William A. Wellman

Biography

William Augustus Wellman was an American film director. Although Wellman began his film career as an actor, he worked on over 80 films, as director, producer and consultant but most often as a director, notable for his work in crime, adventure and action genre films, often focusing on aviation themes, a particular passion. He also directed several well regarded satirical comedies. Wellman directed the 1927 film Wings, which became the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony.

Most Famous Work

Average

8

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A Star Is Born

(2018) Original Story

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6

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Nothing Sacred

(1937) Director

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6

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A Star Is Born

(1976) Story

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6

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The High and the Mighty

(1954) Director

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7

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The Public Enemy

(1931) Director

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7

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Battleground

(1949) Director

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7

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Night Nurse

(1931) Director

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7

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Beau Geste

(1939) Director

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Acting

Year	Character	Movie/Tv
2008	Self (archive footage)	You Must Remember This: The Warner Bros. Story 2008-05-15 Movie
2006	Self (archive footage)	Filmmakers in Action 2006-09-15 Movie
1995	Self (archive footage)	Wild Bill: Hollywood Maverick 1995-01-01 Movie
1975	Himself	Gable: The King Remembered 1975-02-26 Movie
1973	N/A	The Men Who Made the Movies 1973-11-04 TV Show
1953	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)	Island in the Sky 1953-09-05 Movie
1952	Self	This Is Your Life 1952-10-01 TV Show
1931	Company Workman (uncredited)	The Star Witness 1931-08-22 Movie
	Self	Screen Snapshots (Series 10, No. 8) 1931-06-01 Movie
1927	Doughboy (uncredited)	Wings 1927-08-12 Movie
1925	Self	1925 Studio Tour 1925-04-09 Movie
1919	British lieutenant	Evangeline 1919-08-19 Movie
	Henry	The Knickerbocker Buckaroo 1919-05-25 Movie
Year	Character	Movie/Tv

