Richard C. Kahn (January 26, 1897 – January 28, 1960) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer known for his

B movie A B movie, or B film, is a type of cheap, low-budget commercial motion picture. Originally, during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood, this term specifically referred to films meant to be shown as the lesser-known second ...

s of the 1930s and early 1940s. Though white, he often worked with an all-black cast. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His feature films include ''

Secret Menace '' The Secret Menace'' is a 1931 American Western (genre), Western film written and directed by Richard C. Kahn. The film stars Glenn Tryon, Virginia Brown Faire, and Arthur Stone (actor), Arthur Stone. Plot Cast *Glenn Tryon *Virginia Brown ...

'' (1931), ''The Third Sex'' (1934), ''

Two-Gun Man from Harlem ''Two Gun Man from Harlem'' is a 1938 American contemporary Western film directed by Richard C. Kahn. It was produced by Merit Pictures, distributed by Sack Amusement Enterprises and featured an all-African-American cast. Plot summary A man wro ...

'' (1938), ''

The Bronze Buckaroo ''The Bronze Buckaroo'' is a 1939 American Western (genre), Western race film directed by Richard C. Kahn. ''The Bronze Buckaroo'' stars Black cowboys, Black cowboy singer Herb Jeffries, here billed as Herbert Jeffrey. Plot Cowboy Bob Blake rec ...

'' (1939), '' Harlem Rides the Range'' (1939), ''

Son of Ingagi ''Son of Ingagi'' is a 1940 American black horror monster film directed by Richard C. Kahn. It was the first science fiction horror film to feature an all-black cast.Moon 1997, p. 370 It was written by Spencer Williams (actor), Spencer Williams b ...

'' (1940), '' Buzzy Rides the Range'' (1940), ''

Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto ''Buzzy and the Phantom Pinto'' is a 1941 American Western film directed by Richard C. Kahn and starring Robert 'Buzz' Henry, Dave O'Brien and Dorothy Short. It was the sequel to '' Buzzy Rides the Range'', intended to be the beginning of a se ...

'' (1941) and ''

Guns Don't Argue ''Guns Don't Argue'' is a 1957 low-budget feature film about the early achievements of the FBI in defeating the most notorious criminals of the 1930s. The film involves dramatizations of the crimes and the eventual demise of various gangsters, told ...

'' (1957) (with Bill Karn). In 1955 he directed an episode of ''

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a regular live country music, country-music Radio broadcasting, radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM (AM), WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the ...

'', and in 1958 he directed two episodes of ''

Sky King ''Sky King'' is an American radio and television series. Its lead character was Arizona rancher and aircraft pilot Schuyler "Sky" King. The series had strong Western elements. Cattle rancher King usually captured criminals and spies and found ...

'', "Rodeo Decathlon" and "The Brain and the Brawn". He produced three

Herbert Jeffrey Herb Jeffries (born Umberto Alexander Valentino; September 24, 1913 – May 25, 2014) was an American actor of film and television and popular music and jazz singer-songwriter, known for his baritone voice. He starred in several low-budget "ra ...

films. Kahn died in 1960 in Hollywood, California.

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1931) * ''

'' (1940) * '' Buzzy Rides the Range'' (1940) * ''

'' (1941)

References

Film directors from Louisiana American male screenwriters 1897 births 1960 deaths Writers from New Orleans Screenwriters from Louisiana 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters {{US-film-director-1890s-stub