Robert Florey (September 14, 1900 – May 16, 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Florey directed more than 50 films, the best known likely being the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

first feature ''

The Cocoanuts ''The Cocoanuts'' is a 1929 pre-Code musical comedy film starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo). Produced for Paramount Pictures by Walter Wanger, who is not credited, the film also stars Mary Eaton, Oscar Shaw, ...

'' (1929). His 1932 foray into Universal-style horror, '' Murders in the Rue Morgue'', is regarded by horror fans as highly reflective of

German expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radi ...

. In 2006, as his 1937 film '' Daughter of Shanghai'' was selected for preservation in the United States

National Film Registry The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation (library and archival science), preservation, each selected for its cultural, historical, and aestheti ...

by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

, he was called "widely acclaimed as the best director working in major studio B-films".

Life and work

Early life

Born as Robert Gustave Fuchs in Paris, he grew up near the studio of

George Melies George may refer to: Names * George (given name) * George (surname) People * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE * George, stage name of Giorgi ...

. In 1920, he worked at first as an assistant and extra in featurettes from

Louis Feuillade Louis Feuillade (; 19 February 1873 – 25 February 1925) was a French filmmaker of the silent film, silent era. Between 1906 and 1924, he directed over 630 films. He is primarily known for the crime serial film, serials ''Fantômas (1913 ser ...

Hollywood

Florey went to Hollywood in 1921 as a journalist for Cinemagazine. He worked as foreign publicity director for Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford and was European advance manager for

Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...

. He was an assistant director on '' Parisian Nights'' (1925). He went to

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

where he was an assistant on '' The Masked Bride'' (1925), '' Exquisite Sinner'' (1926), '' Bardelys the Magnificent'' (1926), ''

La Bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' (1926) and '' The Magic Flame'' (1927). He also shot newsreel footage in New York.

Early films

Florey's first film as director was '' One Hour of Love'' (1927) for Tiffany Productions. He did '' The Romantic Age'' (1927) for Columbia and ''

Face Value The face value, sometimes called nominal value, is the value of a coin, bond, stamp or paper money as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the issuing authority. The face value of coins, stamps, or bill is usually its legal value. Ho ...

'' (1927) for Stirling Pictures. He was assistant on ''

The Woman Disputed ''The Woman Disputed'' is a 1928 American synchronized sound film. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using both the sound-on-disc and sound-on-film process. The plot draws ...

'' (1928). He directed and co-wrote the 27-minute experimental film ''Johann the Coffinmaker'' in 1927, said to have been made for $200 in his spare time, shooting at night while working on other films in the daytime. The avant-garde film was made on only three sets, and involved a lot of trick photographic effects.

Shorts

In the late 1920s he produced two experimental short films: '' The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'' (1928) co-directed with Slavko Vorkapić, and '' Skyscraper Symphony'' the following year. He also directed ''The Love of Zero'' (1928), ''Hello New York!'' (1928) with

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

, and ''Pusher-in-the-Face'' (1929) from a script and story by F. Scott Fitzgerald published for the first time on the magazine ''

Woman's Home Companion ''Woman's Home Companion'' was an American monthly magazine, published from 1873 to 1957. It was highly successful, climbing to a circulation peak of more than four million during the 1930s and 1940s. The magazine, headquartered in Springfield, O ...

''.

Paramount

As a director, Florey's reputation is balanced between his avant-garde expressionist style, most evident in his early career, and his work as a fast, reliable studio-system director called on to finish troubled projects, such as 1939's '' Hotel Imperial''. At

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

, he made '' The Hole in the Wall'' (1929), starring

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert (koʊlˈbɛər/ kohl-BAIR, born Émilie "Lily" Claudette Chauchoin (ʃoʃwɛ̃/ show-shwan); September 13, 1903 – July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway theater, Broadway productions dur ...

and Edward G. Robinson, and ''

'' (1929), the first film of the

. He directed the short ''Night Club'' (1929) with

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedian, Illustrated Songs, illustrated song model, singer, and actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. Sh ...

and made '' The Battle of Paris'' (1929) with

Gertrude Lawrence Gertrude Lawrence (4 July 1898 – 6 September 1952) was an English actress, singer, dancer and musical comedy performer known for her stage appearances in the West End of London and on Broadway in New York. Early life Lawrence was born in 1 ...

