Archie Mayo Biography

Fast Facts

• Began directing short comedy films in 1917 but didn't make his debut as a feature film director until "Money Talks" in 1926
• Started out as a stage actor before joining the film industry as an extra when he moved to Hollywood in 1916
• Was also a writer for several short films in the early 1920s, including "Rolling Stones," "The Imperfect Lover," and "No Luck․"
• Although he retired from film directing after completing "Angel on My Shoulder" in 1946, he returned to the industry briefly to produce the 1958 low-budget film "The Beast of Budapest․"
• Best known as the director of "The Petrified Forest," "A Night in Casablanca," "Black Legion," and "Angel on My Shoulder․"
• Directed actress Mae West in her feature film debut in 1932, in the romantic drama "Night After Night․"
• Was one of the first Warner Brothers directors to work with sound in 1928 with the Myrna Loy crime drama "State Street Sadie․"