Bernard Joseph Durning (August 24, 1893 – August 29, 1923) was an American

silent film A silent film is a film without 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 ...

director and actor who worked primarily with

Lon Chaney Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (April 1, 1883 – August 26, 1930) was an American actor and makeup artist. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often gr ...

Dustin Farnum Dustin Lancy Farnum (May 27, 1874 – July 3, 1929) was an American singer, dancer, and actor on the stage and in silent films. Although he played a wide variety of roles, he tended toward westerns and became one of the bigger stars of the genre ...

, and

Buck Jones Buck Jones (born Charles Frederick Gebhart; December 12, 1891 – November 30, 1942) was an American actor, known for his work in many popular Western movies. In his early film appearances, he was credited as Charles Jones. Early life, milit ...

. William A. Wellman was his assistant director and protégé. His older brother, Harry M. Durning, was the Collector of Customs for the Port of New York from 1933 to 1953.

Personal life

Bernard J. Durning was born on August 24, 1892, in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, US. He was married to Shirley Mason. He died on August 29, 1923, in New York City.

Film career

Bernard Durning began at

Edison Studios Edison Studios was an American film production organization, owned by companies controlled by inventor and entrepreneur, Thomas Edison. The studio made close to 1,200 films, as part of the Edison Manufacturing Company (1894–1911) and then Tho ...

in the Bronx, in 1912, after attending

Fordham University Fordham University is a Private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in New York City, United States. Established in 1841, it is named after the Fordham, Bronx, Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx in which its origina ...

. He rose through the ranks of the studio as assistant to

Charles Brabin Charles Brabin (April 17, 1882 – November 3, 1957) was a British-American film director. Biography Born in Liverpool, England, he was educated at St. Francis Xavier's College (Liverpool), St. Francis Xavier College. Brabin sailed to New Yor ...

and John H. Collins. He was Production Manager at Edison for three years. He stood six foot six and is recognizable in a film still of a Stock Market scene of a 1912 Edison film which appears on page 33 in ''HOLLYWOOD The Pioneers'' by

Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...

as the face directly below the podium. William A. Wellman said that "''Bernie Durning ...was the handsomest guy I've ever seen in my life.''"''A Short Time For Insanity'' by William A. Wellman, Hawthorn Books, Inc., 1974. The years of studio training made Bernard Durning a master of technique, acquainted with every angle of filmmaking. Even in his directorial debut at

he "invented and carried into execution an entirely new idea in the lighting of night scenes in 'Aliens'. Some very fine silhouette effects were the result..." ''Aliens'' was written by Durning and starred his wife, Shirley Mason, as Kiku San, a Japanese girl. It was released as ''The Unwritten Code'' in 1919 and was the last film ever made by Edison Studios. "I guess we broke 'em!" Durning quipped.''Picture Play'', April 1922 Durning first met Shirley Mason when he rescued her from a train wreck scene at Edison. Shirley was only five feet tall and had passed out from the smoke pots. "My heart began to pound like everything when I saw who had rescued me!" Shirley said. Both Shirley and her sister, Viola Dana, had been child stars on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in ''

The Poor Little Rich Girl ''The Poor Little Rich Girl'' is a 1917 American comedy-drama film directed by Maurice Tourneur. Adapted by Frances Marion from the 1913 play by Eleanor Gates. The Broadway play actually starred future screen actress Viola Dana. The film st ...

''. Their real last name was Flugrath and a third sister,

Edna Flugrath Edna Marie Flugrath (December 29, 1892 – April 6, 1966) was the eldest of three sisters who found fame as silent film stars. Early life Flugrath was the first born of Emil and Mary (née Dubois) Flugrath. Her father, a printer by trade, was ...

, also starred in films at Edison and each married their director. Edna accompanied Harold Shaw, who had directed her in Edison's ''The Land Beyond the Sunset'' (1912), to the UK as one of the two principal directors at the

London Film Company The London Film Company was a British film production company active during the silent era. Founded in 1913, the company emerged as one of the dominant forces in production during the First World War. With strong financial backing the company cons ...

with

George Loane Tucker George Loane Tucker (June 12, 1872 – June 20, 1921) was an Americans, American actor, silent film director, screenwriter, Film producer, producer, and Film editor, editor. Career Tucker was born George S. Loane in Chicago to George Loane ...

