MODA ENTERTAINMENT - Key Persons
Henry Hathaway, a son of a stage actress, started his career as a child actor in westerns directed by Allan Dwan. He began his career in Hollywood as an assistant director under such directors as Frank Lloyd, Paul Bern, Josef von Sternberg and Victor Fleming, whom Hathaway credited for his eventual success. In 1932 Hathaway directed his first picture, Heritage of the Desert (1932), a western. His approach has been described as uncomplicated and straightforward. Many of his films are noted for their striking visual effects and unusual locations. He had a reputation as being a perfectionist with actors, but some stars such as John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe benefited under his direction. Hathaway was a highly successful and reliable director that worked within the Hollywood studio system, whose work has received critical praise from critics.