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S. Sylvan Simon is a Director and Producer American born on 9 march 1910 at Chicago (USA)

S. Sylvan Simon

S. Sylvan Simon
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Nationality USA
Birth 9 march 1910 at Chicago (USA)
Death 17 may 1951 (at 41 years) at Beverly Hills (USA)

S. Sylvan Simon (March 9, 1910 - May 17, 1951) was an American stage/film director and producer. He began his film career at Warner Bros. in 1935, directing screen tests. In 1937, he moved to MGM, where he worked on the Marx Brothers' The Big Store, supervising many of the slapstick sequences. He directed Red Skelton's first starring feature, 1941's Whistling in the Dark, and later worked with Skelton again on Skelton's 1948 vehicle, A Southern Yankee and The Fuller Brush Man in 1948. Simon also directed Wallace Beery in Bad Bascomb (1946).

He died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 41.

Biography

Il commença sa carrière cinématographique à Warner Brothers en 1935, responsable directeur de différents tests d'écran (screen tests). En 1937, Simon a déménagé à MGM, où il put travailler avec les frères Marx (Marx Brothers) dans le film Les Marx au grand magasin (The Big Store, 1941) supervisant plusieurs séquences d'écran (screen tests). Il dirigea l'acteur Red Skelton lors de son premier long métrage intitulé Whistling in the Dark (1941), et plus tard il travailla sur deux autres projets de Skelton tel que : Un Yankee du Sud et Fuller Brush Man, en 1948. Simon a également dirigé Wallace Beery dans Bad Bascomb (1946), Glenn Ford dans Lust for Gold (1949) ainsi que Jane Powell dans son tout premier film en noir et blanc Hollywood Mélodie (Song of the Open Road) en 1944.

Simon fut le producteur de Comment l'esprit vient aux femmes (Born Yesterday), une comédie de 1950 qui a été nominée de cinq Oscars.

Il mourut subitement d'une crise cardiaque à l'âge de 41 ans. Ses cendres ont été enterrées dans une modeste urne funéraire en bronze avec une plaque signalétique en sa mémoire commémorative (Urne # 20174), dans le Grand Mausolé de Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, à Glendale en Californie.

Best films

Born Yesterday (1951)
(Producer)

Usually with

Arthur Space
Arthur Space
(16 films)
Cedric Gibbons
Cedric Gibbons
(18 films)
Jean Louis
Jean Louis
(8 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of S. Sylvan Simon (39 films)

Display filmography as list

Director

Lust for Gold, 1h30
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon, George Marshall
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Western
Actors Ida Lupino, Glenn Ford, Gig Young, William Prince, Edgar Buchanan, Will Geer
Rating67% 3.3907953.3907953.3907953.3907953.390795
In modern times, a newspaper reports that "noted explorer and writer" Floyd Buckley (Hayden Rorke) claims to have discovered the location of the lost gold mine. He is approached by Barry Storm (William Prince), who believes he has some claim to it, as the Dutchman was his grandfather. Buckley brushes him off, but when he heads into the Superstition Mountains, Storm secretly follows him.
The Fuller Brush Man, 1h33
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Adventure, Crime, Romance
Actors Red Skelton, Janet Blair, Don McGuire, Hillary Brooke, Adele Jergens, Trudy Marshall
Rating67% 3.392193.392193.392193.392193.39219
Success doesn't exactly stare the unfortunate street cleaner Red Jones (Red Skelton) in the eye, and when he decides to propose to his sweetheart Ann Elliot (Janet Blair), who is a secretary at the Fuller Brush company, she demands that he makes something more of himself before she can accept the offer. She suggests he should follow the example of a salesman and friend of hers, Keenan Wallick (Don McGuire), who works at her company. Red gets a chance to prove himself worthy sooner than he had expected when he is fired from his job as a cleaner by his boss, Gordon Trist (Nicholas Joy), because he accidentally sets a trash can on fire in the line of duty, and smashes Trist's car window. Ann gets him a chance to show his skills as a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush company, and he is teamed up with her friend Keenan. Both Ann and Red are unaware that Keenan himself had a romantic interest in Ann, and wants to get Red out of the way as soon as possible, so he can pursue Ann without competition. Keenan assigns Red a list of the hardest homes, and Red fails tremendously with his task of selling to an almost impossible potential customer. He has a comical run-in with a troublesome small boy, and a beautiful model at another home tries to seduce him. Seeing how unsuccessful Red's sales attempts are, Keenan comes up with the idea of a bet - the winner gets to pursue Ann without interference of the other man - which he suggests to Red. The bet is that Red won't be able to sell a single brush to the households on their run. Red takes the bet, and the next household on their run is the mansion of his old boss Gordon Trist. After Red tries to hide from Gordon and the groundskeeper, Gordon recognizes Red and sends him packing, but his wife comes after Red and buys ten brushes from him. Red returns to Anna and Keenan with high spirit, until he realizes he forgot to collect the payment money from Mrs Trist. When Red comes back to the Trist home, he overhears a conversation between his former boss, Keenan, Gregory Cruckston (Donald Curtis) and a few other persons, as they discuss their involvement in a racketeering operation. Red is caught eavesdropping and knocked unconscious after he is brought into the house. When he comes back to life, Gordon has been murdered in the dark, and everyone present in the house is arrested by police lieutenant Quint (Arthur Space), all suspected of murder. Red is released since there is no evidence pointing to him being the killer, and when he comes home he discovers Mrs Trist (Hillary Brooke) waiting for him with the money. Soon after, Anna arrives to his home, and shortly after that Freddie Trist (Ross Ford), Gordon's son, with two armed gangsters. The gangsters hold everyone hostage as they search in vain for the murder weapon that killed Gordon. Ann and Red concludes that the weapon must have been a Fuller brush, molded into a knife-looking object. Cruckston stops them from telling policeman Quint about the weapon, and it turns out Cruckston, who is Gordon's partner in crime, is the murderer. Ann and Red escape from him and his gangsters. Cruckston is arrested and Red is the hero of the day, winning Ann's heart in the process.
I Love Trouble, 1h33
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Noir, Crime
Actors Franchot Tone, Janet Blair, Janis Carter, Glenda Farrell, Adele Jergens, John Ireland
Rating66% 3.342963.342963.342963.342963.34296
A wealthy politician, Ralph Johnston, hires detective Stuart Bailey to investigate his missing wife's background. Bailey discovers that the wife had been a dancer under her maiden name of Jane Breeger and had left her Oregon home town with Buster Buffin, a nightclub entertainer, who says Jane changed her name to Janie Joy and enrolled at UCLA. Buffin is killed before Bailey can question him further.
Her Husband's Affairs, 1h24
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Romantic comedy
Actors Lucille Ball, Franchot Tone, Edward Everett Horton, Gene Lockhart, Mabel Paige, Harry Cheshire
Rating60% 3.001693.001693.001693.001693.00169
Hare-brained schemes keep interrupting the honeymoon plans of newlyweds Bill and Margaret Weldon. The schemes are his, Bill constantly backing an eccentric inventor who comes up with a magical hair-growing formula and one that turns flowers into stone.
Bad Bascomb
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Western
Actors Wallace Beery, Margaret O'Brien, Marjorie Main, J. Carrol Naish, Joseph Crehan, Frances Rafferty
Rating67% 3.3903553.3903553.3903553.3903553.390355
"Bad" Bascomb (Beery) is a notorious outlaw wanted by federal marshals after outwitting every group sent to capture him. He and fellow bandit Bart Ramsay (Naish), a cold-blooded killer, have again eluded the marshalls by joining a Mormon wagon train heading to Utah. They pretend to be helpful, and Bascomb becomes fond of an admiring little girl played by O'Brien. Beery eventually distances himself from the other thief and saves the wagon train from an attack by Indians, before being taken captive by the law at the end of the movie.
The Cockeyed Miracle, 1h21
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy
Themes Films based on plays
Actors Frank Morgan, Keenan Wynn, Audrey Totter, Cecil Kellaway, Richard Quiney, Gladys Cooper
Rating66% 3.3412153.3412153.3412153.3412153.341215
Aging shipbuilder Sam Griggs (Frank Morgan) is near the end of his career due to health problems. With the help of his friend Tom Carter (Cecil Kellaway) he has invested all of his family's money in a shaky real estate venture which he hopes will provide a large return. The rest of his family is happily unaware of the deal, preoccupied with their own future prospects.
The Thrill of Brazil, 1h31
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Musical
Themes Musical films
Actors Evelyn Keyes, Keenan Wynn, Ann Miller, Allyn Joslyn, Tito Guízar, Felix Bressart
Rating59% 2.956682.956682.956682.956682.95668
Vicki Dean (Evelyn Keyes), is the soon to be divorced wife of theatrical manager Steve Farraugh (Keenan Wynn). While mounting a big musical spectacular in Brazil, Farraugh simultaneously campaigns to win back his wife. The couple encounters romantic interference from tap-dancer Linda Lorens (Ann Miller).
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood, 1h23
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Actors Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Rags Ragland, Lucille Ball, Bob Haymes, Jean Porter
Rating62% 3.147153.147153.147153.147153.14715
A barber, Buzz Curtis (Bud Abbott), and a porter, Abercrombie (Lou Costello), work for a Hollywood salon. They are sent to the office of agent Norman Royce (Warner Anderson) to give him a haircut and a shoeshine. On the way there they run into former co-worker Claire Warren (Frances Rafferty), who is about to star as the lead in a new musical. At the same time her co-star Gregory LeMaise (Carleton G. Young), whose fame is dwindling, arrives and invites her to join him at lunch. She declines, which angers him.
Son of Lassie, 1h42
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Action, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Transport films, Aviation films, Films about dogs, Mise en scène d'un mammifère
Actors Peter Lawford, Pal, Donald Crisp, June Lockhart, Nigel Bruce, Donald Curtis
Rating63% 3.1942853.1942853.1942853.1942853.194285
In Yorkshire, England, at the estate of the Duke of Rudling (Nigel Bruce), the British Army converted the grounds into a training camp for war dogs. The camp is placed under the supervision of Sam Carraclough (Donald Crisp), the kennel caretaker, who immediately begins the process of selecting the best dogs for training, including Laddie, the young pup of the champion collie, Lassie. Joe Carraclough (Peter Lawford), now an adult, joins the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. Departing for training school, he is forced to leave behind his dog Lassie and her pup, Laddie.
The Bugle Sounds, 1h42
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War
Themes Political films
Actors Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main, Lewis Stone, Henry O'Neill, George Bancroft, Donna Reed
Rating60% 3.0017053.0017053.0017053.0017053.001705
In 1941, Colonel Lawton (Lewis Stone) of the 19th Cavalry Regiment has to convert his unit from horses to tanks. Sergeant Patrick Aloysius 'Hap' Doan (Wallace Beery) has a hard time with the adjustments.
Grand Central Murder, 1h13
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Crime
Themes Transport films, Rail transport films
Actors Van Heflin, Patricia Dane, Sam Levene, Stephen McNally, Cecilia Parker, Millard Mitchell
Rating64% 3.2427753.2427753.2427753.2427753.242775
Convicted murderer "Turk" (Stephen McNally) escapes from police custody, crashing through a washroom window as a train pulls into Grand Central Station in New York. He telephones his former girlfriend, Broadway star Mida King (Patricia Dane), and threatens to kill her. She leaves her show between acts and hides in a private train car on a siding at the station, planning to leave town and marry her rich, high society fiance, David V. Henderson (Mark Daniels). However, her body is found by David and his ex-fiancee, Connie Furness (Cecilia Parker).
Rio Rita
Rio Rita (1942)
, 1h31
Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films, Buddy films
Actors Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Kathryn Grayson, John Carroll, Tom Conway, Patricia Dane
Rating60% 3.000593.000593.000593.000593.00059
Nazi spies have infiltrated the Hotel Vista del Rio, a resort on the Mexican border. They plan to use a radio broadcast by a famous guest, Ricardo Montera (John Carroll), to transmit coded messages to their cohorts. Doc (Bud Abbott) and Wishy (Lou Costello) are stowaways in Montera's car, who steal a basket of "apples" that turn out being miniature radios used by the spies. Rita Winslow (Kathryn Grayson), the hotel's owner and childhood sweetheart of Montera, hire Doc and Wishy as house detectives, who discover the Nazi codebook and give it to Montera. They are then kidnapped by the spies, and left in a room with a bomb set to explode, but manage to escape while Wishy plants the bomb in the pocket of one of the culprits. Meanwhile, the broadcast has already begun and Montera, refusing to participate in treason, fights the spies until the Texas Rangers arrive. The spies' escape by car is thwarted when the planted bomb finally explodes.