born May 30, 1896, Goshen, Ind., U.S.
died Dec. 26, 1977, Palm Springs, Calif.
U.S. film director, screenwriter, and producer.
He served as a pilot in World War I, then wrote screenplays in Hollywood (from 1922) and directed several projects before making his first major film, A Girl in Every Port (1928). A master technician and storyteller, he created a sense of intimacy by filming from eye level. He directed over 40 films (many of which he also produced and wrote) in a variety of genres: adventure ( The Dawn Patrol , 1930), crime ( Scarface , 1932), comedy ( Bringing Up Baby , 1938), war ( Sergeant York , 1941), musicals ( Gentlemen Prefer Blondes , 1953), film noir ( The Big Sleep , 1946), science fiction ( The Thing , 1951), and westerns ( Red River , 1948; Rio Bravo , 1959).