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Alfred L. Werker | |
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| Born | Alfred Louis Werker December 2, 1896 |
| Died | July 28, 1975(1975-07-28) (aged 78) |
Alfred L. Werker (December 2, 1896 – July 28, 1975) was a film director whose work in movies spanned from 1917 through 1957. After a number of film production jobs and assistant directing, Werker co-directed his first film,Ridin' the Wind, in 1925 alongside directorDel Andrews. He was brought in byFox Film Corporation executives to re-shoot and re-editErich von Stroheim's filmHello, Sister! (1933), co-starringBoots Mallory andZaSu Pitts.
Most of Werker's work is unremarkable, but a few were well received by critics. Those films includedHouse of Rothschild (1934) andThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939); the latter film is considered one of the best in theSherlock Holmes series.Lost Boundaries, inspired by a true story of a Black doctor passing as white, has grown in critical consensus.
During the early 1940s, he directed a number of comedies includingLaurel & Hardy'sA-Haunting We Will Go (1942).
In the late 1940s, Werker worked for theB-picture film studioEagle-Lion Films. Notable films from that period include the unique mystery thrillerRepeat Performance (1947) andHe Walked by Night (1948). The latter film, however, was taken over by uncredited directorAnthony Mann.[1] In 1949He Walked by Night won theLocarno International Film Festival's award for Best Police Film. The following year, Werker was nominated for, but did not win, theDirectors Guild of America Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures forLost Boundaries (1949).[2]
