H. Bruce Humberstone

Born Nov. 18, 1901 in Buffalo, NY, Died Oct. 11, 1984 of cancer in Motion Picture and Television Country House, CA. One of Hollywood’s most versatile and commercially successful directors, H. Bruce Humberstone began his career as a clerk and sometime actor in the silent film era. He rose to become an assistant to some of Hollywood’s most celebrated directors, including King Vidor, Allan Dwan, Fred Niblo and John Ford before taking over direction of his own films in the early 1930s.

He directed 43 movies and also made several expensive and successful musicals, including “Sun Valley Serenade” with Sonja Henie, “Pin Up Girl” with Betty Grable and “Wonder Man” with Danny Kaye. He directed four Charlie Chan mysteries, two Tarzan pictures, several westerns and World War II movies.

Humberstone made his last movie, “Madison Avenue,” in 1962, but later directed a number of television episodes, including “Daniel Boone,” “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” and “The Smothers Brothers.” —Los Angeles Times