, and they finally wed when he was brought to

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

in 1917, where the couple made three films, including ''The Rose of Rhodesia'' (1918), the first film to star actual Africans of color. Viola married John Collins, who directed her in ''The Cossack Whip'' (1917) and the still extant

Blue Jeans Jeans are a type of trousers made from denim or dungaree cloth. Often the term "jeans" refers to a particular style of trousers, called "blue jeans", with the addition of copper pocket rivets added by Jacob W. Davis in 1871 and patented by D ...

(1917). Durning and Mason both worked for

Fox Studios 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film production and distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Comp ...

on the corner of

Sunset Sunset (or sundown) is the disappearance of the Sun at the end of the Sun path, below the horizon of the Earth (or any other astronomical object in the Solar System) due to its Earth's rotation, rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth, it ...

and

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, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

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) * Hollywood ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, starting in 1920. They were called "The Most-Devoted Couple in Hollywood." Viola Dana worked for

Metro Studios Metro Pictures Corporation was a motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leased f ...

where she met

Buster Keaton Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966) was an American actor, comedian and filmmaker. He is best known for his silent films during the 1920s, in which he performed physical comedy and inventive stunts. He frequently ...

who became one of the family. "Buster was the original man who came to dinner. He came home one night with Shirley and Bernie and stayed for three years," Viola told Kevin Brownlow. Durning was a top director of action-packed

melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...

s starring Dustin Farnum and Buck Jones when William Wellman became his assistant director in 1921. Wellman called his two years with Durning "the greatest school a director ever had." "Wild Bill" Wellman and "Big Bernie" Durning had wild adventures making movies, such as their film company's fight with lumberjacks up in

Eureka, California Eureka ( ; Wiyot: ; Hupa: ; ) is a city and the county seat of Humboldt County, located on the North Coast of California. The city is located on U.S. Route 101 on the shores of Humboldt Bay, north of San Francisco and south of the Oreg ...

, which William A. Wellman, Jr. describes in ''The Man and His Wings''. In ''Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick'' by Todd Robinson, Wellman biographer Frank T. Thompson theorizes that Wellman may have based his 1937 classic '' A Star Is Born'' on his own relationship with Durning
Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick
"Quite frankly, he was my God." Wellman declared of Durning. Durning also taught Wellman a valuable lesson about true love in Hollywood. "Keep your chasing out of the business entirely," Durning told Wellman of "this fakey love nest". It was his second Cardinal rule after Loyalty. When Big Bernie caught Wild Bill in the arms of the starlette of their picture in Buck Jones' dressing room, he proceeded to beat the heck out of him. Wellman then adds how

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. One of the most iconic athl ...

, the boxing Heavyweight Champion, and Durning were great friends who used to "knock the heck out of each other in Tom Mix's handball court...Durning stood up to Dempsey." Wellman put what he had learned from Durning to practical use when he finally found his true love in the form of a

Busby Berkeley Berkeley William Enos, (November 29, 1895 – March 14, 1976) known professionally as Busby Berkeley, was an American film director and musical choreographer. Berkeley devised elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geo ...

dancer named

Dorothy Coonan Dorothy Wellman (born Dorothy Rae Coonan; November 25, 1913 – September 16, 2009) was an American actress and dancer. Wellman was the widow of film director William Wellman, to whom she was married from 1934 until his death in 1975. Wellman ...

whom he married and had six children. "I was still a champion of the Bernie Durning system. I had learned that long-ago lesson well."

Robert Mitchum Robert Charles Durman Mitchum (August 6, 1917 – July 1, 1997) was an American actor. He is known for his antihero roles and film noir appearances. He received nominations for an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award. He received a star on the Holl ...

mirrored this advice in an interview with ''

People The term "the people" refers to the public or Common people, common mass of people of a polity. As such it is a concept of human rights law, international law as well as constitutional law, particularly used for claims of popular sovereignty. I ...

