1918 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring William Garwood, Vivian Reed, and Gloria Hope. The film was based on a play by Charles Klein. Plot As described in a film magazine, Marie Duboi ...

'' (1918) *''

The Law of the North ''The Law of the North'' is a 1918 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat, and written by Ella Stuart Carson, John Lynch, and R. Cecil Smith. The film stars Charles Ray, Doris May, Robert McKim, Gloria Hope, Charles K. French, ...

'' (1918) *''

The False Faces ''The False Faces'' is a 1919 American silent action film written and directed by Irvin Willat, based on the novel by Louis Joseph Vance, and starring Henry B. Walthall as Michael Lanyard, the " Lone Wolf," and Lon Chaney as Karl Ekstrom, th ...

'' (1919) *''

Rustling a Bride ''Rustling A Bride'' is a lost 1919 silent film comedy-Western directed by Irvin Willat and starring Lila Lee. Plot As described in a film magazine, cowboy Nick McCredie (Blue) discovers the name and address of a Kentucky girl on the fly leaf ...

'' (1919) *''

A Daughter of the Wolf ''A Daughter of the Wolf'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and written by Marion Fairfax and Hugh Pendexter. The film stars Lila Lee, Elliott Dexter, Clarence Geldart, Raymond Hatton, Richard Wayne, and Minnie Deve ...

'' (1919) *''

The Grim Game ''The Grim Game'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Harry Houdini and Ann Forrest.Farmer 1984, p. 312. The basic plotline serves as a showcase for Houdini's talent as an escapologist, stunt performer and ...

'' (1919) *'' Behind the Door'' (1919) *'' Below the Surface'' (1920) *'' Down Home'' (1920) * ''

Partners of the Tide ''Partners of the Tide'' is a novel by Joseph C. Lincoln published in 1905. It was adapted into a 1921 film. The story revolves around a shipwreck. L. V. Jefferson is given directing credit in the catalog of copyrights. Film The film was an I ...

'' (1921) * ''

Fifty Candles ''Fifty Candles'' is a 1921 American silent mystery film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Bertram Grassby, Marjorie Daw and Ruth King.Munden p.236 Cast * Bertram Grassby as Hung Chin Chung * Marjorie Daw as Mary-Will Tellfair * Ruth Ki ...

'' (1921) * '' The Face of the World'' (1921) *'' The Siren Call'' (1922) *'' On the High Seas'' (1922) *'' Pawned'' (1922) *''

All the Brothers Were Valiant ''All the Brothers Were Valiant'' is a 1953 Technicolor adventure drama film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Richard Thorpe. The film's screenplay was written by Harry Brown and based on the 1919 novel '' All the Brothers Were Va ...

'' (1923) *'' Fog Bound'' (1923) * ''

Three Miles Out ''Three Miles Out'' is a 1924 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Madge Kennedy, Harrison Ford, and Marc McDermott. The title of the film refers to the three-mile limit which formerly defined the territorial waters ...

'' (1924) *'' Heritage of the Desert'' (1924) *'' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1924) *'' The Story Without a Name'' (1924) *'' North of 36'' (1924) *''

The Air Mail ''The Air Mail'' is a 1925 American silent film, silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and starring Warner Baxter, Billie Dove, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. It was produced by Famous Players-Lasky and distributed through Paramount Pictures. F ...

'' (1925) *'' Rugged Water'' (1925) *'' The Ancient Highway'' (1925) *''

The Enchanted Hill ''The Enchanted Hill'' is a 1926 American silent Western film directed by Irvin Willat and written by James Shelley Hamilton and Peter B. Kyne. The film stars Jack Holt, Florence Vidor, Noah Beery, Sr., Mary Brian, Richard Arlen, George Bancr ...

'' (1926) *''

Paradise In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...

'' (1926) *'' Back to God's Country'' (1927) *'' The Cavalier'' (1928) *''

The Michigan Kid ''The Michigan Kid'' is a 1947 American Cinecolor Western film directed by Ray Taylor and starring Jon Hall, Victor McLaglen, Rita Johnson, and Andy Devine. It was Hall's first film after getting out of the army and filming began 15 April 19 ...

'' (1928) *'' The Isle of Lost Ships'' (1929) *''

Old Louisiana ''Old Louisiana'' is a 1937 American Western film, directed by Irvin Willat. It stars Tom Keene, Rita Hayworth, and Will Morgan. References External links''Old Louisiana''at the Internet Movie Database IMDb (an abbreviation of Intern ...

'' (1937) * '' Luck of Roaring Camp'' (1937) *''

Under Strange Flags ''Under Strange Flags'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by I. V. Willat and starring Tom Keene, Luana Walters, and Maurice Black. It was released on August 16, 1937. During production, it was also titled ''South of Sonora'' and ''Beyond ...

'' (1937)

References

External links

* * 1890 births 1976 deaths 20th-century American male actors Male actors from Stamford, Connecticut Film directors from Connecticut {{US-film-director-1890s-stub