Phil Karlson

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Phil Karlson (July 2, 1908, Chicago, Illinois – December 12, 1985, Los Angeles, California) was a film director known for his no-nonsense film noirs. Karlson directed 99 River Street, Kansas City Confidential and Hell's Island all with actor John Payne in the early 1950s. Other films include Rocky (1948), The Phenix City Story (1955), 5 Against the House (1955) and The Young Doctors (1961). Phil Karlson was the son of popular Irish actress Lillian O'Brien. He studied painting at Chicago's Art Institute, and law, at his father's request, at Loyola Marymount University in California. Karlson got into the film industry working as a prop man while a law student. After working a number of film jobs, including being an assistant director for a number of Abbott and Costello films, Karlson directed his first film in 1944 and in 1948 directed the first film starring Marilyn Monroe, Ladies of the Chorus. He worked on a number of low-budget projects for Monogram Pictures and Eagle-Lion Films before making his mark in 1950. It was then that he was known for directing tough, realistic and sometimes violent gritty crime films. In the 1960s the quality of…

Directed

1. Kansas City Confidential (1952) — Director
2. Walking Tall (1973) — Director
3. Ben (1972) — Director
4. 99 River Street (1953) — Director
5. The Wrecking Crew (1968) — Director
6. Scandal Sheet (1952) — Director
7. The Phenix City Story (1955) — Director
8. Gunman's Walk (1958) — Director
9. The Silencers (1966) — Director
10. Kid Galahad (1962) — Director
11. 5 Against the House (1955) — Director
12. The Brothers Rico (1957) — Director
13. A Time for Killing (1967) — Director
14. Tight Spot (1955) — Director
15. Ladies of the Chorus (1948) — Director
16. Hornets' Nest (1970) — Director
17. Dark Alibi (1946) — Director
18. Hell to Eternity (1960) — Director
19. The Shanghai Cobra (1945) — Director
20. They Rode West (1954) — Director
21. Framed (1975) — Director
22. Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) — Director
23. Rampage (1963) — Director
24. The Secret Ways (1961) — Director
25. Hell's Island (1955) — Director
26. The Missing Lady (1946) — Director
27. Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) — Director
28. Behind the Mask (1946) — Director
29. Mask of the Avenger (1951) — Director
30. The Scarface Mob (1959) — Director
31. The Young Doctors (1961) — Director
32. Lorna Doone (1951) — Director
33. The Texas Rangers (1951) — Director
34. Live Wires (1946) — Director
35. The Big Cat (1949) — Director
36. The Brigand (1952) — Director
37. Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958) — Director
38. Key Witness (1960) — Director
39. Alexander The Great (1968) — Director
40. The Iroquois Trail (1950) — Director

Also appeared in

1. Lux Video Theatre (1950) — Intermission Guest