J. Searle Dawley

James Searle Dawley (May 13, 1877 – March 30, 1949) was an American producer, director and screenwriter. He directed 149 silent films between 1907 and 1926. He was born in Del Norte, Colorado, and died in Hollywood, California.

J. Searle Dawley
The First One Hundred Noted Men and Women of the Screen (1920) by Carolyn Lowrey
Born
James Searle Dawley

(1877-05-13)May 13, 1877
Del Norte, Colorado, USA
DiedMarch 30, 1949(1949-03-30) (aged 71)
Hollywood, California, USA
Years active1907–1926

Searley is best remembered for directing the Thomas Edison version of Frankenstein in 1910. He reportedly referred to himself as the first motion picture director, which was not accurate. He worked for a while at Edison's studio, then started his own production company, being quite successful financially, although most of his films are little known today. When critics began to regard the films of his day to be immoral, Searley became one of the founding members of the MPDA (Motion Picture Directors Association) which sought to give filmmakers who advocated good taste the power of self-censorship.[1]

Selected filmography

References
  1. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era. Midnight Marquee Press. p. 209.ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
  2. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 209.ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
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