. Florey went to England to direct the French musical '' The Road Is Fine'' (1930), and to Germany for '' My Wife's Teacher'' (1930), a Spanish-language version of the film ''Rendezvous''. While in Germany, he directed ''

Love Songs A love song is a song about love, falling in love, broken heart, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sa ...

'' (1930). He did ''

Black and White Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white to produce a range of achromatic brightnesses of grey. It is also known as greyscale in technical settings. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, ...

'' (1931) with

Raimu Jules Auguste Muraire (18 December 1883 – 20 September 1946), whose stage name was Raimu, was a French actor. He is most famous for playing César in the 'Marseilles trilogy' ('' Marius'', '' Fanny'' and '' César''). Life and career Born in T ...

, co-directing with Marc Allegret.

''Murders in the Rue Morgue''

Florey made a significant but uncredited contribution to the script of the 1931 version of ''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 Gothic novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a Sapience, sapient Frankenstein's monster, crea ...

''. Florey was to be given the job of directing ''Frankenstein'', and he filmed a screen test with

Bela Lugosi Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...

playing the monster, but

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

gave the job to

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...

, who cast

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

. Instead, Universal assigned Florey and Lugosi to '' Murders in the Rue Morgue'' (1932). Florey, with the help of cinematographer Karl Freund and elaborate sets representing 19th century Paris, made ''Murders'' into an American version of German

expressionist Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

films such as '' Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'' (1920). Florey directed '' The Man Called Back'' (1932) with

Conrad Nagel John Conrad Nagel (March 16, 1897 – February 24, 1970) was an American film, stage, television and radio actor. He was considered a famous matinée idol and leading man of the 1920s and 1930s. He was given an Honorary Academy Award in 1940, a ...

for Tiffany Pictures, and ''

Those We Love ''Those We Love'' is a 1932 American pre-Code film directed by Robert Florey. It was adapted by F. Hugh Herbert from the play by George Abbott George Francis Abbott (June 25, 1887January 31, 1995) was an American theatre producer, director, ...

'' (1932) with

Mary Astor Mary Astor (born Lucile Vasconcellos Langhanke; May 3, 1906 – September 25, 1987) was an American actress. Although her career spanned several decades, she may be best remembered for her performance as Brigid O'Shaughnessy in '' The Maltese ...

. He wrote the script for a version of ''

A Study in Scarlet ''A Study in Scarlet'' is an 1887 Detective fiction, detective novel by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, who would go on to become one of the most well-known detective ...

'' (1933).

Warner Bros.

Florey went to

Warner Brothers Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

, where he directed a number of "B" movies: '' Girl Missing'' (1933) with

Glenda Farrell Glenda Farrell (June 30, 1904 – May 1, 1971) was an American actress. Farrell personified the smart and sassy, wisecracking blonde of the Classic Hollywood films. Her career spanned more than 50 years, and she appeared in numerous Broadwa ...

and

Ben Lyon Ben Lyon (February 6, 1901 – March 22, 1979) was an American film actor and a studio executive at 20th Century-Fox who later acted in British radio, films and TV. Early life and career Lyon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, the son of Alvine W ...

, '' Ex-Lady'' (1933) with

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress of film, television, and theater. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Hollywood history, she was noted for her willingness to play unsympatheti ...

, ''

The House on 56th Street ''The House on 56th Street'' is a 1933 American Pre-Code Hollywood, pre-Code drama film. The film's plot involves a miscarriage of justice, wrongful conviction and imprisonment, and alienation of a prisoner from her only living relative. Plot A ...

'' (1933) with

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

, ''

Bedside ''Bedside'' is a 1934 American pre-Code drama film starring Warren William, Jean Muir and Allen Jenkins. Plot A man passes himself off as a doctor. Cast * Warren William as Bob Brown * Jean Muir as Caroline Grant * Allen Jenkins as Sam Spark ...

