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

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

of the

silent film era A silent film is a film without synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, 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) ...

. 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 Volume (bibliography), volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans ...

'' (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 of the same name by Ruth Helen Davis and Charles Klein. Plot As ...

'' (1918) *''

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

'' (1918) *'' The False Faces'' (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 an ...

'' (1919) *'' Behind the Door'' (1919) *'' Below the Surface'' (1920) *'' Down Home'' (1920) * '' Partners of the Tide'' (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 Plot Cast * Bertram Grassby as Hung Chin Chung * Marjorie Daw as Mary-Will Tellfair * ...

'' (1921) * '' The Face of the World'' (1921) *''

The Siren Call ''The Siren Call'' is a 1922 American drama silent film directed by Irvin Willat and written by Philip D. Hurn, Victor Irvin and J.E. Nash. Starring Dorothy Dalton, David Powell, Mitchell Lewis, Ed Brady, Will Walling, Leigh Wyant and Lucien ...

'' (1922) *''

On the High Seas ''On the High Seas'' is a 1922 American silent adventure film directed by Irvin Willat and written by Edward Sheldon and E. Magnus Ingleton. The film stars Dorothy Dalton, Jack Holt, Mitchell Lewis, Winter Hall, Michael Dark, Otto Brower, an ...

'' (1922) *'' Pawned'' (1922) *'' All the Brothers Were Valiant'' (1923) *'' Fog Bound'' (1923) * '' Three Miles Out'' (1924) *'' Heritage of the Desert'' (1924) *'' Wanderer of the Wasteland'' (1924) *''

The Story Without a Name ''The Story Without a Name'' is a 1924 American silent melodrama film directed by Irvin Willat and based on a novel by Arthur John Arbuthnott Stringer, Arthur Stringer, which was published in conjunction with the film. It was produced by Famous ...

'' (1924) *''

North of 36 ''North of 36'' is a 1924 American silent Western film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on the novel, ''North of 36'', by Emerson Hough. The film was directed by Irvin Willat and stars ...

'' (1924) *'' The Air Mail'' (1925) *''

Rugged Water ''Rugged Water'' is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Irvin Willat and written by James Shelley Hamilton and Joseph C. Lincoln. The film stars Lois Wilson, Wallace Beery, Warner Baxter, Phyllis Haver, Dot Farley, J. P. Lockney ...

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

The Enchanted Hill ''The Enchanted Hill'' is a 1926 American silent film, silent Western (genre), Western film directed by Irvin Willat and written by James Shelley Hamilton and Peter B. Kyne. The film stars Jack Holt (actor), Jack Holt, Florence Vidor, Noah Beery ...

'' (1926) *''

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

'' (1926) *'' Back to God's Country'' (1927) *'' The Cavalier'' (1928) *'' The Michigan Kid'' (1928) *'' The Isle of Lost Ships'' (1929) *'' Old Louisiana'' (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