Erle C. Kenton

Erle C. Kenton (August 1, 1896 – January 28, 1980) was an American film director. Kenton was director of B films,^[1] with his most famous film being Island of Lost Souls starring Charles Laughton.^[2]

Erle C. Kenton
Kenton in 1921
Born	(1896-08-01)August 1, 1896 Norborne, Missouri, U.S.
Died	January 28, 1980(1980-01-28) (aged 83) Glendale, California, U.S.
Occupation	Film director
Years active	1916-1957

Biography

Before filmwork, Kenton was a school teacher and later decided to become an animal exhibitor.^[3] After working with various dog, pony and other animal shows, he entered the vaudeville circuit as a comedian. This led to him entering the film industry working on the Keystone Cops series of films making various short comedies.^[3]

Kenton began as a writer for Mack Sennett in 1914, and he directed feature films for Columbia Pictures, Tiffany Pictures, Paramount Pictures, RKO Pictures, Republic Pictures.^[2] He worked for Universal Pictures between 1941 and 1946 making films such as The Ghost of Frankenstein, House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula and The Cat Creeps and several films featuring comedians Abbott & Costello.^[2] Kenton was replaced by Charles Lamont on Hit the Ice after problems with Lou Costello.^[4]

Producer Paul Malvern stated later that Kenton and him "got along beautifully" and that "He was one director who thought everything out and made sure that he came in on budget and on time. He wasn't real fond of directing the Abbott and Costello films so he got a kick out of the monster films."^[5] Kenton spoke about directing horror films in a 1944 interview, stating "They give us a chance to let our imagination run wild. The art department can go to town on creep sets. Prop men have fun with cobwebs. The cameraman has fun with trick lighting and shadows. The director has fun. We have more fun making a horror picture than a comedy."^[6]

Kenton and Edward Ludwig were the principal directors of the 1958–1960 television series The Texan. Kenton died on January 28, 1980, of Parkinson's disease in Glendale, California.^[2][7] Malvern recalled that when he visited Kenton before his death, Kenton did not recognize him.^[7]

Selected filmography

Title	Year	Credited as		Notes	Ref(s)
		Director	Other
Down on the Farm	1920	Yes			[8]
Love, Honor and Behave	1920	Yes			[9]
A Small Town Idol	1921	Yes			[10]
Tea – With a Kick	1921	Yes			[10][11]
The Haunted House	1922	Yes			[12]
A Fool and His Money	1925	Yes			[10]
Red Hot Tires	1925	Yes			[13]
The Love Toy	1926	Yes			[14]
Other Women's Husbands	1926	Yes			[15]
The Palm Beach Girl	1926	Yes			[16]
The Sap	1926	Yes			[17]
Wedding Bill$	1927	Yes			[18]
The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary	1927	Yes			[19]
The Girl in the Pullman	1927	Yes			[20]
Bare Knees	1928	Yes			[21]
The Sporting Age	1928	Yes			[22]
Golf Widows	1928	Yes			[23]
Name the Woman	1928	Yes	Yes	Screenwriter	[24]
The Street of Illusion	1928	Yes			[25]
Companionate Marriage	1928	Yes			[26]
Nothing to Wear	1928	Yes			[27]
The Sideshow	1928	Yes			[28]
Father and Son	1929	Yes			[29]
Trial Marriage	1929	Yes			[30]
Song of Love	1929	Yes			[31]
Mexicali Rose	1929	Yes			[32]
A Royal Romance	1930	Yes			[33]
The Last Parade	1931	Yes			[34]
Lover Come Back	1931	Yes			[35]
Left Over Ladies	1931	Yes			[36]
X Marks the Spot	1931	Yes			[37]
Guilty as Hell	1932	Yes			[38]
Stranger in Town	1932	Yes			[39]
Island of Lost Souls	1932	Yes			[40]
From Hell to Heaven	1933	Yes			[41]
Disgraced	1933	Yes			[42]
Big Executive	1933	Yes			[43]
Search for Beauty	1934	Yes			[44]
You're Telling Me!	1934	Yes			[45]
The Best Man Wins	1935	Yes			[46]
Party Wire	1935	Yes			[47]
The Public Menace	1935	Yes			[48]
Devil's Squadron	1936	Yes			[49]
Counterfeit	1936	Yes			[50]
End of the Trail	1936	Yes	Yes	Actor, as Theodore Roosevelt	[51]
The Devil's Playground	1937	Yes			[52]
Racketeers in Exile	1937	Yes			[53]
She Asked for It	1937	Yes			[53]
The Lady Objects	1938	Yes			[54]
Little Tough Guys in Society	1938	Yes			[55]
Everything's on Ice	1939	Yes			[56]
Escape to Paradise	1939	Yes			[57]
South of Pago Pago	1940		Yes	Associate producer	[58]
Remedy for Riches	1940	Yes			[59]
Petticoat Politics	1941	Yes			[60]
Melody for Three	1941	Yes			[61]
Naval Academy	1941	Yes			[62]
They Meet Again	1941	Yes			[63]
Flying Cadets	1941	Yes			[64]
North to the Klondike	1942	Yes			[65]
The Ghost of Frankenstein	1942	Yes			[66]
Frisco Lil	1942	Yes			[67]
Pardon My Sarong	1942	Yes			[68]
Who Done It?	1942	Yes			[69]
How's About It	1943	Yes			[70]
It Ain't Hay	1943	Yes			[71]
Always a Bridesmaid	1943	Yes			[72]
Crazy House	1943		Yes	Associate producer	[71]
House of Frankenstein	1944	Yes			[73][74]
She Gets Her Man	1945	Yes			[75]
House of Dracula	1945	Yes			[76]
The Cat Creeps	1946	Yes			[77]
Little Miss Big	1946	Yes			[78]
Bob and Sally	1948	Yes			[79]
One Too Many	1951	Yes			[80]
Secrets of Beauty	1951	Yes			[81]

