Directors of Adventure films

1. Fred Niblo

Fred Niblo entered films in 1917 after two decades as a touring actor in vaudeville and one-time manager of 'The Four Cohans' (he married Josephine Cohan, the sister of George M. Cohan). He made his film debut with two early Australian silent films in 1916. He worked for Thomas H. Ince from 1917 as ...

1920 The Mark of Zorro 1922 Blood and Sand 1925 Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ

2. Rowland V. Lee

Director | The Count of Monte Cristo

Coming from a show business family (his parents were stage actors), Rowland V. Lee began his career as a child actor in stock and on Broadway. He interrupted his stage career for a stint as a Wall Street stockbroker, but gave that up after two years and returned to the stage. Lee was hired by ...

1934 The Count of Monte Cristo 1940 The Son of Monte Cristo 1945 Captain Kidd

3. Victor Fleming

Director | Gone with the Wind

Victor Fleming entered the film business as a stuntman in 1910, mainly doing stunt driving - which came easy to him, as he had been a mechanic and professional race-car driver. He became interested in working on the other side of the camera, and eventually got a job as a cameraman on many of the ...

1925 Lord Jim 1934 Treasure Island 1937 Captains Courageous 1948 Joan of Arc

4. Rouben Mamoulian

Director | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Rouben Mamoulian was born on October 8, 1897 in Tiflis, Russian Empire [now Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia]. He was a director and writer, known for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), Applause (1929) and Becky Sharp (1935). He was married to Catharine Azadia Newman. He died on December 4, 1987 in ...

1940 The Mark of Zorro 1963 Cleopatra

5. George Sidney

Director | Scaramouche

The son of Louis K. Sidney the vice president of M.G.M. and Hazel Mooney of The Mooney Sisters. In his teens he worked as studio messenger going through every department learning the techniques and secrets of the trade. In 1933 he was assigned to direct screen tests of Judy Garland, Robert Taylor ...

1948 The Three Musketeers 1952 Scaramouche

6. Michael Curtiz

Director | Casablanca

Curtiz began acting in and then directing films in his native Hungary in 1912. After WWI, he continued his filmmaking career in Austria and Germany and into the early 1920s when he directed films in other countries in Europe. Moving to the US in 1926, he started making films in Hollywood for Warner...

1935 Captain Blood 1936 Anthony Adverse 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood 1940 The sea hawk 1941 The Sea Wolf 1954 The Egyptian 1960 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

7. Alberto Cavalcanti

Director | O Canto do Mar

Born in Brazil in 1897, Alberto Cavalcanti began his film career in France in 1920, working as writer, art director and director. He directed the avant-garde documentary Nothing But Time (1926) ("Nothing but Time"), a portrait of the lives of Parisian workers in a single day. He moved to England in...

1929 Le capitaine Fracasse

8. Richard Lester

Director | A Hard Day's Night

Richard Lester was one of the most influential directors of the 1960s, and continued his career into the 1970s and early '80s. He is best remembered for the two films he helmed starring The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965), the frenetic cutting style of which was seen by many as ...

1973 The Three Musketeers 1974 The Four Musketeers 1976 Robin and Marian 1989 The Return of the Musketeers

9. John Huston

Director | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

An eccentric rebel of epic proportions, this Hollywood titan reigned supreme as director, screenwriter and character actor in a career that endured over five decades. The ten-time Oscar-nominated legend was born John Marcellus Huston in Nevada, Missouri, on August 5, 1906. His ancestry was English,...

1948 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1951 The African Queen 1956 Moby Dick 1975 The Man Who Would Be King

10. Richard Donner

Director | Superman

Richard Donner was born on April 24, 1930 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Superman (1978), Ladyhawke (1985) and Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (1980). He was married to Lauren Shuler Donner. He died on July 5, 2021 in Los Angeles, ...

1985 Ladyhawke

11. Peter Hyams

Director | 2010

Peter Hyams was born in New York on July 26, 1943, and attended Hunter College Elementary School. He studied art and music at the Art Students League and the High School of Music and Art as well as at Syracuse University, where he majored in music and art. Before he became a CBS News news anchor in...

2001 The Musketeer

12. Randall Wallace

Writer | We Were Soldiers

Randall Wallace was born on July 28, 1949 in Jackson, Tennessee, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for We Were Soldiers (2002), Pearl Harbor (2001) and Braveheart (1995).

1998 The Man in the Iron Mask

as writer: Braveheart (1995)

13. Carroll Ballard

Director | Fly Away Home

Carroll Ballard was born on October 14, 1937 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a director and cinematographer, known for Fly Away Home (1996), Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) and The Black Stallion (1979).

1979 The Black Stallion 1983 Never Cry Wolf 1996 Fly Away Home 2005 Duma

14. Pierre Aknine

Writer | Mort d'un président

Pierre Aknine is known for Death of a President (2011), An Ordinary Man (2019) and My Son's Murderer Will Die Tonight (2014).

