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American director Alfred Santell, originally credited as 'Al' Santell, began his career after graduating in architecture from Los Angeles University. He entered the film industry in 1914 as a general worker at Lubinville Studio in Philadelphia, gradually rising to director and scenarist roles, focusing on one- and two-reel short comedies for Mack Sennett, Hal Roach, and Kalem. After a brief military service from 1918 to 1919, he became supervising manager at Universal, where he created the "Alfred Santell Comedies," featuring a trained chimpanzee named Joe Martin. By 1923, Santell had moved into feature film direction and secured a long-term contract with First National. Known for his expertise in light comedy, he smoothly transitioned into sound films, producing numerous solid second features and occasional major releases for studios such as 20th Century-Fox (1929-33), RKO (1934-35), Paramount (1936-42), and United Artists (1943-44).
Among his notable sound films was Internes Can't Take Money (1937), an early installment in the "Dr. Kildare" series before MGM acquired the franchise, which starred Joel McCrea and Barbara Stanwyck. The New York Times praised Santell's direction as combining Alfred Hitchcock-like suspense with American energy. Other significant works in his career include the 1930 adaptation of The Sea Wolf, featuring Jane Keithley (who later married Santell), Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1932), Winterset (1936) based on Maxwell Anderson's play, Aloma of the South Seas (1941), and the biographical film Jack London (1943). Santell retired in 1946 after directing a few B-movies for Republic Pictures.