'' (1934) with Warren William, ''

Registered Nurse A registered nurse (RN) is a healthcare professional who has graduated or successfully passed a nursing program from a recognized nursing school and met the requirements outlined by a country, state, province or similar government-authorized ...

'' (1934) with

Bebe Daniels Phyllis Virginia "Bebe" () Daniels (January 14, 1901 – March 16, 1971) was an American actress, singer, dancer, writer, and producer. She began her career in Hollywood during the silent film era as a child actress, became a star in musicals s ...

, '' Smarty'' (1934) with

Joan Blondell Rose Joan Blondell (August 30, 1906 – December 25, 1979) was an American actress who performed in film and television for 50 years. Blondell began her career in vaudeville. After winning a beauty pageant, she embarked on a film career, estab ...

and William, '' I Sell Anything'' (1934) with Pat O'Brien,'' I Am a Thief'' (1934) with Astor, '' The Woman in Red'' (1935) with

Barbara Stanwyck Barbara Stanwyck (; born Ruby Catherine Stevens; July 16, 1907 – January 20, 1990) was an American actress and dancer. A stage, film, and television star, during her 60-year professional career, she was known for her strong, realistic screen p ...

, and '' The Florentine Dagger'' (1935) with Donald Woods. He did some uncredited work on ''

Go into Your Dance ''Go into Your Dance'' is a 1935 American musical drama film starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by Archie Mayo, and is based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. It was released by Warner Br ...

'' (1935) with

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Asa Yoelson, ; May 26, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-born American singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. Self-billed as "The World's Greatest Entertainer," Jolson was one of the United States' most famous and ...

and Ruby Keeler, and he was the assistant director on '' I've Got Your Number'' (1934). He also did some location filming in China for '' Oil for the Lamps of China'' (1935). He directed '' Going Highbrow'' (1935) with

Guy Kibbee Guy Bridges Kibbee (March 6, 1882 – May 24, 1956) was an American stage and film actor. Early years Kibbee was born in El Paso, Texas. His father was editor of the ''El Paso Herald-Post'' newspaper, and Kibbee learned how to set type at age ...

, '' Don't Bet on Blondes'' (1935) with William (and a young

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian and American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, frequent partnerships with Oliv ...

), and '' The Payoff'' (1935) with James Dunn.

Paramount

Florey returned to Paramount where he directed '' Ship Cafe'' (1935) with Carl Brisson, '' The Preview Murder Mystery'' (1936) with Reginald Denny, '' Till We Meet Again'' (1936) with Herbert Marshall, ''

Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It runs through the Hollywood, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Thai Town, and Los Feliz districts. Its western terminus is at Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollyw ...

'' (1936) with John Halliday and a young

Robert Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in d ...

, '' Outcast'' (1937) with William, '' King of Gamblers'' (1937) with Claire Trevor and Lloyd Nolan, '' Mountain Music'' (1937) with Bob Burns and

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including on Broadway. She was hono ...

, '' This Way Please'' (1937) with Charles "Buddy" Rogers and

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she p ...

, '' Daughter of Shanghai'' (1937) with

Anna May Wong Wong Liu Tsong (January 3, 1905 – February 3, 1961), known professionally as Anna May Wong, was an American actress, considered the first Chinese American film star in Hollywood, as well as the first Chinese American actress to gain internat ...

, '' Dangerous to Know'' (1938) with Wong, and '' King of Alcatraz'' (1938) with

Gail Patrick Gail Patrick (born Margaret LaVelle Fitzpatrick; June 20, 1911 – July 6, 1980) was an American film actress and television producer. Often cast as the bad girl or the other woman, she appeared in more than 60 feature films between 1932 a ...

and Nolan. He did some uncredited work on '' Rose of the Rancho'' (1936). His films were marked by fast pace, cynical tone,

Dutch angles In filmmaking and photography, the Dutch angle, also known as Dutch tilt, canted angle, vortex plane, or oblique angle, is a type of camera shot that involves setting the camera at an angle so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an ...

, and dramatic lighting. Florey directed '' Hotel Imperial'' (1939) with Isa Miranda and

Ray Milland Ray Milland (born Alfred Reginald Jones; 3 January 1907 – 10 March 1986) was a Welsh-American actor and film director. He is often remembered for his portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's ''The Lost Weekend'' (1945), which wo ...

