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Phil Karlson

Phil Karlson

Actor, Director, 2nd Unit / Asst Director

Born July 2, 1908 in Chicago, Illinois

Died December 12, 1985

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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 his directed films declined, which included working on Kid Galahad (1962) with Elvis Presley and two Dean Martin Matt Helm spy films, including The Wrecking Crew (1969) co-starring Sharon Tate and Elke Sommer. He had his biggest success in 1973 when he directed the hit film, Walking Tall. The film made the director a rich man many times over, thanks to the fact that he owned a huge part of the movie.

Description above from the Wikipedia article Phil Karlson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Filmography

Actor

1

Lux Video Theatre Poster

Lux Video Theatre TV Series1950Intermission Guest

Director

61

Type

Year

Framed Feature Film1975

Walking Tall Poster

Walking Tall Feature Film1973

Ben Feature Film1972

Hornets' Nest Poster

Hornets' Nest Feature Film1970

The Wrecking Crew Poster

The Wrecking Crew Feature Film1968

A Time for Killing Poster

A Time for Killing Feature Film1967

Off to See the Wizard Poster

Off to See the Wizard TV Series1967

The Silencers Poster

The Silencers Feature Film1966

Ride the Wild Surf Poster

Ride the Wild Surf Feature Film1964

Alexander the Great Poster

Alexander the Great TV Movie1963

Rampage Feature Film1963

Kid Galahad Poster

Kid Galahad Feature Film1962

The Secret Ways Poster

The Secret Ways Feature Film1961

The Young Doctors Poster

The Young Doctors Feature Film1961

Hell to Eternity Poster

Hell to Eternity Feature Film1960

Key Witness Poster

Key Witness Feature Film1960

The Scarface Mob Poster

The Scarface Mob TV Movie1959

The Untouchables Poster

The Untouchables TV Series1959

Gunman's Walk Poster

Gunman's Walk Feature Film1958

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Poster

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse TV Series1958

The Brothers Rico Poster

The Brothers Rico Feature Film1957

Zane Grey Theatre Poster

Zane Grey Theatre TV Series1956

5 Against the House Poster

5 Against the House Feature Film1955

Hell's Island Poster

Hell's Island Feature Film1955

The Phenix City Story Poster

The Phenix City Story Feature Film1955

Tight Spot Poster

Tight Spot Feature Film1955

TV Reader's Digest Poster

TV Reader's Digest TV Series1955

Studio 57 Poster

Studio 57 TV Series1954

They Rode West Poster

They Rode West Feature Film1954

Waterfront Poster

Waterfront TV Series1954

99 River Street Poster

99 River Street Feature Film1953

The Revlon Mirror Theater Poster

The Revlon Mirror Theater TV Series1953

Assignment: Paris Poster

Assignment: Paris Feature Film1952

Kansas City Confidential Poster

Kansas City Confidential Feature Film1952

Scandal Sheet Poster

Scandal Sheet Feature Film1952

The Brigand Poster

The Brigand Feature Film1952

The Ford Television Theatre Poster

The Ford Television Theatre TV Series1952

Lorna Doone Poster

Lorna Doone Feature Film1951

Mask of the Avenger Poster

Mask of the Avenger Feature Film1951

The Texas Rangers Poster

The Texas Rangers Feature Film1951

The Iroquois Trail Poster

The Iroquois Trail Feature Film1950

Down Memory Lane Poster

Down Memory Lane Feature Film1949

The Big Cat Poster

The Big Cat Feature Film1949

Adventures in Silverado Poster

Adventures in Silverado Feature Film1948

Ladies of the Chorus Poster

Ladies of the Chorus Feature Film1948

Rocky Feature Film1948

Thunderhoof Poster

Thunderhoof Feature Film1948

Black Gold Poster

Black Gold Feature Film1947

Kilroy Was Here Poster

Kilroy Was Here Feature Film1947

Louisiana Poster

Louisiana Feature Film1947

Behind the Mask Poster

Behind the Mask Feature Film1946

Bowery Bombshell Poster

Bowery Bombshell Feature Film1946

Dark Alibi Poster

Dark Alibi Feature Film1946

Live Wires Poster

Live Wires Feature Film1946

Swing Parade of 1946 Poster

Swing Parade of 1946 Feature Film1946

The Missing Lady Poster

The Missing Lady Feature Film1946

Wife Wanted Poster

Wife Wanted Feature Film1946

G.I. Honeymoon Poster

G.I. Honeymoon Feature Film1945

The Shanghai Cobra Poster

The Shanghai Cobra Feature Film1945

There Goes Kelly Poster

There Goes Kelly Feature Film1945

A Wave, a WAC and a Marine Poster

A Wave, a WAC and a Marine Feature Film1944

2nd Unit / Asst Director

37

In the Navy Poster

In the Navy Feature Film1941

It Started with Eve Poster

It Started with Eve Feature Film1941

The Flame of New Orleans Poster

The Flame of New Orleans Feature Film1941

Where Did You Get That Girl? Poster

Where Did You Get That Girl? Feature Film1941

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby Poster

I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby Feature Film1940

Margie Feature Film1940

Seven Sinners Poster

Seven Sinners Feature Film1940

The House of the Seven Gables Poster

The House of the Seven Gables Feature Film1940

The Invisible Man Returns Poster

The Invisible Man Returns Feature Film1940

You're Not So Tough Poster

You're Not So Tough Feature Film1940

Rio Feature Film1939

Society Smugglers Poster

Society Smugglers Feature Film1939

His Exciting Night Poster

His Exciting Night Feature Film1938

Newsboys' Home Poster

Newsboys' Home Feature Film1938

The Black Doll Poster

The Black Doll Feature Film1938

The Lady in the Morgue Poster

The Lady in the Morgue Feature Film1938

The Last Express Poster

The Last Express Feature Film1938

The Last Warning Poster

The Last Warning Feature Film1938

Top of the Town Poster

Top of the Town Feature Film1937

Love Before Breakfast Poster

Love Before Breakfast Feature Film1936

The Girl on the Front Page Poster

The Girl on the Front Page Feature Film1936

Alias Mary Dow Poster

Alias Mary Dow Feature Film1935

Manhattan Moon Poster

Manhattan Moon Feature Film1935

Mystery of Edwin Drood Poster

Mystery of Edwin Drood Feature Film1935

Princess O'Hara Poster

Princess O'Hara Feature Film1935

She Gets Her Man Poster

She Gets Her Man Feature Film1935

The Affair of Susan Poster

The Affair of Susan Feature Film1935

Werewolf of London Poster

Werewolf of London Feature Film1935

Cheating Cheaters Poster

Cheating Cheaters Feature Film1934

Embarrassing Moments Poster

Embarrassing Moments Feature Film1934

Great Expectations Poster

Great Expectations Feature Film1934

I Like It That Way Poster

I Like It That Way Feature Film1934

Romance in the Rain Poster

Romance in the Rain Feature Film1934

Strange Wives Poster

Strange Wives Feature Film1934

The Countess of Monte Cristo Poster

The Countess of Monte Cristo Feature Film1934

Destry Rides Again Poster

Destry Rides Again Feature Film1932

My Pal, the King Poster

My Pal, the King Feature Film1932

Writer

3

Hell's Island Poster

Hell's Island Feature Film1955

99 River Street Poster

99 River Street Feature Film1953

Kansas City Confidential Poster

Kansas City Confidential Feature Film1952

Producer

1

Between Us Girls Poster

Between Us Girls Feature Film1942

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