Frank McDonald was one of Hollywood’s top directors from the 1930s through the 1950s. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1899. As a young man, he abandoned his studies at Baltimore City College to pursue a career in theater. His first professional role was as a burglar in a vaudeville act.
He spent 15 years acting, directing and stage managing, largely in New York City.McDonald eventually found work in Denver’s Elitch Gardens theatrical company. By 1933, he had moved on to Hollywood. The first Warner Brothers film he directed was The Murder of Dr. Harrigan. Most of the Roy Rogers and Gene Autry films of the era were under his direction.
McDonald received high praise from actors and the press. Actors called him “kind and considerate”. The Showmen’s Trade Review said, “McDonald’s direction is perfect, spacing the laughs and heart tugs in an expert manner.” The cigar smoking McDonald went on to direct for TV including Wyatt Earp and National Velvet.
To learn more, see the Frank McDonald papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.