'' in 1983 while filming '' Winds of War'': "I always took the advice of irectorWilliam Wellman: 'keep your ---- out of the business.'
Robert Mitchum
''

'', 1983 Bernard Durning also starred as the leading man in four films directed by Oliver L. Sellers--''When Bearcat Went Dry'' (1919), ''The Gift Supreme'' (1920), both with Lon Chaney as his nemesis, and ''Diane of Star Hollow'' (1921).

Dick Grace Richard Virgil Grace (October 1, 1898 – June 25, 1965), known as Dick Grace, was an American stunt pilot who specialized in crashing planes for films. Films that he appeared in include '' Sky Bride'', '' The Lost Squadron'', '' Lilac Time'', and ...

the

stuntman A stunt performer, often called a stuntman or stuntwoman and occasionally stuntperson or stunt-person, is a trained professional who performs daring acts, often as a career. Stunt performers usually appear in films or on television, as opposed ...

describes working on two of Durning's films in his book ''Squadron Of Death'', ''The Eleventh Hour'' (1923) and ''The Fast Mail'' (1922). In the latter, Buck Jones was severely burned when someone tried dousing him with a pail of gasoline, thinking that it was water.

Adolphe Menjou Adolphe Jean Menjou (February 18, 1890 – October 29, 1963) was an American actor whose career spanned both silent films and talkies. He became a leading man during the 1920s, known for his debonair and sophisticated screen presence. He was no ...

called it "the action picture to end all action pictures" which nearly ended the entire cast. Menjou put the blame on "Wild Willie Wellman." "Let's just say, 'we played rough.'" Wellman wrote in his autobiography, ''A Short Time For Insanity''. It was during the filming of ''The Eleventh Hour'' that Durning went on a drinking binge and told Wellman to direct it for him. "It's all yours, Willie." When Sol Wurtzel and

Winfield Sheehan Winfield R. Sheehan (September 24, 1883 – July 25, 1945) was a film company executive. He was responsible for much of Fox Film Corporation's output during the 1920s and 1930s. As studio head, he won an Academy Award for Best Picture for the fi ...

, the Fox Studio heads, saw the finished film, Durning confessed and told them to make Wellman a director. "Dusty (Dustin Farnum) is nuts about him and so am I!"

Marriage

Durning married silent film actress Shirley Mason on June 19, 1917. The union was happy and they stayed married for six years until his premature death on August 29, 1923.

Death and aftermath

Durning was directing a big special for Fox, called ''Around The Town'', starring

Gallagher and Shean Gallagher & Shean was a highly successful musical comedy double act in vaudeville and on Broadway in the 1910s and 1920s, consisting of Ed Gallagher (1873–1929) and Al Shean (1868–1949); Shean was the maternal uncle of the Marx Brothers. C ...

in the summer of 1923 when he drank some bad water in Brooklyn and got

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known simply as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella enterica'' serotype Typhi bacteria, also called ''Salmonella'' Typhi. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often th ...

. He died in St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, with Shirley Mason by his side. "The Heart of Hollywood is Broken" declared the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

''. ''When Bearcat Went Dry'' (1919) was found in 1995 and is in the

Nederlands Filmmuseum Eye Filmmuseum is a film archive, museum, and cinema in Amsterdam that preserves and presents both Dutch and foreign films screened in the Netherlands. Location and history Eye Filmmuseum is located in the Overhoeks neighborhood of Amsterdam in ...

. ''The Gift Supreme'' (1920) the first reel exists on film.

Filmography

* ''The Stock Market'' Edison Film (1912) (actor) * ''

The Unwritten Code ''The Unwritten Code'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Herman Rotsten and written by Leslie T. White and Charles Kenyon. The film stars Ann Savage, Tom Neal, Roland Varno, Howard Freeman, Mary Currier and Bobby Larson. The film wa ...

'' (1919) (writer, director) * ''

Blackie's Redemption ''Blackie's Redemption'', also known by its working title ''Powers That Pray'', is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by John Ince (actor), John Ince. It stars Bert Lytell, Alice Lake, and Henry Kolker, and was released on April 14, 1919 ...

