born Feb. 8, 1894, Galveston, Texas, U.S.
died Nov. 1, 1982, Paso Robles, Calif.
U.S. film director.
He worked as a prop boy, scriptwriter, newsreel cameraman, and assistant director before directing his first feature film, The Turn in the Road (1919). He won acclaim for The Big Parade (1925) and The Crowd (1928), considered a silent-movie classic. His films, which deal with themes such as idealism and disillusionment in contemporary life, include the first all-African American film, Hallelujah! (1929), as well as Our Daily Bread (1934) and The Citadel (1938). His later movies include the western epic Duel in the Sun (1946), The Fountainhead (1949), and War and Peace (1956).