Ernest B. Schoedsack


Director, Producer
Ernest B. Schoedsack

About

Also Known As
Ernest Schoedsack, Ernest Beaumont Schoedsack
Birth Place
Council Bluffs, Iowa, USA
Born
June 08, 1893
Died
December 23, 1979

Biography

Former cameraman for Mack Sennett who co-directed two documentaries and several features with Merion C. Cooper, whom he met in Poland in 1920. Schoedsack and Cooper's first significant collaboration was the spectacular documentary, "Grass" (1925), which enjoyed a popular theatrical release in the wake of the success of "Nanook of the North" (1922). They are best known for "King Kong" (19...

Family & Companions

Ruth Rose
Wife
Screenwriter.

Biography

Former cameraman for Mack Sennett who co-directed two documentaries and several features with Merion C. Cooper, whom he met in Poland in 1920. Schoedsack and Cooper's first significant collaboration was the spectacular documentary, "Grass" (1925), which enjoyed a popular theatrical release in the wake of the success of "Nanook of the North" (1922). They are best known for "King Kong" (1933), which was co-written by Schoedsack's wife, Ruth Rose. In the post-Kong era, Schoedsack served exclusively as director and Cooper as producer; the two parted ways in the late 1930s.

Filmography

 

Director (Feature Film)

Mighty Joe Young (1949)
Director
Dr. Cyclops (1940)
Director
Outlaws of the Orient (1937)
Director
Trouble in Morocco (1937)
Director
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)
Director of background loc shooting in India
The Last Days of Pompeii (1935)
Director
Long Lost Father (1934)
Director
The Son of Kong (1933)
Director
King Kong (1933)
Director
Blind Adventure (1933)
Director
The Monkey's Paw (1933)
Director of prologue
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Director
Rango (1931)
Director in Sumatra
The Four Feathers (1929)
Director
Chang (1927)
Director
Grass; A Nation's Battle for Life (1925)
Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Grass; A Nation's Battle for Life (1925)

Cinematography (Feature Film)

Eagle Squadron (1942)
Background Photographer
The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935)
Photographer of background loc shooting in India
Rango (1931)
Photography
The Four Feathers (1929)
Director of Photography
Gow, the Head Hunter (1928)
Director of Photography
Chang (1927)
Director of Photography
Greed (1925)
Director of Photography
Grass; A Nation's Battle for Life (1925)
Director of Photography
The Lost Empire (1924)
Director of Photography

Writer (Feature Film)

Rango (1931)
Story

Producer (Feature Film)

Rango (1931)
Prod in Sumatra
Chang (1927)
Producer
Grass; A Nation's Battle for Life (1925)
Producer

Editing (Feature Film)

Rango (1931)
Editing
The Four Feathers (1929)
Film Editor

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Gow the Headhunter (1928)
Photography

Production Companies (Feature Film)

King Kong (1933)
Company
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
Company
Rango (1931)
Company

Special Thanks (Feature Film)

Mighty Joe Young (1998)
Special Thanks To

Cinematography (Short)

Her Torpedoed Love (1917)
Cinematographer

Life Events

1914

Began film career as cameraman for Mack Sennett

1926

First film as co-director, "Grass" (documentary)

Videos

Movie Clip

Last Days Of Pompeii, The -- (Movie Clip) Greatest Man In Judea Once virtuous blacksmith turned gladiator turned horse and slave trader Marcus (Preston Foster), still devoted to his adopted son (David Holt), pursuing a prophesy that the greatest man in Judea would come to their aid, visits Pontius Pilate (Basil Rathbone, just introduced, in an atypical hairdo), in The Last Days Of Pompeii, 1935.
Last Days Of Pompeii, The (1935) -- (Movie Clip) In Caesar's Name! SPOILER except the title suggests Vesuvius will erupt, more special effects are deployed as Marcus (Preston Foster) chooses his wounded Christian son (John Wood) over his Roman prefect master (Louis Calhern) and his troops, in the disaster epic from RKO’s King Kong team (Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack), The Last Days Of Pompeii, 1935.
Last Days Of Pompeii, The (1935) -- (Movie Clip) The Physical Setting Of This Picture Make no mistake about your epic scale, as producer Merian C. Cooper and director Ernest B. Schoedsack (of King Kong fame, two years earlier) bank their hefty set and special effects costs, with an unusual prologue attributing the story, and we meet Lucius and Gaius (Marc Loebell, Frank Conroy), opening The Last Days Of Pompeii, 1935.
Last Days Of Pompeii, The (1935) -- (Movie Clip) Just About What The Job Is Worth We’ve established the city of Pompeii, in what must be the early years Anno Domini, when gladiator wrangler Cleon (William V. Mong) needs an assist from top-billed Preston Foster (introduced here as blacksmith Marcus), Gloria Shea his wife, and Frank Conroy as interested nobleman Gaius, early in RKO’s The Last Days Of Pompeii, 1935.
King Kong (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Sacrifice Having locked the gate and delivered the sacrificial Ann (Fay Wray), the native chief (Steve Clemento) summons the ape for his first appearance in Merian C. Cooper's King Kong, 1933.
King Kong (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Beauty And Beast Filmmaker Carl (Robert Armstrong) inspires Ann (Fay Wray) to some impressive acting for the camera, causing the captain (Frank Reicher) and first mate Jack (Bruce Cabot) further concern regarding what his mysterious movie is really about, en route to Skull Island in the original King Kong, 1933.
Mighty Joe Young (1949) -- (Movie Clip) Big Gun! Showbiz promoter O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) with African hunter Crawford (Denis Green) and cow-hand turned game wrangler Gregg (Ben Johnson), reviewing their success when Ray Harryhausen's ape makes his first appearance, in Mighty Joe Young, 1949.
Mighty Joe Young (1949) -- (Movie Clip) Dangerous Gorilla After a lengthy cross species meet-cute between young Jill (Lora Lee Michel) and her new pet, she's arranged to surprise her African farmer father (Regis Toomey), early in the Merian C. Cooper production Mighty Joe Young, 1949.
Mighty Joe Young (1949) -- (Movie Clip) Aren't You Afraid? Oklahoman Gregg (Ben Johnson) is kinda romancing new African friend Jill (Terry Moore) when his boss O'Hara (Robert Armstrong) and hunter Crawford (Denis Green) arrive to talk about her ape, in Mighty Joe Young, 1949.
King Kong (1933) -- (Movie Clip) The Thrill Of A Lifetime! Adventure movie-maker Denham (Robert Armstrong) is about to leave New York for the tropics, determined to hire a girl as the love interest for the picture he won't explain for anyone so, with no one willing to take the risk, he finds Fay Wray ("Ann Darrow"), early in the original King Kong, 1933.
King Kong (1933) -- (Movie Clip) The Eighth Wonder! Filmmaker turned exhibitor Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) at last introduces Kong, along with Ann (Fay Wray), for his New York debut, and it turns out he doesn't like flash bulbs, opening the climax of the original King Kong, 1933.
King Kong (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Dinosaur Fight That nasty Tyrannosaurus, which no ordinary ape would take on, is about to eat Ann (Fay Wray), in a famous sequence, with action shot one frame at a time, from animator Willis O'Brien, in Merian C. Cooper's original King Kong, 1933.

Trailer

Companions

Ruth Rose
Wife
Screenwriter.

Bibliography