Harold D. Schuster

Biography

A highly regarded editor (he cut the classic Sunrise (1927) ), Harold D. Schuster started out in films as an actor. It didn't take him long to abandon that career, and he turned to the production side of the business, working his way up to editor and eventually taking the reins as a director. While much of his directorial output is routine, there are some real gems scattered throughout. My Friend Flicka (1943) is a beautiful, serene tale of a boy and a spectacular horse and was a major success in its day. Although typed as an "outdoors" director, Schuster could turn out tough, gritty little thrillers when he wanted to, such as Loophole (1954), about a bank teller who gets framed for an embezzlement; it ranks right up there with the edgy crime dramas of Don Siegel and Phil Karlson. Schuster's western Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957), despite its potboiler title, is a sharp, well-paced effort about two disparate groups of travelers who must band together to fight off rampaging Indians. Good writing, a rousing score and Schuster's tight direction raise this several notches above the product normally churned out by its studio, the usually low-grade Allied Artists. Schuster eventually tu…

Directed

1. So Dear to My Heart (1948) — Director
2. My Friend Flicka (1943) — Director
3. Finger Man (1955) — Director
4. Loophole (1954) — Director
5. Tarzan's Hidden Jungle (1955) — Director
6. Dragoon Wells Massacre (1957) — Director
7. Wings of the Morning (1937) — Director
8. Portland Exposé (1957) — Director
9. Kid Monk Baroni (1952) — Director
10. Jack Slade (1953) — Director
11. Marine Raiders (1944) — Director
12. Dinner at the Ritz (1937) — Director
13. Breakfast in Hollywood (1946) — Director
14. Courage of Black Beauty (1957) — Director
15. Bomber's Moon (1943) — Director
16. Framed (1940) — Director
17. Security Risk (1954) — Director
18. The Return of Jack Slade (1955) — Director
19. Exposed (1938) — Director
20. Girl Trouble (1942) — Director
21. On the Sunny Side (1942) — Director
22. Small Town Deb (1941) — Director
23. Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me! (1940) — Director
24. The Tender Years (1948) — Director
25. A Very Young Lady (1941) — Director
26. One Hour to Live (1939) — Director
27. South to Karanga (1940) — Director
28. The Postman Didn't Ring (1942) — Director
29. Swing That Cheer (1938) — Director
30. Diamond Frontier (1940) — Director
31. Queer Cargo (1938) — Director
32. The Power of the Resurrection (1958) — Director
33. Port of Hell (1954) — Director
34. Zanzibar (1940) — Director
35. Down Liberty Road (1957) — Director

Also appeared in

1. The Iron Horse (1925) — Worker (uncredited)