1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Jules Tasca to Sam Trammell

Richard Thorpe Biography (1896-1991)

Born Rollo Smolt Thorpe, February 24, 1896, in Hutchinson, KS; died May 1, 1991, in Palm Springs, CA; married Belva Kay; children: Jerry.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

actor, director

Birth Details

February 24, 1896

Hutchinson, Kansas, United States

Death Details

May 1, 1991

Palm Springs, California, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; Film Director
• Bringin' Home the Bacon, Artclass, 1924.
• Rough Ridin', Artclass, 1924.
• Fast and Fearless, Action, 1924.
• Hard Hittin' Hamilton, Action, 1924.
• Rarin' to Go, Action, 1924.
• Rip Roarin' Roberts, Artclass, 1924.
• Thundering Romance, Artclass, 1924.
• Walloping Wallace, Artclass, 1924.
• The Desert Demon, Artclass, 1925.
• Saddle Cyclone, Artclass, 1925.
• Full Speed, Artclass, 1925.
• Double Action Daniels, Artclass, 1925.
• Fast Fightin', Artclass, 1925.
• Galloping On, Artclass, 1925.
• Gold and Grit, Artclass, 1925.
• On the Go, Artclass, 1925.
• Quicker 'n Lightnin', Artclass, 1925.
• A Streak of Luck, Artclass, 1925.
• Tearin' Loose, Artclass, 1925.
• The Bandit Buster, Associated Exhibitors, 1926.
• College Days, Tiffany, 1926.
• Double Daring, Artclass, 1926.
• The Fighting Cheat, Artclass, 1926.
• Rawhide, Associated Exhibitors, 1926.
• Twin Triggers, Artclass, 1926.
• The Bonanza Buckaroo, Associated Exhibitors, 1926.
• Josselyn's Wife, Tiffany, 1926.
• Coming an' Going, Artclass, 1926.
• The Dangerous Dub, Associated Exhibitors, 1926.
• Deuce High, Artclass, 1926.
• Easy Going, Artclass, 1926.
• Riding Rivals, Artclass, 1926.
• Roaring Rider, Artclass, 1926.
• Speedy Spurs, Artclass, 1926.
• Trumpin' Trouble, Artclass, 1926.
• Twin Triggers, Associated Exhibitors, 1926.
• Between Dangers, Pathe, 1927.
• The Cyclone Cowboy, Pathe, 1927.
• The First Night, Tiffany, 1927.
• The Galloping Gobs, Pathe, 1927.
• The Interferin' Gent, Pathe, 1927.
• The Meddlin' Stranger, Pathe, 1927.
• Pals in Peril, Pathe, 1927.
• Ride 'em High, Pathe, 1927.
• The Ridin' Rowdy, Pathe, 1927.
• Roarin' Broncs, Pathe, 1927.
• Skedaddle Gold, Pathe, 1927.
• The Obligin' Buckaroo, Pathe, 1927.
• Tearin' into Trouble, Pathe, 1927.
• The Desert of the Lost, Pathe, 1927.
• Soda Water Cowboy, Pathe, 1927.
• White Pebbles, Pathe, 1927.
• The Vanishing West (serial), Mascot, 1928.
• Vultures of the Sea (serial), Mascot, 1928.
• The Cowboy Cavalier, Pathe, 1928.
• Desperate Courage, Pathe, 1928.
• The Valley of Hunted Men, Pathe, 1928.
• Ballyhoo Buster, Pathe, 1928.
• The Flying Buckaroo, Pathe, 1928.
• Saddle Mates, Pathe, 1928.
• The Fatal Warning (serial), Mascot, 1929.
• King of the Kongo (serial), Mascot, 1929.
• The Bachelor Girl (serial), Columbia, 1929.
• The Lone Defender (serial), Tiffany, 1930.
• Border Romance, Tiffany, 1930.
• The Dude Wrangler, Sonofilms/Art World Wide, 1930.
• Wings of Adventure, Tiffany, 1930.
• Under Montana Skies, Tiffany, 1930.
• The Utah Kid, Tiffany, 1930.
• The Thoroughbred, Tiffany, 1930.
• King of the Wild (serial), Mascot, 1931.
• The Lawless Woman, Chesterfield, 1931.
• Lady from Nowhere, Chesterfield, 1931.
• (With Sidney Algier) Wild Horse (also known as Silver Devil), Allied/Astor, 1931.
• The Sky Spider, Action, 1931.
• Grief Street, Chesterfield, 1931.
• Neck and Neck, Sonofilms/Art World Wide, 1931.
• The Devil Pays, Chesterfield, 1931.
• Cross-Examination, Artclass, 1932.
• Murder at Dawn, Big Four, 1932.
• Forgotten Women, Monogram, 1932.
• Probation (also known as Second Chances), Chesterfield, 1932.
• Midnight Lady, Chesterfield, 1932.
• Escapade, Chesterfield, 1932.
• Forbidden Company, Chesterfield, 1932.
• Beauty Parlor, Chesterfield, 1932.
• The King Murder, Chesterfield, 1932.
• Thrill of Youth, Invincible, 1932.
• Secrets of Wu Sin, Chesterfield, 1932.
• Slightly Married, Chesterfield, 1933.
• Women Won't Tell, Chesterfield, 1933.
• Love Is Like That, Chesterfield, 1933.
