James Dugan (May 19, 1898 – August 5, 1937), also known as James S. Dugan or Jimmy Dugan was an American film director of the silent and early

sound film A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...

eras. While mostly used as an assistant or second unit director, he had the opportunity to direct a few silent films. Dugan's career was cut short when he died in 1937 due to heart disease.

Life and career

Born on May 19, 1898, in Los Angeles, California, Dugan would enter the film industry at the age of 23, assisting the prolific director/actor

Jerome Storm Jerome Storm (November 11, 1890 – July 10, 1958) was an American film director, actor, and writer. He acted in 48 films between 1914 and 1941 and directed 47 films between 1918 and 1932. He was born in Denver, Colorado, and died in Desert ...

on the 1921 silent film, ''Her Social Value''. In 1927 he would have his first opportunity to have the top directing slot when he was tagged to direct the

western film The Western is a film genre defined by the American Film Institute as films which are "set in the American West that mbodythe spirit, the struggle, and the demise of the new frontier." Generally set in the American frontier between the Calif ...

, ''The Desert Pirate''. Over the next 2 years he would again take the directing reins twice more, but other than that brief foray, the remainder of his career would see him return to either assistant or unit direction roles. In 1935, although he had worked with her on several films, Dugan would remove himself as assistant director on

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

's film, ''

Klondike Annie ''Klondike Annie'' is a 1936 American Western film starring Mae West and Victor McLaglen. The film was co-written by West from her play ''Frisco Kate'', which she wrote in 1921 and a story written by the duo Marion Morgan and George Brendan Do ...

'', citing differences with the actress. In the midst a career in which he was continuously working, Dugan would die on August 5, 1937, from heart disease, mere months after the release of the final film he worked on, '' A Family Affair''. He was survived by a wife and two children.

Filmography

(as per AFI's database)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dugan, James 1898 births 1937 deaths Film directors from Los Angeles American male film actors 20th-century American male actors