James B. Clark Jr. (May 14, 1908 – July 19, 2000) 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 ...

film editor Film editing is both a creative and a technical part of the post-production process of filmmaking. The term is derived from the traditional process of working with film which increasingly involves the use of digital technology. The film edit ...

, and

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

. His career as a film editor began in 1937, and he was nominated for the

Academy Award for Best Film Editing The Academy Award for Best Film Editing is one of the annual awards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Nominations for this award are closely correlated with the Academy Award for Best Picture. For 33 consecutive years, ...

in 1941 for ''

How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...

''. He continued to work as a film editor until 1960, but in 1955 also began a career as a film and television director. He tended to focus on works involving people's relationships with animals. Among the more popular and notable projects he directed were the films ''

A Dog of Flanders ''A Dog of Flanders'' is an 1872 novel by English author Marie Louise de la Ramée published with her pseudonym "Ouida". It is about a Flemish boy named Nello and his dog, Patrasche, and is set in Antwerp. In Japan, Korea, Russia, Ukraine and ...

'' (1959), '' The Sad Horse'' (1959), '' Misty'' (1961), '' Flipper'' (1963), ''

Island of the Blue Dolphins ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' is a 1960 children's novel by American writer Scott O'Dell, which tells the story of a 23 year-old girl named Karana, who is stranded alone for years on an island off the California coast. It is based on the true ...

'' (1964), and '' My Side of the Mountain'' (1969), and episodes of the television series ''

My Friend Flicka ''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The p ...

'' (1955–1956), ''

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...

'' (1966–1967), and ''

Lassie Lassie is a fictional female Rough Collie dog and is featured in a short story by Eric Knight that was later expanded to a full-length novel called '' Lassie Come-Home''. Knight's portrayal of Lassie bears some features in common with another ...

'' (1969–1971).

Life and career

Clark was born in

Stillwater, Minnesota Stillwater is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Washington County. It is in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, on the west bank of the St. Croix River (Wisconsin-Minnesota), St. Croix River, across from H ...

, on May 14, 1908.Roberts, p. 88. His father, James B. Clark Sr., owned a restaurant, and he had a brother, Asa.Andres, Holly. "James B. Clark, 92, Emmy-Nominated Editor." ''

Los Angeles Daily News The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media. The offices of the ''D ...

.'' July 22, 2000. He was educated in the public schools in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

, and graduated from

Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subse ...

in Athens, Ohio.''International Motion Picture Almanac'', p. 94. He began his career in his family's restaurant business. But in 1937 he moved to California and found work as a film editor at

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 Dis ...

, and later married Isabel O'Brien. The couple had two sons and a daughter.

Editing

Clark edited almost 60 films in his career as a film editor, which lasted from 1937 to 1960. His first film was '' Wings of the Morning'', a British film distributed by 20th Century Fox in the United States. He also edited the Will Rogers film '' So This Is London'' in 1939. He moved quickly up the ranks at Fox, editing '' Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum'' in 1940 and

John Ford John Martin Feeney (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973), known professionally as John Ford, was an American film director and naval officer. He is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers of his generation. He ...

's ''

'' in 1941, which won Academy Awards for both best picture and best director, and for which Clark received a nomination for best editing. In 1942, he edited

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgrou ...

's Oscar-nominated ''

Ten Gentlemen from West Point ''Ten Gentlemen from West Point'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring George Montgomery, Maureen O'Hara and John Sutton. Its cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943. George Montgomery replac ...

'', and the musical film '' Stormy Weather'' (which featured an all-

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

cast) in 1943. Throughout the 1940s and the 1950s, he was one of Hollywood's most reliable film editors, working on such high-profile projects as

Nunnally Johnson Nunnally Hunter Johnson (December 5, 1897 – March 25, 1977) was an American screenwriter, film director, producer, and playwright. As a filmmaker, he wrote the screenplays to more than fifty films in a career that spanned from 1927 to 1967. He ...

's Oscar-nominated '' Holy Matrimony'' (1943), the religious epic ''

The Keys of the Kingdom ''The Keys of the Kingdom'' is a 1941 novel by A. J. Cronin. Spanning six decades, it tells the story of Father Francis Chisholm, an unconventional Scottish Catholic priest who struggles to establish a mission in China. Beset by tragedy in h ...