, '' The Magnificent Fraud'' (1939) with

Akim Tamiroff Akim Mikhailovich Tamiroff (born Hovakim Tamiryants; October 29, 1899 – September 17, 1972) was an Armenian-American actor of film, stage, and television. One of the premier character actors of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tamiroff developed a pr ...

and Nolan, '' Death of a Champion'' (1939) with Lynne Overman, '' Parole Fixer'' (1940) from a book by

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...

, and '' Women Without Names'' (1940) with Ellen Drew.

Columbia

Florey went to Columbia for '' The Face Behind the Mask'' (1941) with

Peter Lorre Peter Lorre (; born László Löwenstein, ; June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964) was a Hungarian and American actor, active first in Europe and later in the United States. Known for his timidly devious characters, his appearance, and accented vo ...

, '' Meet Boston Blackie'' (1941) with

Chester Morris John Chester Brooks Morris (February 16, 1901 – September 11, 1970) was an American stage, film, television, and radio actor. He had some prestigious film roles early in his career, and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Alibi'' ( ...

, and '' Two in a Taxi'' (1941) with Anita Louise.

Warner Bros.

Florey went to Warner Bros. for '' Dangerously They Live'' (1941) with John Garfield, '' Lady Gangster'' (1942) with

Faye Emerson Faye Margaret Emerson (July 8, 1917 – March 9, 1983) was an American film and stage actress and television interviewer who gained fame as a film actress in the 1940s before transitioning to television in the 1950s and hosting her own talk show ...

and the big budget musical '' The Desert Song'' (1943) with Dennis Morgan. At

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...

he did some assisting on '' Bomber's Moon'' (1943) and directed ''

Roger Touhy, Gangster ''Roger Touhy, Gangster'' is a 1944 American gangster film based on the life of Chicago mob figure Roger Touhy, directed by film noir specialist Robert Florey. Parts of the film were shot at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet, Illinoi ...

'' (1944) with Preston Foster. He went to Republic for '' Man from Frisco'' (1944). In April 1944, he was burned when his car was on fire. Back at Warners Florey directed '' God Is My Co-Pilot'' (1945) with Morgan, and '' Danger Signal'' (1945) with Emerson and Zachary Scott. He did some uncredited work on ''

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

'' (1945) with

and returned to the horror genre with '' The Beast with Five Fingers'' (1946). He was also associate director to

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

on Chaplin's film ''

Monsieur Verdoux ''Monsieur Verdoux'' is a 1947 American black comedy film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin, who plays a bigamist wife killer inspired by serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. The supporting cast includes Martha Raye, William Frawley, and ...

'' (1947).

Freelance director

Florey directed '' Tarzan and the Mermaids'' (1948) with Johnny Weissmuller for

Sol Lesser Sol Lesser (February 17, 1890 – September 19, 1980) was an American film producer. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960 and was awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1961. Biography In 1913, while living in San ...

in Mexico, and two

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (, also known simply as , "the Legion") is a corps of the French Army created to allow List of militaries that recruit foreigners, foreign nationals into French service. The Legion was founded in 1831 and today consis ...

films: '' Rogues' Regiment'' (1948) with

Dick Powell Richard Ewing Powell (November 14, 1904 – January 2, 1963) was an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and studio head. Though he came to stardom as a musical comedy performer, he showed versatility and successfully transform ...

and '' Outpost in Morocco'' (1949) with

George Raft George Raft (né Ranft; September 26, 1901 – November 24, 1980) was an American film actor and dancer identified with portrayals of gangsters in crime melodramas of the 1930s and 1940s. A stylish leading man in dozens of movies, Raft is remembe ...

. He did ''

The Crooked Way ''The Crooked Way'' is a 1949 American film noir starring John Payne (actor), John Payne, Sonny Tufts and Ellen Drew. Directed by Robert Florey and shot by John Alton, the film has a similar plot (a war hero loses his memory from a combat wound) ...

