Vincent Sherman, a Warner Bros. Contract director, who at his best, directed some fine dramatic films with the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis, and Clark Gable, died on June 18 of natural causes at the Motion Picture and Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, California. He was 99.

He was born Abraham Orovitz in Vienna, Georgia on July 16, 1906. The son of a dry goods storeowner, Sherman was an excellent student who graduated from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta in 1925 and had aspirations to become a lawyer. In 1927, he was working as a newspaper reporter in Atlanta when he and a former classmate wrote a play and both decided to move to Manhattan to try their luck in the theater.

Sherman, who never sold the play, but had acted during his college days, eventually found work as an actor. After he was renamed Vincent Sherman by a talent agency, he landed small roles in Theater Guild productions. In 1932, he was hired for a role as Harry Becker, a young communist in the Chicago company of Elmer Rice's play Counselor-at-Law. The following year, he recreated the role in director William Wyler's screen adaptation that starred John Barrymore. He was also featured in some other Hollywood productions including Midnight Alibi with Ann Dvorak and Girl in Danger (both 1934) with Ralph Bellamy.

In 1937, Bryan Foy, head of the B-picture unit at Warner Bros, asked Sherman to become a screenwriter. In the B unit, he wrote some programmers such as Crime School and King of the Underworld (both 1938), but he soon graduated to directing. His first film, The Return of Dr. X (1939) was an offbeat though formulaic horror film starring Humphrey Bogart as a criminal who had been brought back from the dead! This curious start would lead to better things; and Sherman's first breakout hit would be another Bogart vehicle All Through the Night (1942). This wonderful comic romp, which pitted New York gangsters against Nazis infiltrating America was peppered with some of the best stock character actors from Warner Bros. (Barton McLane, Frank McHugh, Wallace Ford). Throw in some tasty villains (Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt) and Sherman's sharp pacing, and a cult gem was born.

The Hard Way (1943) which starred Ida Lupino as a woman who is determined to make her kid sister (Joan Leslie) a star, is generally regarded as his best film. His follow up, Old Acquaintances (also 1943), was an equally strong production that starred Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins. By now, Sherman was noted as an actor who could coax intense, feverish performances out of his leading ladies, and movies such as Mr. Skeffington (1944) with Davis again and Nora Prentiss (1947) starring Ann Sheridan only strengthened this opinion.

One of his most underrated directorial efforts was The Hasty Heart (1949) starring Ronald Reagan and Patricia Neal. The story of a dying British soldier (Richard Todd) who is forced to create friendships at a makeshift hospital in Burma was noted for its relaxed, natural performances, luminous lighting, and fluid direction. Sadly, Sherman was rarely given such first-rate material as The Hasty Heart, but he was absolutely professional in his approach with such titles as Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), starring Joan Crawford; Lone Star (1952) with Clark Gable and Ava Gardner (1952); The Garment Jungle (1957) with Lee. J. Cobb and Gia Scala; and The Young Philadelphians (1959) starring a young Paul Newman.

By the '60s, the life of the contract director for a major studio was passé, and Sherman turned to television and directed episodes of 77 Sunset Strip and Vacation Playhouse. In the '70s, he put his name on shows like Alias Smith and Jones, Baretta, The Waltons, plus he directed some notable television films such as The Last Hurrah (1977), and Bogie (1980).

Sherman recapped his career in show business with Studio Affairs: My Life as a Film Director (University of Kentucky Press, 1996). The title cheekily refers to his longstanding affairs with both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. Sherman is survived by his daughter, Hedwin; son, Eric; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

by Michael T. Toole