Sidney Arnold Franklin (March 21, 1893 – May 18, 1972) 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 ...

and producer. Franklin, like

William C. deMille William Churchill deMille (July 25, 1878 – March 5, 1955), also spelled de Mille or De Mille, was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent film era through the early 1930s. He was also a noted playwright prior to moving into ...

, specialized in adapting literary works or Broadway stage plays. His brother

Chester Franklin Chester Mortimer Franklin (September 1, 1889 – March 12, 1954) was an American film director and actor active mainly in the silent era. Born in San Francisco, he was the brother of Sidney A. Franklin. In the late 1910s, he co-directed wi ...

(1889–1954) also became a director during the

silent film 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, w ...

era best known for directing the early

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

film ''

The Toll of the Sea ''The Toll of the Sea'' is a 1922 American silent drama film directed by Chester M. Franklin, produced by the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation, released by Metro Pictures, and featuring Anna May Wong in her first leading role. The film w ...

''.

Partial filmography

Director

*'' Gretchen the Greenhorn'' (1916) co-directed with brother Chester *'' A Sister of Six'' (1916) co-directed with brother Chester * ''

The Little School Ma'am ''The Little School Ma'am'' is a 1916 American drama silent black and white film directed by C.M. Franklin and S.A. Franklin, and written by Bernard McConville and Frank E. Woods. It stars Dorothy Gish. Cast * Dorothy Gish as Nan * Elmer Cl ...

'' (1916) * ''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Co ...

'' (1917) co-directed with brother Chester * '' The Babes in the Woods'' (1917) co-directed with brother Chester *''

Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure no ...

'' (1918) co-directed with Chester *''

The Safety Curtain ''The Safety Curtain'' is a 1918 American silent melodrama film directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Norma Talmadge. Talmadge and her husband Joe Schenck produced the film and distributed through Select Pictures. Cast *Norma Talmadge as P ...

'' (1918) *''

Her Only Way ''Her Only Way'' is a 1918 silent film drama directed by Sidney Franklin with Norma Talmadge as the star. Cast *Norma Talmadge Norma Marie Talmadge (May 2, 1894 – December 24, 1957) was an American actress and film producer of the silent e ...

'' (1918) *'' The Forbidden City'' (1918) *'' The Hoodlum'' (1919) *''

A Virtuous Vamp ''A Virtuous Vamp'' is a 1919 American silent comedy film produced by and starring Constance Talmadge that was directed by David Kirkland and Sidney Franklin. It was written by Anita Loos and John Emerson based on the 1909 play ''The Bachelor' ...

'' (1919) assistant director with David Kirkland * ''

Courage Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, ...

'' (1921) * '' Not Guilty'' (1921) *'' Smilin' Through'' (1922) *''

The Primitive Lover ''The Primitive Lover'' is a 1922 American silent drama film produced by and starring Constance Talmadge and distributed by Associated First National (later First National Pictures). Sidney A. Franklin served as the director of the movie and Fra ...

'' (1922) *'' Dulcy'' (1923) *''

Her Sister from Paris ''Her Sister from Paris'' is a 1925 American silent comedy film based upon the play ''The Twin Sister'' by Ludwig Fulda. It was directed by Sidney Franklin and stars Constance Talmadge, Ronald Colman, and George K. Arthur. Unlike many silent ...

'' (1925) *''

Learning to Love ''Learning to Love'' is a 1925 American comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and written by John Emerson and Anita Loos. The film stars Constance Talmadge, Antonio Moreno, Emily Fitzroy, Edythe Chapman, John Harron, and Ray Hallor. The fil ...

'' (1925) *''

Beverly of Graustark ''Beverly of Graustark'' is a 1926 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Sidney Franklin and starring Marion Davies, Antonio Moreno, and Creighton Hale. The film's screenplay was written by Agnes Christine Johnston based on the nov ...

'' (1926) *''

The Actress ''The Actress'' is a 1953 American comedy-drama film based on Ruth Gordon's autobiographical play ''Years Ago''. Gordon herself wrote the screenplay. The film was directed by George Cukor and stars Jean Simmons, Spencer Tracy, and Teresa Wright, ...

'' (1928) *'' The Last of Mrs. Cheyney'' (1929) *'' Wild Orchids'' (1929) *'' Devil-May-Care'' (1929) *''

A Lady's Morals ''A Lady's Morals'' is a 1930 American pre-Code film offering a highly fictionalized account of opera singer Jenny Lind. The movie features Grace Moore as Lind, Reginald Denny as a lover, and Wallace Beery as P. T. Barnum. The film contains some ...

'' (1930) *'' Private Lives'' (1931) *'' Smilin' Through'' (1932) *'' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (1934) *'' The Barretts of Wimpole Street'' (1957; a scene-for-scene remake of the 1934 version) *'' The Dark Angel'' (1935) *'' The Good Earth'' (1937) *'' Duel in the Sun'' (1946), uncredited

Producer

*''

Ninotchka ''Ninotchka'' is a 1939 American romantic comedy film made for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer by producer and director Ernst Lubitsch and starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. It was written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Walter Reisch, based ...

'' (1939) (associate producer) *'' Waterloo Bridge'' (1940) *'' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) *'' Random Harvest'' (1942) *''

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...

'' (1942; animated by Walt Disney Productions while Franklin served as creative consultant) *'' Madame Curie'' (1943) *''

The White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...

'' (1944) *'' The Yearling'' (1946) *''

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

'' (1948) *'' Command Decision'' (1948) *'' The Miniver Story'' (1950) *'' Fearless Fagan'' (1952) (associate producer) *'' Sky Full of Moon'' (1952) *''

The Story of Three Loves ''The Story of Three Loves'' (also known as ''Equilibrium'') is a 1953 American Technicolor romantic anthology film made by MGM. It consists of three stories, "The Jealous Lover", "Mademoiselle", and "Equilibrium". The film was produced by Sid ...

'' (1953) *'' Gypsy Colt'' (1953) *''

Young Bess ''Young Bess'' is a 1953 Technicolor biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about the early life of Elizabeth I, from her turbulent childhood to the eve of her accession to the throne of England. It stars Jean Simmons as Elizabeth and St ...

'' (1953) *'' Torch Song'' (1953)

Actor

*'' A Rogue's Romance'' (1919) - Burgomaster *'' The Man in the Moonlight'' (1919) - Pierre Delorme *'' Down Home'' (1920) - Cash Bailey *'' The Blue Moon'' (1920) - Louie Solomon * ''

Fashion Row ''Fashion Row'' is a 1923 American silent drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Mae Murray in a dual role, Earle Foxe, and Freeman Wood. The film involves two Russian sisters emigrate to America. One tries to hide her peasant or ...

'' (1923) *'' Ben-Hur'' (1925) - Chariot Race Spectator (uncredited) *'' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942) - Man at Flower Show (uncredited) (final film role)

References

External links

*
Sidney Franklin; AllMovie.com bio
1893 births 1972 deaths Burials at Hollywood Forever Cemetery Film directors from San Francisco {{US-film-director-1890s-stub American people of German descent