• Love Is Dangerous, Chesterfield, 1933.
• Forgotten, Chesterfield, 1933.
• Strange People, Chesterfield, 1933.
• I Have Lived, First Division, 1933.
• A Man of Sentiment, First Division, 1933.
• Rainbow over Broadway, State Right, 1933.
• Murder on the Campus (also known as On the Stroke of Nine),Chesterfield, 1934.
• Notorious but Nice, Chesterfield, 1934.
• The Quitters, First Division, 1934.
• City Park, Chesterfield, 1934.
• Stolen Sweets, Chesterfield, 1934.
• Green Eyes, Chesterfield, 1934.
• Cheating Cheaters, Universal, 1934.
• Secret of the Chateau, Universal, 1935.
• Strange Wives, Universal, 1935.
• Last of the Pagans, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1936.
• Voice of Bugle Ann, MGM, 1936.
• Tarzan Escapes, MGM, 1936.
• Dangerous Number, MGM, 1937.
• Night Must Fall, MGM, 1937.
• Double Wedding, MGM, 1937.
• Man-Proof, MGM, 1938.
• Love Is a Headache, MGM, 1938.
• The First 100 Years, MGM, 1938.
• The Toy Wife (also known as Frou-Frou), MGM, 1938.
• The Crowd Roars, MGM, 1938.
• Three Loves Has Nancy, MGM, 1938.
• Huckleberry Finn (also known as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn), MGM, 1939.
• Tarzan Finds a Son!, MGM, 1939.
• The Earl of Chicago, MGM, 1940.
• Twenty Mule Team, MGM, 1940.
• Wyoming (also known as Bad Man of Wyoming), MGM, 1940.
• The Bad Man (also known as Two-Gun Cupid), MGM, 1941.
• Barnacle Bill, MGM, 1941.
• Tarzan's Secret Treasure, MGM, 1941.
• Joe Smith, American (also known as Highway to Freedom), MGM, 1942.
• Tarzan's New York Adventure, MGM, 1942.
• Apache Trail, MGM, 1942.
• White Cargo, MGM, 1942.
• Three Hearts for Julia, MGM, 1943.
• Above Suspicion, MGM, 1943.
• Cry Havoc, MGM, 1943.
• Two Girls and a Sailor, MGM, 1944.
• The Thin Man Goes Home, MGM, 1944.
• Thrill of a Romance, MGM, 1945.
• Her Highness and the Bellboy, MGM, 1945.
• What Next, Corporal Hargrove?, MGM, 1945.
• Fiesta, MGM, 1947.
• This Time for Keeps, MGM, 1947.
• On an Island with You, MGM, 1948.
• A Date with Judy, MGM, 1948.
• The Sun Comes Up, MGM, 1949.
• Challenge to Lassie, MGM, 1949.
• Big Jack, MGM, 1949.
• Malaya (also known as East of the Rising Sun), MGM, 1950.
• The Black Hand, MGM, 1950.
• Three Little Words, MGM, 1950.
• Vengeance Valley, MGM, 1951.
• The Great Caruso, MGM, 1951.
• The Unknown Man, MGM, 1951.
• (With Charles Vidor, John Sturges, Don Hartman, Clarence Brown, William Wellman, and Don Weis) It's a Big Country, MGM, 1952.
• Carbine Williams, MGM, 1952.
• Ivanhoe, MGM, 1952.
• The Prisoner of Zenda, MGM, 1952.
• The Girl Who Had Everything, MGM, 1953.
• All the Brothers Were Valiant, MGM, 1953.
• Knights of the Round Table, MGM, 1953.
• The Flame and the Flesh, MGM, 1954.
• The Student Prince, MGM, 1954.
• Athena, MGM, 1954.
• The Prodigal, MGM, 1955.
• Quentin Durward (also known as The Adventures of Quentin Durward), MGM, 1955.
• Ten Thousand Bedrooms, MGM, 1957.
• Tip on a Dead Jockey (also known as Time for Action), MGM,1957.
• Jailhouse Rock, MGM, 1957.
• The House of the Seven Hawks, MGM, 1959.
• Killers of Kilimanjaro, Columbia, 1960.
• The Honeymoon Machine, MGM, 1961.
• The Tartars, MGM, 1962.
• The Horizontal Lieutenant, MGM, 1962.
• Follow the Boys, MGM, 1963.
• Fun in Acapulco, Paramount, 1963.
• The Golden Head, Cinerama/Hungarofilms, 1965.
• The Truth about Spring, Universal, 1965.
• That Funny Feeling, Universal, 1965.
• Also directed Battling Buddy, 1924. Uncredited director of transitional sequences for How the West Was Won, directed by Henry Hathaway,John Ford, and George Marshall, Cinerama, 1962.
• Credits; Film Appearances
• Stephen Thompson, Burn 'em Up Barnes, Affiliated, 1921.
• Alfred, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, MGM, 1957.
• Sir Gareth, Sword of Lancelot (also known as Lancelot and Guinevere), Universal, 1963.
• Also appeared in numerous silent films in the 1920s.
• Credits; Television Work
• Producer and director, The Scorpio Letters, NBC, 1967.

Further Reference

Periodicals

• Hollywood Reporter, May 6, 1991, pp. 10, 12.