'' (1944),

John M. Stahl John Malcolm Stahl (January 21, 1886 – January 12, 1950) was an American film director and producer. Life and work He was born Jacob Morris Strelitsky in Baku (Azerbaijan) to a Russian Jewish family. When he was a child, his family le ...

's Oscar-winning ''

Leave Her to Heaven ''Leave Her to Heaven'' is a 1945 American psychological thriller film noir melodrama directed by John M. Stahl and starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, and Vincent Price. It follows a socialite who marries a prominent novelist, ...

'' (1945), Howard Hawks' comedy ''

I Was a Male War Bride ''I Was a Male War Bride'' is a 1949 comedy film directed by Howard Hawks and starring Cary Grant and Ann Sheridan. The film was based on "Male War Bride Trial to Army", a biography of Henri Rochard (pen name of Roger Charlier), a Belgian who ...

'' (1949), the 1951 military biopic '' The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel'',

Sam Fuller Samuel Michael Fuller (August 12, 1912 – October 30, 1997) was an American film director, screenwriter, novelist, journalist, and World War II veteran known for directing low-budget genre movies with controversial themes, often made ou ...

's Cold War drama '' Hell and High Water'' (1954), and the highly popular

Cary Grant Cary Grant (born Archibald Alec Leach; January 18, 1904November 29, 1986) was an English-American actor. He was known for his Mid-Atlantic accent, debonair demeanor, light-hearted approach to acting, and sense of comic timing. He was one o ...

- Deborah Kerr romance picture ''

An Affair to Remember ''An Affair to Remember'' is a 1957 American romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Filmed in CinemaScope, it was distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is considered among the most romantic films of all ti ...

'' (1957). The last film which he edited was 1960's comedy-fantasy film, '' Life Is a Circus''.

Directing

Clark began directing films and television in 1955 at the age of 47. His first directorial effort was a 1955 episode of the television series ''My Friend Flicka''. In 1957, he helmed his first motion picture, the war film '' Under Fire'', starring

Rex Reason Rex Reason (November 30, 1928 – November 19, 2015) was an American actor best known for his role in '' This Island Earth'' (1955). Life and career Rex George Reason Jr. was born in Berlin, Germany, to an American family that returned to Los An ...

. He next directed ''

Sierra Baron ''Sierra Baron'' is a 1958 American Western CinemaScope color film directed by James B. Clark and starring Brian Keith, Rick Jason and Rita Gam, from the novel by Thomas W. Blackburn. Plot summary In 1848, a rancher, Miguel Delmonte (Rick Jas ...

'' and ''

Villa!! ''Villa!!'' is a 1958 American Western film directed by James B. Clark, written by Louis Vittes, and starring Brian Keith, Cesar Romero, Margia Dean, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Carlos Múzquiz and Mario Navarro. The film was released in October 1958, ...

'' in 1958; two films shot back to back in Mexico, also for

Regal Films Inc Robert Lenard Lippert (March 31, 1909 – November 16, 1976) was an American film producer and cinema chain owner. He was president and chief operating officer of Lippert Theatres, Affiliated Theatres and Transcontinental Theatres, all based in ...

. He directed an episode of '' Playhouse 90'' (1957's "The Jet-Propelled Couch") and three episodes of ''

Studio One in Hollywood ''Studio One'' is an American anthology drama television series that was adapted from a radio series. It was created in 1947 by Canadian director Fletcher Markle, who came to CBS from the CBC. It premiered on November 7, 1948 and ended on Sept ...

'' in 1958. ''Studio One'' was nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Dramatic Anthology Series that year. Clark worked steadily in television throughout the 1960s. He directed four episodes of the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

television network's '' Adventures in Paradise'' from 1961 to 1962, four episodes of ABC's '' The Legend of Jesse James'' from 1965 to 1966, six episodes of the ABC family drama '' The Monroes'' from 1966 to 1967, and four episodes of the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television series '' The Wild Wild West'' from 1967 to 1968. His longest-running tenure as director on network television, however, occurred on the popular ''Batman'' series on ABC. He directed 15 episodes of the show from 1966 to 1967. At the very end of his directorial career, Clark directed four episodes of the long-running television series ''Lassie,'' two each in 1969 and 1971. Clark also had a brief career as an "associate director" on television. It began in 1960 on the anthology television series ''

The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series) ''The Twilight Zone'' (marketed as ''Twilight Zone'' for its final two seasons) is an American science fiction horror anthology television series created and presented by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from October 2, 1959, to J ...

