Henry Hathaway was an American film director and producer who was known for making movies like “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” and “Call Northside 777.” He was known for making Westerns, but he was also good at other types of movies, like semi-documentaries, and often used the film noir style. Henry Hathaway grew up in the show business. His father, Rhody Hathaway, was an actor and stage manager, and his mother, Jean, was an actress. As a young child, his parents inspired him a lot, and by the time he was ten, he was already in short films. When he was a teenager, he stopped going to school and got a job as a prop boy at Universal Studios. He also started looking for acting jobs. During World War I, he had to stop his work for a while to serve in the military. But the young man’s love of movies brought him back to the theater after the war was over. Realizing that he loved directing, he became an assistant director and worked with famous directors like Josef von Sternberg and Victor Fleming. He went on to make his first full-length movie, a Western called “Heritage of the Desert” with Randolph Scott. After making a name for himself with Westerns, he changed direction and started making more film noirs and semi-documentaries.
Early years and childhood
Henri Léopold de Fiennes Hathaway was born in Sacramento, Calif., on March 13, 1898. Rhody Hathaway, his father, was an actor and stage manager. The Marquise Lillie de Fiennes, his mother, was a Belgian noblewoman who was born in Hungary and used the stage name, Jean Hathaway.
Because his parents worked in the show business, he was exposed to it at a young age. As a child, he began to act in short movies. He wasn’t interested in school, so he quit when he was in his mid-teens.
With the help of his mother, he got a job as a prop boy at Universal Studio and also did some acting. When World War I broke out, he joined the army and taught people how to use guns.
Henry Hathaway’s Career
After his time in the military, he went back to making movies. By this time, he knew that directing was more his thing than acting, so in 1925, he started working as an assistant director for famous directors like Josef von Sternberg and Victor Fleming. Over the next few years, his teachers helped him get better at what he did.
In 1932, he directed his first movie, a Western called “Heritage of the Desert,” which was based on a Zane Grey book. Randolph Scott had his first lead role in the movie. After this Western, Hathaway made more of them, and soon he was known for his stories about settling the American West.
In 1935, he directed the movie “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer,” which starred Gary Cooper. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and Hathaway was nominated for the Academy Award for Directing. During the 1930s, he worked with Gary Cooper on five movies.
In 1940, he made two movies: “Brigham Young,” a biographical romantic drama, and “Johnny Apollo,” a crime thriller. In 1941, Hathaway directed “The Shepherd of the Hills,” which starred John Wayne, Betty Field, and Harry Carey. That same year, he also directed “Sundown,” a war movie starring John Wayne, Betty Field, and Harry Carey.
Henry Hathaway made a name for himself as a director of Westerns. In the second half of the 1940s, he began making semi-documentary films that often used the film noir style. “The House on 92nd Street” (1945), “13 Rue Madeleine” (1945), “The Dark Corner” (1946), “Kiss of Death” (1947), and “Call Northside 777” are all movies he made during this time (1948).
In the 1950s, he continued to have a successful career and made many popular movies, such as “The Desert Fox” and “Rawhide” in 1951, “Niagara” in 1953, “Prince Valiant” and “Garden of Evil” in 1954, “The Racers” in 1955, “From Hell to Texas” in 1958, and “Woman Obsessed” in 1959. (1959).
Henry Hathaway worked with John Ford and George Marshall to make the amazing 1962 movie “How the West Was Won.” He was in charge of most of the river, prairie, and train robbery scenes.
Some of the movies he made after “True Grit” are “Raid on Rommel” (1971) and “Shoot Out” (1969). (1971). “Hangup” was his 65th and last movie (1974).
Works of note
The epic adventure drama “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” is one of Hathaway’s most well-known movies. Historian John Reid called it “one of the best adventure movies ever made.” It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and made $49 million at the box office.
Awards & Achievements
The movie “The Lives of a Bengal Lancer” earned Henry Hathaway a nomination for the Academy Award for Directing.
The movie “The House on 92nd Street” got him a Best Director nomination from the New York Film Critics Circle.
In honor of his work in movies, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1638 Vine Street.
Personal History and Legacies
Henry Hathaway was married more than once. From 1919 to 1931, he was married to Elvira Weil.
In 1932, he married Blanche (Skip) Gonzalez, and they had one son together. They were together for 53 years before Hathaway died.
He died of a heart attack at the age of 86 on February 11, 1985.
Estimated Net worth
Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb, and other online sources say that the famous director Henry Hathaway was worth between $5 million before he died.