'' (1949) with John Payne, '' The Vicious Years'' (1950), ''

Johnny One-Eye ''Johnny One-Eye'' is a 1950 American film noir crime film directed by Robert Florey and starring Pat O'Brien (actor), Pat O'Brien, Wayne Morris (American actor), Wayne Morris, Dolores Moran and Gayle Reed.Edgar Bergen Edgar John Bergen (né Berggren; February 16, 1903 – September 30, 1978) was an American ventriloquist, comedian, actor, vaudevillian and radio performer. He was best known for his characters Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. Bergen ...

then did some uncredited work on Flynn's '' The Adventure of Captain Fabian'' (1951).

Television

Florey's early works for television included '' The Walt Disney Christmas Show'' (1951) and ''Operation Wonderland'' (1951) for Disney. He soon devoted himself to television almost exclusively, doing episodes of '' Your Favorite Story'', ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hoste ...

'', ''

Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology series, anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 onwa ...

'', '' The Star and the Story'', ''

Four Star Playhouse ''Four Star Playhouse'' (syndicated as Star Performance) is an American anthology series that ran from September 25, 1952, through September 27, 1956. Overview Four Star Playhouse was owned by Four Star International. Its episodes ranged an ...

'', '' Ethel Barrymore Theater'', ''

Wire Service A news agency is an organization that gathers news reports and sells them to subscribing news organizations, such as newspapers, magazines and All-news radio, radio and News broadcasting, television Broadcasting, broadcasters. A news agency ma ...

'', '' Telephone Time'', '' Studio 57'', '' The Jane Wyman Show'', ''

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

'', '' Schlitz Playhouse'', '' M Squad'', ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

'',''

The Restless Gun ''The Restless Gun'' is an American Westerns on television, Western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne (actor), John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Ci ...

'' (the pilot), '' Goodyear Theatre'', ''

Alcoa Theatre ''Alcoa Theatre'' is a half-hour American anthology series sponsored by the Alcoa Corporation and telecast on NBC at 9:30 pm on Monday nights from September 30, 1957 to May 23, 1960. For its first four months on the air, the title ''Turn o ...

'', ''

Black Saddle ''Black Saddle'' is an American Western television series starring Peter Breck that aired 44 half-hour black-and-white episodes from January 10, 1959, to May 6, 1960. The first season of 20 episodes aired on NBC from January 1959 to September ...

'', '' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse'', '' The Rough Riders'', '' The David Niven Show'', '' Lock Up'', ''

Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Westerns on television, Western anthology television series broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956 until May 18, 1961. Synopsis Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which ...

'', '' The Untouchables'', ''

The DuPont Show with June Allyson ''The DuPont Show with June Allyson'' (also known as ''The June Allyson Show'') is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959, to April 3, 1961, with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961. The series w ...

'', '' Markham'', '' The Texan'', ''

Checkmate Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with ) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game. In chess, the king is ...

'', '' Michael Shayne'', ''

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

'', '' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'', '' Adventures in Paradise'', '' Thriller'', ''

Alcoa Premiere ''Alcoa Premiere'' (also known as ''Premiere, Presented by Fred Astaire'' ) is an American anthology drama series sponsored by the Alcoa Corporation that aired from October 10, 1961, to September 12, 1963, on ABC. The series was hosted by Fred ...

'', ''

Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers, and mysteries. Between 1962 ...

'', '' The Dick Powell Theatre'', ''

Going My Way ''Going My Way'' is a 1944 American musical comedy drama film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald. Written by Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, based on a story by McCarey, the film is about a new young priest ...

'', '' The Great Adventure'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'' (" Perchance to Dream", " The Fever", " The Long Morrow") and '' The Outer Limits''. He also wrote a number of books, including ''

Pola Negri Pola Negri (; born Barbara Apolonia Chałupiec ; 3 January 1897 – 1 August 1987) was a Polish stage and film actress and singer. She achieved worldwide fame during the silent and golden eras of Hollywood and European film for her tragedienn ...

'' (1927) and ''

'' (1927), ''Hollywood d'hier et d'aujord'hui'' (1948), '' La Lanterne magique'' (1966), and ''Hollywood annee zero'' (1972). In 1950, Florey was made a knight in the French

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and Civil society, civil. Currently consisting of five cl ...

