Frank McDonald

A former railroad worker, 'Frank McDonald' (qv) came to Hollywood after a career on the stage as an actor/producer/director. At first hired as a dialogue director, McDonald turned out some scripts and in the mid-'30s began directing. Working for almost every studio in Hollywood at one time or another, he did a lot of work for Republic, grinding out 'Gene Autry' (qv) and 'Roy Rogers' (qv) westerns, and at the Pine/Thomas "B" unit at Paramount, churning out westerns, action dramas and war pictures. Not entirely comfortable as a director--'Evelyn Keyes' (qv) once said, "I've never seen anyone as terrified of directing as 'Frank McDonald' (qv)"--he nevertheless turned out more than 100 pictures in his career.::[email protected]