'' (1919) (actor) Directed by John Ince * ''

When Bearcat Went Dry ''When Bearcat Went Dry'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Oliver L. Sellers from the novel by Charles Neville Buck, and starring Lon Chaney as Kindard Powers. The title refers to a character nicknamed "Bearcat" ( Bernard J. Dur ...

'' (1919) (leading man) Directed by

Oliver L. Sellers Ollie L. Sellers (born Oliver Sellers in 1885) was an American film director. Before becoming a director he was a production manager at Triangle Film Corporation. He worked with Gloria Swanson. He wrote the screenplay adapted from a novel and di ...

* ''

The Gift Supreme ''The Gift Supreme'' is a 1920 American silent drama film starring Bernard Durning, Seena Owen, Lon Chaney (in a villainous bit role) and Tully Marshall. The film was directed by Ollie Sellers and based on the 1916 novel of the same name b ...

'' (1920) (leading man) Directed by Oliver L. Sellers * ''

The Scoffer ''The Scoffer'' is a surviving 1920 American silent film, silent drama film produced and directed by Allan Dwan and starring Mary Thurman. It was released through Associated First National Pictures. Plot As described in a film magazine, Dr. Stan ...

'' (1920) (actor) Directed by Alan Dwan * ''

Seeds of Vengeance ''Seeds of Vengeance'' is an American film released in 1920. It was directed by Ollie Sellers. It was an adaptation of Margaret Prescott's ''The Sowing of Alderson Cree''. The film starred Bernard Durning. It was a C. R. Macauley Photoplay. ...

'' (1920) (actor) Directed by Oliver L. Sellers. * ''

Diane of Star Hollow Diane may refer to: People *Diane (given name) Film * ''Diane'' (1929 film), a German silent film * ''Diane'' (1956 film), a historical drama film starring Lana Turner * ''Diane'' (2017 film), a mystery film directed by Michael Mongillo * ''D ...

'' (1921) (leading man) Directed by Oliver L. Sellers *'' The Devil Within'' (1921) (actor, director) * ''The Primal Law'' (1921) (director) * ''

Partners of Fate ''Partners of Fate'' is a lost 1921 American silent film, silent Drama (genre), drama film directed by Bernard Durning. It is not known whether the film currently survives. Plot Helen Meriless is married to Byron Millard, while Frances Lloyd is ...

'' (1921) (director) * ''The One Man Trail'' (1921) (director) * ''Straight from the Shoulder'' (1921) (director) * ''To a Finish'' (1921) (director) * ''

While Justice Waits ''While Justice Waits'' is a 1922 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Bernard J. Durning, and starring Dustin Farnum, Irene Rich, Earl Metcalfe, Junior Delameter, and Frankie Lee. The film was released by Fox F ...

'' (1922) (director) * '' The Yosemite Trail'' (1922) (director) * ''

Iron to Gold ''Iron to Gold'' is a lost 1922 American silent Western film produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation. Based on a short story by Max Brand, writing as George Owen Baxter, the film starred Dustin Farnum and was directed by Bernard J. D ...

'' (1922) (director) * '' Oath-Bound'' (1922) (director) * ''

Strange Idols ''Strange Idols'' is a 1922 American drama film directed by Bernard Durning and written by Jules Furthman. The film stars Dustin Farnum, Doris Pawn, Philo McCullough, and Richard Tucker. The film was released on May 28, 1922, by Fox Film Cor ...

'' (1922) (director) * ''

The Fast Mail ''The Fast Mail'' is a lost 1922 American silent melodrama film directed by Bernard J. Durning and starring Buck Jones (credited as Charles Jones) and Eileen Percy. It was produced and distributed by the Fox Film Corporation. Plot Cast * B ...

'' (1922) (director) * '' The Eleventh Hour'' (1923) (director) Directed by William A. Wellman * ''Around The Town'' (1923) (unfinished direction) * ''The Arizona Express'' (1924) (A Bernard J. Durning Production) * ''Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick'' (documentary, photo of Wellman and Durning)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Durning, Bernard 1890s births 1923 deaths Film directors from New York City American silent film directors Year of birth uncertain