. His 1937 thriller '' Daughter of Shanghai'' (1937), starring

, was added to the

in 2006. He was married once from 1928 to 1936, and then a second time to Virginia Florey who lived until 2000. He is buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles with his second wife.

Complete filmography

As an actor * '' The Masque of Life'' (1915–1916) This filmography lists Florey's credits as director of feature films, and is believed to be complete. * '' That Model from Paris'', 1926 (uncredited) * '' One Hour of Love'', 1927 * '' The Romantic Age'', 1927 * ''

'', 1927 * '' The Hole in the Wall'', 1929 * ''

'', 1929 * '' The Battle of Paris'', 1929 * '' Skyscraper Symphony'', 1929 * '' El amor solfeando'' (My Wife's Teacher), 1930 * '' The Road Is Fine'' (''La Route est belle''), 1930 * ''

'' (''L'Amour chante''), 1930 * '' Rendezvous'', 1930 * ''

'' (''Le Blanc et la noir'') (co-director), 1931 * '' Murders in the Rue Morgue'', 1932 * '' The Man Called Back'', 1932 * ''

'', 1932 * '' Girl Missing'', 1933 * '' Ex-Lady'', 1933 * ''

'', 1933 * ''

'', 1934 * ''

'', 1934 * '' Smarty'', 1934 * '' I Sell Anything'', 1934 * '' I Am a Thief'', 1934 * '' The Woman in Red'', 1935 * '' The Florentine Dagger'', 1935 * ''

Go Into Your Dance ''Go into Your Dance'' is a 1935 American musical drama film starring Al Jolson, Ruby Keeler, and Glenda Farrell. The film was directed by Archie Mayo, and is based on the novel of the same name by Bradford Ropes. It was released by Warner Br ...

'' (uncredited), 1935 * '' Going Highbrow'', 1935 * '' Don't Bet on Blondes'', 1935 * '' Ship Cafe'', 1935 * '' The Payoff'', 1935 * '' The Preview Murder Mystery'', 1936 * '' Till We Meet Again'', 1936 * ''

'', 1936 * '' Outcast'', 1937 * '' King of Gamblers'', 1937 * '' Mountain Music'', 1937 * '' This Way Please'', 1937 * '' Daughter of Shanghai'', 1937 * '' Dangerous to Know'', 1938 * '' King of Alcatraz'', 1938 * '' Disbarred'', 1939 * '' Hotel Imperial'', 1939 * '' The Magnificent Fraud'', 1939 * '' Death of a Champion'', 1939 * '' Parole Fixer'', 1940 * '' Women Without Names'', 1940 * '' The Face Behind the Mask'', 1941 * '' Meet Boston Blackie'', 1941 * '' Two in a Taxi'', 1941 * '' Dangerously They Live'', 1941 * '' Lady Gangster'' (billed as Florian Roberts), 1941 * '' Bomber's Moon'' (second-unit director), 1943 * '' The Desert Song'', 1943 * ''

'', 1944 * '' Man from Frisco'', 1944 * '' God Is My Co-Pilot'', 1945 * '' Danger Signal'', 1945 * ''

'', 1945 * '' The Beast with Five Fingers'', 1946 * '' Tarzan and the Mermaids'', 1948 * '' Rogues' Regiment'', 1948 * '' Outpost in Morocco'', 1949 * ''

'', 1949 * '' The Vicious Years'', 1950 * ''

Short subjects

* ''The Love of Zero'', 1928 * ''Hello New York!'' (aka ''Bonjour New York''), 1928 * '' The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra'', 1928 * '' Skyscraper Symphony'', 1929 * ''Fifty-Fifty'', 1932 * "The Incredible Dr. Markesan" Thriller Series, costars

, 1962

Footnotes

References

*Koszarski, Richard. 1976. ''Hollywood Directors: 1914-1940''. Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Catalog Number: 76-9262. *

External links

* * *
Literature on Robert Florey
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Florey, Robert 1900 births 1979 deaths Film directors from California Knights of the Legion of Honour Film people from Paris Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) French emigrants to the United States