Riding High

Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s. His rags-to-riches story, having worked his way through college, has led film historians... like Ian Freer to consider Capra the "American dream personified." Capra became one of America's most powerful directors during the 1930s, winning three Oscars as Best Director. Among his leading films was It Happened One Night , which became the first film to win all five top Oscars, including Best Picture. Other leading films included Mr. Deeds Goes to Town , Lost Horizon , You Can't Take It With You , Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , Meet John Doe , Arsenic and Old Lace , It's a Wonderful Life and State of the Union . Because of his early fame as a director, his name was listed "above the title" of his films when they were publicized. People "flocked to the theaters" during the 1930s and 1940s to see films directed by Frank Capra.
more

George E. Marshall was an American actor, screenwriter, producer, film and television director, active through the first six decades of movie history. Relatively few of Marshall's films are well-known today, with Destry Rides Again, The Sheepman, and How the West Was Won being the biggest... exceptions. Marshall co-directed How the West Was Won with John Ford and Henry Hathaway, handling the railroad segment, which featured a celebrated buffalo stampede sequence. While Marshall worked on almost all kinds of films imaginable, he started his career in the early silent period doing mostly Westerns, a genre he never completely abandoned. Later in his career, he was particularly sought after for comedies. He did around half a dozen films each with Bob Hope and Jerry Lewis, and also worked with W.C. Fields, Jackie Gleason, Will Rogers and Laurel and Hardy. For his contribution to the film industry, George Marshall has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7048 Hollywood Boulevard.
more