William Witney
(May 15, 1915 – March 17, 2002)
William Witney was born 109 years ago. He was a true innovator in how action makes its way to the movie screen. He was working at Republic Pictures, and while on location for the 1937 serial The Painted Stallion, the director, Ray Taylor, was too drunk to work. Witney took over at just 21.
Watching Busby Berkeley put together one of his famous dance numbers, Witney realized that fight sequences could be choreographed and shot the same way. He under-cranked the camera to speed up the action — merely fast became death-defying. He experimented with the best place to put the camera car when tracking a chase — along the side of the car or stagecoach vs. shooting head-on, with horses charging straight at the camera.
After serving in a Marine combat camera unit in World War II, Witney returned to Republic for his last serial, The Crimson Ghost (1946), then took over the Roy Rogers movies. Dialing up the action, putting less emphasis on the music and bringing in a decidedly darker, more violent tone, Witney breathed new life into Roy’s final films.
William Witney was a genius, and his contribution the cinema has been pathetically under-appreciated.
This New York Times article with Quentin Tarantino praising Whitney cannot be reposted enough. https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/15/movies/whoa-trigger-auteur-alert.html
One person Witney loathed working with was Don “Red” Barry-Witney called him “The Midget”
Don was never considered easy going but a couple of his Republic non Western B’s are worth seeking out and his performances cannot be faulted.
He’s the out & out heavy in TRAIN TO ALCATRAZ a B that never lets up with a dream cast of badass actors.
In THE LAST CROOKED MILE he’s the good guy romancing Anne Savage and Adele Mara. Both films are out there (not official) in great prints and get my highest recommendation.
I’d forgotten about Train To Alcatraz! It’s terrific. I love Bob Steele in The Great Train Robbery. They’d make a great Republic double feature.
TRAIN TO ALCATRAZ is out on an unofficial DVD coupled with MILLION DOLLAR PURSUIT both films excellent and very nice prints as well.
For all you youtubers out there; there’s a lovely 1.85 version of THE OUTCAST one of Witney’s finest Republic A Westerns-the print is a thing of beauty. Why is this film not out on Blu Ray?
THE LAST CROOKED MILE is available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($9.99) from Amazon Prime. It’s the Paramount restoration and looks great. THE OUTCAST is also available for streamers.
Sadly I don’t have the kit to stream.
There’s another great Witney on you tube and no doubt Paramount Streaming SANTA FE PASSAGE (1955) in HD & widescreen and far superior to UK TV versions.
Sadly the you tube version of RIDE THE MAN DOWN is dismal-John is that on Paramount streaming as well?
Santa Fe Passage is terrific. Payne and Slim Pickens are great together. You can’t beat John Payne in the mid-50s (Silver Lode, Santa Fe Passage, Tennessee’s Partner, Slightly Scarlet, etc.).
Tracked down a copy of Train To Alcarraz — looking forward to revisiting it!
I thought George Sherman, without undercranking, was by far the best director at Republic, Joe Kane a distant but real second.
Boy, this is something we could debate forever! Sherman is a great director, period. I always felt Kane’s films suffered when they got longer and more expensive. But there’s a snap and a drive to Witney’s that I really like—and his Rogers pictures really knock me out.
I agree with you about Kane’s fifties films,but his forties product were just fine.
Yes indeed they were! I mention this one all the time — his 1941 Great Train Robbery with Bob Steele is outstanding.
Absolutely.
Very sad to learn of the passing of Barbra Fuller at the age of 102. Married to Lash LaRue – but only for 15 months – I’m going to watch her tonight in one of my favourite Wild Bill Elliott westerns, ‘The Savage Horde’.
Sherman fine by me-he was pretty good at B Noirs as well especially LONDON BLACKOUT MURDERS and his “Whistler” entry is one of the best.
Nothing wrong with Kane’s A’s at Republic either his Bill Elliott A’s are in a class of their own-some wonderful 50’s stuff as well SAN ANTONE-RIDE THE MAN DOWN-HELL’S OUTPOST -ROAD TO DENVER all top notch.