2005 D'Artagnan et les trois mousquetaires 2007 Ali Baba et les 40 voleurs

15. Joe Johnston

Director | Captain America: The First Avenger

Joseph Eggleston Johnston II is an American film director from Texas who is known for directing the cult classic film The Rocketeer, Jumanji, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, The Wolfman, October Sky, The Pagemaster, Jurassic Park III and Captain America: The First Avenger. He was an art director for ...

2004 Hidalgo

16. Allan Dwan

Director | Bound in Morocco

Allan Dwan was born on April 3, 1885 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He was a director and writer, known for Bound in Morocco (1918), A Perfect Crime (1921) and Panthea (1917). He was married to Marie Shelton and Pauline Bush. He died on December 28, 1981 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, ...

1922 Robin Hood 1929 The Iron Mask 1939 The Three Musketeers

17. Rex Ingram

Director | The Great Problem

Renowned director Rex Ingram started his film career as a set designer and painter. His directorial debut was The Great Problem (1916). A true master of the medium, Ingram despised the business haggling required in the Hollywood system. He was also unhappy with the level of writing he found in ...

1922 The Prisoner of Zenda 1923 Scaramouche

18. Frank Lloyd

Director | Mutiny on the Bounty

Frank Lloyd was an unpretentious, technically skilled director, who crafted several enduring Hollywood classics during the 1930's. He started out as a stage actor and singer in early 1900's London and was well-known as an imitator of Harry Lauder. After several years in music hall and with touring ...

1935 Mutiny on the Bounty 1936 Under Two Flags 1938 If I Were King

19. David Smith

Director | The Man from Brodney's

David Smith was born on October 28, 1872 in Faversham, Kent, England, UK. He was a director and cinematographer, known for The Man from Brodney's (1923), The Woman in the Web (1918) and Captain Blood (1924). He was married to Emma Wilgers. He died on April 25, 1930 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.

1924 Captain Blood

20. Raoul Walsh

Editor | The Birth of a Nation

Raoul Walsh's 52-year directorial career made him a Hollywood legend. Walsh was also an actor: He appeared in the first version of W. Somerset Maugham's "Rain" renamed Sadie Thompson (1928) opposite Gloria Swanson in the title role. He would have played the Cisco Kid in his own film In Old Arizona ...

1924 The Thief of Bagdad 1951 Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. 1952 Blackbeard, the Pirate

21. Augusto Genina

Director | Cielo sulla palude

Augusto Genina was born on January 28, 1892 in Rome, Lazio, Italy. He was a director and writer, known for Cielo sulla palude (1949), Bengasi (1942) and L'assedio dell'Alcazar (1940). He was married to Carmen Boni. He died on September 18, 1957 in Rome, Lazio, Italy.

1925 Cirano di Bergerac

22. George Sherman

Director | Storm Over Lisbon

American second feature director George Sherman arrived in California aboard the SS Mongolia (bound from New York City, where he was born), on which he served as a bellboy. He began his career in the movie business in the mail room at Warner Brothers before working his way up to assistant director....

1946 The Bandit of Sherwood Forest 1952 Against All Flags 1958 The Son of Robin Hood

23. Michael Powell

Director | Peeping Tom

The son of Thomas William Powell and Mabel (nee Corbett). Michael Powell was always a self-confessed movie addict. He was brought up partly in Canterbury ("The Garden of England") and partly in the south of France (where his parents ran a hotel). Educated at Kings School, Canterbury and Dulwich ...

1940 The Thief of Bagdad 1950 The Elusive Pimpernel

24. James Whale

Director | Bride of Frankenstein

James Whale was an English film director, theatre director and actor. He is best remembered for his four classic horror films: Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935). He also directed films in other genres, including what is ...

1939 The Man in the Iron Mask 1940 Green Hell

25. John Cromwell

Director | The Prisoner of Zenda

Actor / director John Cromwell was born December 23, 1887, in Toledo, OH. He made his Broadway debut on October 14, 1912, in Marian De Forest's adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" at the Playhouse Theatre. The show was a hit, running for a total of 184 performances. Cromwell appeared ...

1938 The Adventures of Marco Polo 1942 Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake

26. Archie Mayo

Director | Vengeance

A stage actor, Archie Mayo went to Hollywood in 1915 and worked until his retirement in 1946. He began directing slapstick two-reelers, later making features at Warner Bros. just about the time sound was being introduced into films. He did much work for Warners, but he also made films at Goldwyn ...

1938 The Adventures of Marco Polo

27. George B. Seitz

Director | The Sky Ranger

Former playwright George B. Seitz left the theater for Hollywood in 1913, and before long he was turning out screenplays for action serials such as The Perils of Pauline (1914), The Exploits of Elaine (1914), and The Iron Claw (1916). In addition to writing and sometimes starring in these ...

