Motion Picture Director. He was the oldest member of Hollywood's well-known Rosson clan, which included siblings Richard, Harold, and Helene Rosson. Born in London, he arrived in New York City with his parents in the early 1890s and entered films in 1909 as a stuntman for the Vitagraph studio. After trying his luck as an actor and screenwriter, he turned to directing in 1917. Rosson spent much of his career cranking out B westerns, many starring Hoot Gibson, whom he successfully guided from silents to talkies. He had a chance to make Tinseltown's "A List" when he was assigned to direct the prototypical gangster saga "Underworld" (1927), but was fired after a few days and replaced by Josef von Sternberg. Among his 60 films are "Sahara" (1919), "Polly of the Storm Country" (1920), "The Taming of the West" (1925), "The Last Outlaw" (1927), "The Mounted Stranger" (1930), "Blazing Guns" (1935), and "Boots of Destiny" (1937). Rosson was also a second-unit director for every Cecil B. DeMille epic from "The Plainsman" (1936) to "The Ten Commandments" (1956), and he was employed exclusively in assistant capacities after 1938. He died shortly after the production of George Cukor's "Heller in Pink Tights" (1960).
Motion Picture Director. He was the oldest member of Hollywood's well-known Rosson clan, which included siblings Richard, Harold, and Helene Rosson. Born in London, he arrived in New York City with his parents in the early 1890s and entered films in 1909 as a stuntman for the Vitagraph studio. After trying his luck as an actor and screenwriter, he turned to directing in 1917. Rosson spent much of his career cranking out B westerns, many starring Hoot Gibson, whom he successfully guided from silents to talkies. He had a chance to make Tinseltown's "A List" when he was assigned to direct the prototypical gangster saga "Underworld" (1927), but was fired after a few days and replaced by Josef von Sternberg. Among his 60 films are "Sahara" (1919), "Polly of the Storm Country" (1920), "The Taming of the West" (1925), "The Last Outlaw" (1927), "The Mounted Stranger" (1930), "Blazing Guns" (1935), and "Boots of Destiny" (1937). Rosson was also a second-unit director for every Cecil B. DeMille epic from "The Plainsman" (1936) to "The Ten Commandments" (1956), and he was employed exclusively in assistant capacities after 1938. He died shortly after the production of George Cukor's "Heller in Pink Tights" (1960).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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