''. Five weeks into ''The Twilight Zones second season, the show's budget was showing a deficit. The total number of new episodes was projected at 29, more than half of which (16) had already been shot by November 1960. CBS suggested that six episodes be captured on

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocasse ...

to cut costs. To further reduce expenses, the episodes would be shot at the network's Television City studios, there would be fewer camera movements, and no exterior shots would be permitted. The six episodes were taped from November and to mid-December, although they would be broadcast out of order between December 1960 and March 1961. Clark acted as associate director on all six of these videotaped episodes, assisting the directors with technical issues regarding videotape and helping to keep the production on track. The episodes he worked on were "

Long Distance Call "Long Distance Call" is episode 58 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on March 31, 1961, on CBS. In the episode, a 5-year-old boy named Billy communicates with his dead grandmother using a toy t ...

", "

Static Static may refer to: Places *Static Nunatak, a nunatak in Antarctica United States * Static, Kentucky and Tennessee *Static Peak, a mountain in Wyoming **Static Peak Divide, a mountain pass near the peak Science and technology Physics *Static el ...

", " Twenty Two", " The Lateness of the Hour", " The Whole Truth", and the Christmas episode "

The Night of the Meek "The Night of the Meek" is episode 47 of the American television anthology series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on December 23, 1960, on CBS. It was one of the six episodes of the second season which was shot on videotape in a short- ...

". Clark worked with director

Jack Smight John Ronald Smight (March 9, 1925 – September 1, 2003) was an American theatre and film director. His film credits include ''Harper'' (1966), '' No Way to Treat a Lady'' (1968), '' Airport 1975'' (1974), '' Midway'' (1976), and '' Fast Break ...

on four of these episodes. In 1966, Clark was associate director alongside director Alex Segal on the

made-for-television movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature film, feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical f ...

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montage ...

'', based on the play of the same name by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

. They shared a Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing for a Television Film in 1967 for this effort. In the 1960s, Clark frequently collaborated with producer

Robert B. Radnitz Robert Bonoff Radnitz (August 9, 1924 – June 6, 2010) was an American film producer best known for his production of the family films '' Sounder'' and ''Where the Lilies Bloom''. He produced several movies, many of which were adapted from child ...

. Throughout the late 1950s and the 1960s, Clark continued to direct films, although just 15 pictures bear his name. His most popular and critically praised motion pictures focused on people's relationships with animals and the wild: ''A Dog of Flanders'' (1959), ''The Sad Horse'' (1959), ''Misty'' (1961), ''Flipper'' (1963), ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' (1964), and ''My Side of the Mountain'' (1969). ''A Dog of Flanders'' was widely praised for its performances and lush, painterly cinematography, while ''Flipper'' proved highly popular and led to a long-running television series (with which Clark was not associated).Wilson, p. 66. James B. Clark retired from the entertainment industry in 1974. Clark died at his home in Woodland Hills, California, of unspecified causes at the age of 92.

Selected filmography

Editor * ''

23 Paces to Baker Street ''23 Paces to Baker Street'' is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color mystery thriller film directed by Henry Hathaway. It was released by 20th Century Fox and filmed in Cinemascope on location in London. The screenplay by Nigel Balchin was based on the 1 ...

'' (1956) * ''

Captain Eddie ''Captain Eddie'' is a 1945 American drama film directed by Lloyd Bacon, based on ''Seven Were Saved'' by "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Lt. James Whittaker's ''We Thought We Heard the Angels Sing''. The film stars Fred MacMurray, Lynn Bari and Char ...

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1942) (nominee, Best Film Editing

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

) * '' So This Is London'' (1939) * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) Director *''

ABC Afterschool Specials ''ABC Afterschool Special'' is an American television anthology series that aired on ABC from October 4, 1972, to January 23, 1997, usually in the late afternoon on weekdays. Most episodes were dramatically presented situations, often controver ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1974) *''

Firehouse __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire h ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1974) *''

The Little Ark ''The Little Ark'' is a 1972 children's film directed by James B. Clark, produced by Robert B. Radnitz for Cinema Center Films and released theatrically in the U.S. by National General Pictures. It stars Geneviève Ambas and Philip Frame as childr ...