1936 The Last of the Mohicans

28. Maurice Tourneur

Director | Au nom de la loi

Screenwriter and director Maurice Tourneur was born Maurice Thomas in the Parisian suburb of Belleville on February 2, 1873, the son of a jewelry merchant. He was trained and employed as a graphic designer and a magazine illustrator as a young man. After serving in a French artillery unit in ...

1920 The last of mohicans

29. Clarence Brown

Director | Anna Karenina

Clarence Leon Brown was the son of Larkin Harry and Catherine Ann (Gaw) Brown of Clinton, Massachusetts. His family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, when he was 12 years old. He graduated from Knoxville High School in 1905 and from the University of Tennessee with a B.A. in mechanical and electrical ...

1920 The last of mohicans

30. Ridley Scott

Producer | The Martian

Described by film producer Michael Deeley as "the very best eye in the business", director Ridley Scott was born on November 30, 1937 in South Shields, Tyne and Wear. His father was an officer in the Royal Engineers and the family followed him as his career posted him throughout the United Kingdom ...

1977 The Duellists 1992 1492: Conquest of Paradise 2000 Gladiator 2010 Robin Hood

31. Rob Reiner

Actor | All in the Family

Robert Reiner was born in New York City, to Estelle Reiner (née Lebost) and Emmy-winning actor, comedian, writer, and producer Carl Reiner.

As a child, his father was his role model, as Carl Reiner created and starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show. Estelle was also an inspiration for him to become a ...

1986 Stand by me 1987 The princess bride

32. A. Edward Sutherland

Director | Sky Devils

British-born A. Edward ("Eddie") Sutherland started in vaudeville and acted in films from 1914 at Keystone (he was one of the original Keystone Kops). He became a director in 1925, first with Paramount (1925-31), then at United Artists (1931-32), again with Paramount (1933, 1935-37), then Universal...

1932 Mr. Robinson Crusoe

33. Albert Parker

Director | Blind Man's Bluff

Albert Parker was born on May 11, 1885 in New York City, New York, USA. He was a director and producer, known for Blind Man's Bluff (1936), The Branded Woman (1920) and The Black Pirate (1926). He was married to Margaret Greene and Margaret Johnston. He died on August 10, 1974 in London, England, ...

1926 The Black Pirate

34. Richard Fleischer

Director | Soylent Green

Richard firmly established his credentials with such epics as The Vikings (1958) , 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Barabbas (1961) and also proved to be a master of intimate drama with Compulsion (1959) , which won Cannes Festival awards for the male stars. He won an Academy Award for one ...

1954 20000 Leagues Under the Sea 1958 The Vikings 1977 Crossed Swords 1984 Conan the Destroyer

35. William Keighley

Director | The Adventures of Robin Hood

William Keighley's professional career spanned three distinct mediums: the theatre, motion pictures and, finally, radio. Initially trained as a stage actor and Broadway director, he arrived in Hollywood shortly after the advent of sound, landing a job with Warner Brothers (where he spent most of ...

1937 The Prince and the Pauper 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood 1953 The Master of Ballantrae

36. William Dieterle

Actor | Faust: Eine deutsche Volkssage

Born in Ludwigshafen, Germany, Wilhelm Dieterle was the youngest of nine children of parents Jacob and Berthe Dieterle. They lived in poverty, and when he was old enough to work, young Wilhelm earned money as a carpenter and a scrap dealer. He dreamed of better things, though, and theater caught ...

1937 The Prince and the Pauper

37. Henry Hathaway

Director | True Grit

Henry Hathaway, son of a stage actress and manager, started his career as a child actor in westerns directed by Allan Dwan. His movie career was interrupted by World War I. After his discharge he briefly tried a career in finance but returned to Hollywood to work as an assistant director under such...

1935 The Lives of a Bengal Lancer 1954 Prince Valiant

38. Anthony Hickox

Director | Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth

Anthony (Tony), started as a club promoter in London in the early eighties and financed his first short 'rock-a-bye baby' by holding an event at Le'quipe Anglaise, where all the door money went to finance the film. In fact, when it was finished it was the clubs owner Shariffi who showed it to ...

1997 Prince Valiant

39. John Boorman

Producer | Hope and Glory

John Boorman attended Catholic school (Salesian Order) although his family was not, in fact, Roman Catholic. His first job was for a dry-cleaner. Later, he worked as a critic for a women's journal and for a radio station until he entered the television business, working for the BBC in Bristol. ...

1972 Deliverance 1981 Excalibur 1985 The Emerald Forest

40. Richard Thorpe

Director | Knights of the Round Table

After working in vaudeville, on the stage and in early movies, Richard Thorpe launched his directing career in 1923. After directing dozens of low-budget comedies and westerns, his talents were recognized in the mid-'30s when he went to work for MGM. Studio chief Louis B. Mayer valued efficiency in...

1952 Ivanhoe 1953 Knights of the Round Table 1955 Quentin Durward