Writing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
2018	Original Story	A Star Is Born 2018-10-03 Movie
1976	Story	A Star Is Born 1976-12-17 Movie
1958	Story	Lafayette Escadrille 1958-02-28 Movie
1954	Story	A Star Is Born 1954-10-01 Movie
1946	Writer	Gallant Journey 1946-09-24 Movie
1937	Story	The Last Gangster 1937-11-12 Movie
	Story	A Star Is Born 1937-04-27 Movie
1936	Screenplay	Robin Hood of El Dorado 1936-03-17 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Directing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1958	Director	Lafayette Escadrille 1958-02-28 Movie
	Director	Darby's Rangers 1958-02-12 Movie
1956	Director	Good-bye, My Lady 1956-05-12 Movie
1955	Director	Blood Alley 1955-10-01 Movie
1954	Director	Track of the Cat 1954-11-19 Movie
	Director	The High and the Mighty 1954-07-03 Movie
1953	Director	Island in the Sky 1953-09-05 Movie
1952	Director	My Man and I 1952-09-05 Movie
1951	Director	Westward the Women 1951-12-16 Movie
	Director	It's a Big Country 1951-11-20 Movie
	Director	Across the Wide Missouri 1951-10-12 Movie
1950	Director	The Happy Years 1950-07-07 Movie
	Director	The Next Voice You Hear... 1950-06-29 Movie
1949	Director	Battleground 1949-11-09 Movie
1948	Director	Yellow Sky 1948-12-24 Movie
	Director	The Iron Curtain 1948-06-16 Movie
1947	Director	Magic Town 1947-10-07 Movie
1946	Director	Gallant Journey 1946-09-24 Movie
1945	Director	Story of G.I. Joe 1945-07-13 Movie
	Director	This Man's Navy 1945-01-04 Movie
1944	Director	Buffalo Bill 1944-04-02 Movie
1943	Director	Lady of Burlesque 1943-05-01 Movie
1942	Director	The Ox-Bow Incident 1942-12-03 Movie
	Director	Thunder Birds 1942-10-28 Movie
	Director	The Great Man's Lady 1942-04-15 Movie
	Director	Roxie Hart 1942-02-20 Movie
1941	Director	Reaching for the Sun 1941-05-01 Movie
1939	Director	The Light That Failed 1939-12-24 Movie
	Director	Beau Geste 1939-07-24 Movie
1938	Director	Men with Wings 1938-07-16 Movie
1937	Director	Nothing Sacred 1937-11-25 Movie
	Director	A Star Is Born 1937-04-27 Movie
1936	Co-Director	Tarzan Escapes 1936-11-06 Movie
	Director	Small Town Girl 1936-04-10 Movie
	Director	Robin Hood of El Dorado 1936-03-17 Movie
1935	Director	Call of the Wild 1935-08-09 Movie
	Second Unit Director	China Seas 1935-08-09 Movie
1934	Director	The President Vanishes 1934-11-17 Movie
	Director	Stingaree 1934-05-24 Movie
	Director	Looking for Trouble 1934-03-28 Movie
1933	Assistant Director	Female 1933-11-11 Movie
	Director	College Coach 1933-11-04 Movie
	Director	Wild Boys of the Road 1933-10-07 Movie
	Director	Midnight Mary 1933-06-30 Movie
	Director	Heroes for Sale 1933-06-17 Movie
	Director	Lilly Turner 1933-05-13 Movie
	Director	Central Airport 1933-04-15 Movie
	Director	Frisco Jenny 1933-01-14 Movie
1932	Director	The Conquerors 1932-11-18 Movie
	Director	The Purchase Price 1932-07-23 Movie
	Director	Love Is a Racket 1932-06-18 Movie
	Director	So Big! 1932-04-30 Movie
	Director	The Hatchet Man 1932-02-06 Movie
1931	Director	Safe in Hell 1931-12-12 Movie
	Director	The Star Witness 1931-08-22 Movie
	Director	Night Nurse 1931-07-16 Movie
	Director	The Public Enemy 1931-04-23 Movie
	Director	Other Men's Women 1931-01-17 Movie
1930	Director	Maybe It's Love 1930-10-04 Movie
	Director	Young Eagles 1930-03-20 Movie
	Director	Dangerous Paradise 1930-02-13 Movie
1929	Director	Woman Trap 1929-09-28 Movie
	Director	The Man I Love 1929-05-25 Movie
	Director	Chinatown Nights 1929-03-29 Movie
1928	Director	Beggars of Life 1928-09-22 Movie
	Director	Ladies of the Mob 1928-06-30 Movie
	Director	The Legion of the Condemned 1928-03-10 Movie
1927	Director	Wings 1927-08-12 Movie
1926	Director	You Never Know Women 1926-09-20 Movie
	Director	The Cat's Pajamas 1926-08-29 Movie
	Director	The Boob 1926-05-17 Movie
1924	Director	The Circus Cowboy 1924-05-11 Movie
	Director	The Vagabond Trail 1924-03-09 Movie
	Director	Not a Drum Was Heard 1924-01-27 Movie
1923	Director	Cupid's Fireman 1923-12-16 Movie
	Director	Big Dan 1923-10-13 Movie
	Director	The Man Who Won 1923-08-26 Movie
	Director	Second Hand Love 1923-08-26 Movie
1920	Assistant Director	Edgar's Hamlet 1920-04-18 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Production

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1958	Producer	Lafayette Escadrille 1958-02-28 Movie
1947	Producer	Magic Town 1947-10-07 Movie
1946	Producer	Gallant Journey 1946-09-24 Movie
1942	Producer	The Great Man's Lady 1942-04-15 Movie
1939	Producer	The Light That Failed 1939-12-24 Movie
	Producer	Beau Geste 1939-07-24 Movie
1938	Producer	Men with Wings 1938-07-16 Movie
1928	Producer	Ladies of the Mob 1928-06-30 Movie
	Producer	The Legion of the Condemned 1928-03-10 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv