William A. "Wild Bill" Wellman

By: Ally the Manic Listmaker

Ranked.

Considering the multitude of his work, Wellman is an unjustly underrated director. Even though I’ve seen 43 of his films (!), I still need to see much more. Thankfully, TCM regularly plays his films and a lot of his work is available on DVD. Please join me in watching more of his work.

My rankings:

Tier One
A Star Is Born (1937)
Looking for Trouble (1934) not in the database
Wild Boys of the Road (1933)
The Public Enemy (1931)
Magic Town (1947)
Night Nurse (1931)
Battleground (1949)
Safe in Hell (1931)
Midnight Mary (1933)
Wings (1927)
Small Town Girl (1936) not in the database

Tier Two
The Purchase Price (1932)
Lilly Turner (1933) not in the database
Roxie Hart (1942)
Lady of Burlesque (1943) not in the database
Beau Geste (1939)
The Iron Curtain (1948)
Good-bye My Lady
Nothing Sacred (1937)
My Man and I (1952) not in the database
So Big! (1932)
The Great Man’s Lady
The Light That Failed (1939)
Frisco Jenny (1932)
The Boob (1926) [This isn’t a very great film, but the “special” car makes it amazing.]
Beggars of Life (1928)
The Star Witness (1931)
College Coach (1933)
Gallant Journey (1946)
The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
The High and the Mighty (1954)
The Next Voice You Hear… (1950)
The Conquerors (1932)
Maybe It’s Love (1930)

Tier Three
The Robin Hood of El Dorado (1936)
Central Airport (1933)
Heroes for Sale (1933)
Across the Wide Missouri (1951)
Blood Alley (1955)
Yellow Sky (1948)
The Hatchet Man (1932)
This Man’s Navy (1945)
The Happy Years (1950)
Track of the Cat (1954)

Tier Four
Stingaree (1934)
Viva Villa! (1934)
Westward the Women (1951)
Island in the Sky (1953)

To rate:
Story of G.I. Joe (1945)

To see:
Other Men’s Women (1931)
The Call of the Wild (1935)
Buffalo Bill (1944)
Darby’s Rangers (1958)
Lafayette Escadrille (1958)
Ring of Fear (1954)
Good-bye, My Lady (1956)
Thunder Birds [Soldiers of the Air] (1942)
Beggars of Life (1928)
Big Dan (1923)
Men with Wings (1938)
Chinatown Nights (1929)
The President Vanishes (1934)
Light’s Diamond Jubilee (1954) (TV)
The Legion of the Condemned (1928)
Dangerous Paradise (1930)
Reaching for the Sun (1941)
The Man I Love (1929)
You Never Know Women (1926)
Ladies of the Mob (1928)
The Twins of Suffering Creek (1920)
Young Eagles (1930)
Woman Trap (1929)
It’s a Big Country (1951)
Love Is a Racket (1932)
The Great Man’s Lady (1942)

His uncredited films:
Tarzan Escapes (1936)
Gone With the Wind (the Atlanta fire scene)
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938)
Female (1933) (17 scenes)

Seen: 49/83 titles

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