Norman Foster (born Norman Foster Hoeffer; December 13, 1903 – July 7, 1976) was an American film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed many Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto films as well as projects for Orson Welles and Walt Disney. As an actor he was a leading man in early talkies and also appeared in Welles' final film, The Other Side of the Wind.

Life and career Norman Foster was born Norman Foster Hoeffer on December 13, 1903, in Richmond, Indiana. He became a cub reporter on a local newspaper in Indiana before going to New York in the hopes of getting a better newspaper job but there were no vacancies.

He tried a number of theatrical agencies before getting stage work including The Barker (1927, New York; 1928, London) in which he appeared opposite future wife Claudette Colbert.Amy Fine Collins (April 2000), "A Perfect Star", Vanity Fair. Accessed April 19, 2019.

He later appeared on Broadway in the George S. Kaufman/Ring Lardner play June Moon in 1929. He began working in crowd scenes in films before moving to bigger parts.

Foster wrote several plays. He gave up acting in the late 1930s to pursue directing, although he occasionally appeared in movies and television programs. Foster directed a number of Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto mysteries, including Charlie Chan in Panama (1940), Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939), Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939), Charlie Chan in Reno (1939), Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939), Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938), Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938), Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937), and Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937). He co-wrote and directed the "My Friend Bonito" segment of Orson Welles's unfinished Pan-American anthology film It's All True (1941).

Initially engaged as a second-unit director who would film background material,Wilson, Richard, "It's Not Quite All True". Sight & Sound, Volume 39 Number 4, Autumn 1970. Foster came to do much more and the quality of his work would have been recognized with a co-director credit on the film.Callow, Simon, Hello Americans. New York: Viking, 2006 A co-production of RKO Pictures and the Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs, the non-commercial project was later terminated by RKO.

As Welles prepared to go to Brazil to film the Rio Carnival for It's All True, he temporarily suspended "Bonito" (for which filming was never completed) so Foster could return to Hollywood to direct Journey into Fear (1943). Welles played a small on-screen role in the Mercury Production, and denied that he took over direction of the film himself.Welles, Orson, and Peter Bogdanovich, edited by Jonathan Rosenbaum, This is Orson Welles. New York: HarperCollins, 1992; .

Some of Foster's other directorial efforts include Kiss the Blood off My Hands (1948), Rachel and the Stranger (1948), Woman on the Run (1950) and The Sign of Zorro (1958). He directed the Davy Crockett segments of the Walt Disney anthology television series Disneyland that were edited into the feature films Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955) and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates (1956). Foster's second verse of his lyrics to Disney's Zorro theme song which was "He is polite, but the wicked take flight, when they catch the sight of Zorro. He's friend of the weak, and the poor, and the meek, this very unique Senor Zorro." never aired on the television series. This version of the Zorro Theme including these verses was performed by The Chordettes. These verses later appeared in the Disney Sing-Along Songs version of the Zorro Theme in its 1987 direct-to-video episode, "Heigh-Ho".

Personal life In 1928, Foster secretly married Claudette Colbert in London. Concerned about the reaction of Colbert's mother to their union, they continued to keep their marriage a secret from her, even to the point of living apart.

In 1935, they divorced, and Foster in October that same year married actress Sally Blane, sister of actress Loretta Young. They had two children: Gretchen (named for Loretta Young, whose birth name was Gretchen) and Robert.

Theatre credits Date Title Role Notes September 14 – November 1926 Just Life Dick Fellows Henry Miller's Theatre, New York October 20 – November 1926 Sure Fire Philip Cole Waldorf Theatre, New York January 18 – July 1927 The Barker Chris Miller Biltmore Theatre, New York November 22, 1927 – March 1928 The Racket Dave Ames Ambassador Theatre, New York September 12 – December 1928 Night Hostess Rags Conway Martin Beck Theatre, New York November 1 – December 1928 Tin Pan Alley Fred Moran Biltmore Theatre, New York April 24 – May 11, 1929 Carnival Bobbie Spencer Forrest Theatre, New York October 9, 1929 – June 4, 1930 June Moon Fred M. Stevens Broadhurst Theatre, New York December 31, 1930 – January 1931 Savage Rhythm Writer (with Harry Hamilton)John Golden Theatre, New York

Film and television credits

Actor

Year Title Role Notes 1929 Gentlemen of the Press Ted Hanley Love at First Sight Richard Norton 1930 Young Man of Manhattan Toby McLean 1931 No Limit Douglas Thayer It Pays to Advertise Rodney Martin Men Call It Love Jack Mills Up Pops the Devil Steve Merrick Confessions of a Co-Ed Hal Reckless Living Doggie Under Eighteen Alf 1932 Girl of the Rio Johnny Powell Play Girl Wallie Dennis Steady Company Jim Alias the Doctor Stephan Brenner Melville Cohen Week-End Marriage Ken Hays Skyscraper Souls Tom Strange Justice Wally Baker Prosperity John Warren 1933 State Fair Wayne Frake Professional Sweetheart Jim Davey Pilgrimage Jim Jessop Rafter Romance Jack Bacon Walls of Gold Barnes Ritchie 1934 Orient Express Carlton Myatt Strictly Dynamite Nick Montgomery Elinor Norton Bill Carroll 1935 Behind the Evidence Tony Sheridan Behind the Green Lights Dave Britten Ralph Hartsook Ladies Crave Excitement Dan Phelan Super Speed Randy Rogers Donald Meadows Escape from Devil's Island Andre Dion The Fire Trap Bill Farnsworth Suicide Squad Larry Parker 1936 Bob Gryce Everybody's Old Man Ronald Franklin Fatal Lady Philip Roberts High Tension Eddie Mitchell I Cover Chinatown Eddie Barton 1938 Mysterious Mr. Moto Hoodlum in tavern uncredited2018Billy Boylefilmed in 1974, not released until 2018

Director

Year Title Notes 1936 I Cover Chinatown 1937 Fair Warning Also screenwriter Think Fast, Mr. Moto Thank You, Mr. Moto 1938 Walking Down Broadway Mr. Moto Takes a Chance Also screenwriter Mysterious Mr. Moto 1939 Mr. Moto's Last Warning Charlie Chan in Reno Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation Also screenwriter Charlie Chan at Treasure Island 20,000 Men a Year Second unit director, uncredited 1940 High School Additional director (uncredited) Northwest Passage Second unit director, uncredited Charlie Chan in Panama Viva Cisco Kid Maryland Second unit director, uncredited 1941 Ride, Kelly, Ride Scotland Yard It's All True Segment "My Friend Bonito"Also screenwriter; unfinished film 1943 Journey into Fear Santa 1944 Also screenwriter 1945 Also screenwriter 1946 1948 Rachel and the Stranger Kiss the Blood Off My Hands 1949 Tell It to the Judge 1950 Father Is a Bachelor Woman on the Run Also screenwriter 1952 Navajo Sky Full of Moon 1953 Sombrero 1955Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier Edited from the Davy Crockett miniseries 1956Davy Crockett and the River PiratesIndian Paint Also screenwriter 1967 Brighty of the Grand Canyon 1974 The Deathhead Virgin

References

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