References

1. Wilson, Scott (2016). Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons (3 ed.). McFarland. p. 402. ISBN 978-1476625997.
2. "Obituaries". The Muscatine Journal. April 30, 1980. p. 48.
3. Brosnan 1976, p. 273.
4. Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-51605-0)
5. Malvern 2020, p. 26.
6. Mank 2022, p. 337.
7. Malvern 2020, p. 27.
8. "Down on the Farm". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
9. "Love, Honor and Behave". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
10. "A Small Town Idol". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
11. Rhodes 2006, p. 295.
12. Workman & Howarth 2016, p. 250.
13. "Red Hot Tires". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
14. "The Love Toy". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
15. "Other Women's Husbands". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
16. "The Palm Beach Girl". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
17. "The Sap". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
18. "Wedding Bill$". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
19. "The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
20. "The Girl in the Pullman". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
21. "Bare Knees". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
22. "The Sporting Age". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
23. "Golf Widows". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
24. "Name the Woman". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
25. "The Street of Illusion". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
26. "The Companionate Marriage". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
27. "Nothing to Wear". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
28. "The Sideshow". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
29. "Father and Son". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
30. "Trial Marriage". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
31. "Song of Love". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
32. "Mexicali Rose". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
33. "A Royal Romance". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
34. "The Last Parade". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
35. "Lover Come Back". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
36. "Leftover Ladies". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
37. "X Marks the Spot". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
38. "Guilty as Hell". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
39. "Stranger in Town". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
40. "Island of Lost Souls". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
41. "From Hell to Heaven". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
42. "Disgraced". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
43. "Big Executive". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
44. "Search for Beauty". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
45. "You're Telling Me!". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
46. "The Best Man Wins". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
47. "Party Wire". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
48. "The Public Menace". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
49. "Devil's Squadron". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
50. "Counterfeit". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
51. "End of the Trail". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
52. "The Devil's Playground". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
53. "Racketeers in Exile". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
54. "The Lady Objects". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
55. "Little Tough Guys in Society". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
56. "Everything's on Ice". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
57. "Escape to Paradise". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
58. "South of Pago Pago". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
59. "Remedy for Riches". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
60. "Petticoat Politics". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
61. "Melody for Three". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
62. "Naval Academy". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
63. "They Meet Again". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
64. "Flying Cadets". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
65. "North to the Klondike". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
66. "The Ghost of Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
67. "Frisco Lil". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
68. "Pardon My Sarong". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
69. "Who Done It?". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
70. "How's About It". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
71. "It Ain't Hay". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
72. "Always a Bridesmaid". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
73. "House of Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
74. Mank, Coughlin & Frye 2003, p. 188.
75. "She Gets Her Man". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
76. "House of Dracula". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
77. "The Cat Creeps". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
78. "Little Miss Big". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
79. "The Story of Bob and Sally". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
80. "One Too Many". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
81. "Secrets of Beauty". American Film Institute. Retrieved November 25, 2020.

Sources

• Brosnan, John (1976). The Horror People. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0356083942.
• Malvern, Paul (2020) [1993]. "Forward". In Riley, Philip J. (ed.). House of Dracula. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1629336169.
• Mank, Gregory William; Coughlin, James T.; Frye, Dwight D. (2003) [1997]. Dwight Frye's Last Laugh. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 1-887664-11-4.
• Mank, Gregory William (2022). Angels and Ministers of Grace Defend Us!. McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-6553-5.
• Rhodes, Gary D. (2006). White Zombie: Anatomy of a Horror Film. McFarland. ISBN 0786427620.
• Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press, Inc. ISBN 978-1936168682.

External links

• Erle C. Kenton at IMDb
• Erle C. Kenton at Find a Grave