'' (1972) (film was nominated for best song

, "Come Follow, Follow Me") *''

'' (TV Series; 4 episodes) (1969–71) *'' Lassie: Well of Love'' (TV Movie) (1970) *''

The High Chaparral ''The High Chaparral'' television series, which was broadcast on NBC from 1967 to 1971, is an American Western action adventure drama set in the 1870s. It stars Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell. The series was made by Xanadu Productions ...

'' (TV Series; 2 episodes) (1969–70) *'' Bonanza'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1969) *'' My Side of the Mountain'' (1969) *'' The Wild Wild West'' (TV Series; 4 episodes) (1967–68) *''

Here Come the Brides ''Here Come the Brides'' is an American comedy Western series from Screen Gems that aired on the ABC television network from September 25, 1968 to April 3, 1970. It was loosely based on Asa Mercer's efforts in the 1860s to import marriageable wo ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1968) *''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'' (TV Series; 2 episodes) (1965–68) *''

'' (TV Series; 15 episodes) (1966–67) *'' The Monroes'' (TV Series; 6 episodes) (1966–67) *'' ...And Now Miguel'' (1966) *'' The Legend of Jesse James'' (TV Series; 4 episodes) (1965–66) *'' The Loner'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1966) *''

'' (TV movie) (1966) (winner, Best Director in Television ''

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

''; award shared with Alex Segal) *''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1965) *''

The Long, Hot Summer ''The Long, Hot Summer'' is a 1958 American drama film directed by Martin Ritt. The screenplay was written by Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank Jr., based in part on three works by William Faulkner: the 1931 novella " Spotted Horses", the 1939 s ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1965) *''

'' (1964) (film won Golden Globe award for best new actress,

Celia Kaye Celia Kaye (born Celia Kay Burkholder; February 24, 1942) is an American actress. She is most famous for her starring role in the 1964 film adaptation of ''Island of the Blue Dolphins'' which won her a Golden Globe award. Early life Kaye is o ...

) *'' Flipper'' (1963) *'' Drums of Africa'' (1963) *'' Adventures in Paradise'' (TV Series; 4 episodes) (1961–62) *'' Bus Stop'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1962) *'' Misty'' (1961) *'' The Big Show'' (1961) *''

One Foot in Hell ''One Foot in Hell'' is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. The original LP was produced by Brian Slagel and Cirith Ungol. It was released in August 1986 on Metal Blade Records and re-released in March 1999 b ...

'' (1960) *''

Buick-Electra Playhouse ''Buick-Electra Playhouse'' is a 90-minute dramatic anthology series produced by and aired on CBS from 1959–1960. It was sponsored by Buick. There were a total of four episodes, all based on Ernest Hemingway's works, ''The Killers'', ''T ...

'' (TV Series; 1 episode)(1960) *''

The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio "The Gambler, the Nun, and the Radio" is a short story by Ernest Hemingway published in his 1933 collection of short stories ''Winner Take Nothing''. The original title of the story was "Give Us a Prescription, Doctor". "The Gambler, the Nun, and ...

'' (TV Movie)(1960) *'' A Dog of Flanders'' (1959) *'' The Sad Horse'' (1959) *'' Pursuit'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1958) *''

'' (1958) *''

'' (TV Series; 3 episodes) (1958) *''

'' (1958) *'' Playhouse 90'' (TV Series; 1 episode) (1957) *'' Under Fire'' (1957) *''

'' (TV Series; 2 episodes) (1955–56)

Accolades

References

Bibliography

*''International Motion Picture Almanac.'' New York: Quigley Publications, 1943. *Roberts, Jerry. ''Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors.'' Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2009. *Thomas, Bob. ''Directions in Action.'' Indianapolis, Ind.: Bobbs Merrill, 1973. *Wilson, Staci Layne. ''Animal Movies Guide.'' Philadelphia: Running Free Press, 2007. *Zicree, Marc Scott. The Twilight Zone' Companion.'' New York: Bantam Books, 1989.

External links

*
Article on ''A Dog of Flanders'' on the Turner Classic Movies Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Clark, James B. (director) 1908 births 2000 deaths American film editors American television directors Film directors from Los Angeles Film directors from Minnesota Ohio University alumni People from Stillwater, Minnesota People from Woodland Hills, Los Angeles