Herbert Brenon | |
|---|---|
 Herbert Brenon, 1916 | |
| Born | Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon 13 January 1880 Kingstown, Ireland |
| Died | 21 June 1958 (aged 78) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | King's College London |
| Occupation | Film director |
| Years active | 1911–1940 |
| Spouse | Helen Oberg (m. 1904-1955; her death) |
| Children | 1 |
Herbert Brenon (born Alexander Herbert Reginald St. John Brenon; 13 January 1880 – 21 June 1958) was an Irish-born U.S. film director, actor and screenwriter during the era of silent films through 1940.
Brenon was among the early filmmakers who, before the rise of corporate film production, was a genuine "auteur", controlling virtually all creative and technical components in crafting his pictures.[1] The quality of Brenon's artistic output rivaled that of film pioneer D. W. Griffith.[2][3]
Brenon was among the first directors to achieve celebrity status among moviegoers for his often spectacular cinematic inventions.[4] Among his most notable films are Neptune's Daughter (1914), Peter Pan (1925), A Kiss for Cinderella (1925), and the original film version of Beau Geste (1926).
- ^ Koszarski, 2008 pp. 35-36: Koszarski includes the roles of casting director, story and script writer, cameraman, film editor and "general studio operations".
- ^ Higham, 1973 p. 45: "Among those many directors who at once rivaled Griffith and emulated aspects of his style were Herbert Brenon and James Cruze."
- ^ Oberg 2014: Though "not as well known to you as D.W. Griffith or Cecil B. DeMille, his movies probably are..."
- ^ Koszarski, 1976 p. 123: "Brenon was one of the first great names behind the camera to gain a wide personal following [as a director]..."