James Wesley Horne (December 14, 1881 â€" June 29, 1942) was an early
American actor, screenwriter and film director. He began his career as
an actor under director Sidney Olcott at Kalem Studios in 1913 and
directed his first film for the company two years later.During the
silent-era Horne specialized in staging thrill scenes for features and
serial films. On the strength of Horne's work in Cruise of the Jasper
B, Buster Keaton hired him to direct his 1927 comedy College. From
there he moved to Hal Roach Studios, where he worked with Roach's
leading stars, Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase, Our Gang, and his
nephew George Stevens, who worked at the studio as a cinematographer,
who later progressed to directing short films, and from the late 1930s
became a top Hollywood feature filmmaker. Horne's Laurel and Hardy
comedies Big Business (credited to "J. Wesley Horne") and Way Out West
are acclaimed as classics.Horne also displayed an aptitude for
directing Roach's foreign-language versions; the American version
might be staged by James Parrott, for example, but the international
version would be entrusted to Horne.Horne left Roach in 1932 during an
economic downturn that eliminated many jobs. He was hired by Universal
Pictures where, for the next few years, he directed the studio's
now-obscure two-reel comedies. When Universal suspended production,
Horne worked briefly at Columbia Pictures and returned to Roach in
1935.
American actor, screenwriter and film director. He began his career as
an actor under director Sidney Olcott at Kalem Studios in 1913 and
directed his first film for the company two years later.During the
silent-era Horne specialized in staging thrill scenes for features and
serial films. On the strength of Horne's work in Cruise of the Jasper
B, Buster Keaton hired him to direct his 1927 comedy College. From
there he moved to Hal Roach Studios, where he worked with Roach's
leading stars, Laurel and Hardy, Charley Chase, Our Gang, and his
nephew George Stevens, who worked at the studio as a cinematographer,
who later progressed to directing short films, and from the late 1930s
became a top Hollywood feature filmmaker. Horne's Laurel and Hardy
comedies Big Business (credited to "J. Wesley Horne") and Way Out West
are acclaimed as classics.Horne also displayed an aptitude for
directing Roach's foreign-language versions; the American version
might be staged by James Parrott, for example, but the international
version would be entrusted to Horne.Horne left Roach in 1932 during an
economic downturn that eliminated many jobs. He was hired by Universal
Pictures where, for the next few years, he directed the studio's
now-obscure two-reel comedies. When Universal suspended production,
Horne worked briefly at Columbia Pictures and returned to Roach in
1935.
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