Sam Wood

Director

About

Also Known As

Chad Applegate, Samuel Grosvenor Wood

Birth Place

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

Born

July 10, 1883

Died

September 22, 1949

Cause of Death

Heart Attack

Biography

Filmography

Ambush (1950)

Director

Command Decision (1949)

Director

The Stratton Story (1949)

Saratoga Trunk (1946)

Director

Photos & Videos

View All

Hold Your Man (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Be A Pal!

Hold Your Man (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Can't Tell A Banker From A Bum

Family & Companions

Clara Wood

Wife

Notes

Legend has it that one way to test Ernest Hemingway's reportedly awesome gift for profanity was to mention director Sam Wood; the author was known to have intensely disliked the bowdlerized 1943 film adaptation of his novel, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" as directed by Wood.

Received Oscar nominations for Best Director for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1939), "Kitty Foyle" (1940), and "Kings Row" (1942).

Biography

Began his career as an actor, moved behind the camera as assistant to Cecil B. DeMille in 1915 and made his directorial debut in 1920 with "Double Speed." Wood displayed a certain flair for complementing the talents of whatever stars he was handed, turning out a number of Gloria Swanson vehicles at Paramount in the early 1920s ("Bluebeard's Eight Wife" 1923 etc.), and hitting his modest stride at MGM in the 30s. His output includes two Marx Brothers films, the durable soap opera "Madame X" (1937), the unjustly overlooked "Lord Jeff" (1938) and "Ivy" (1947), the poignant dramas "Goodbye Mr. Chips" (1939) and "Kitty Foyle" (1940), and the literary adaptations "Our Town" (1940) and "Kings Row" (1942). A number of Wood's films stand largely on the strength of their casts and production crews, and he did occasionally have the out-and-out stinker (e.g., "For Whom the Bell Tolls" 1943).

A conservative in politics as well as in film practice, Wood testified before HUAC in 1947. Father of actress K.T. (Katherine) Stevens (nee Gloria Wood), who played a supporting role in "Kitty Foyle" and enjoyed short-lived leading lady status in the 1940s.

Filmography

Life Events

1908

Film acting debut

1915

Assistant director to Cecil B. DeMille

1920

Directing debut at Paramount, "Double Speed"

1939

Directed some scenes of "Gone With the Wind" when George Cukor was removed from the film and replacement Victor Fleming was taken ill

1947

Testified as a "friendly witness" before the House Un-American Activities Committee

1949

Directed last films, "Ambush" and "The Stratton Story"

Photo Collections

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) - Movie Posters

Here are a few original release American movie posters for Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939), starring Robert Donat and Greer Garson.

Hold Your Man - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are several photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of MGM's Hold Your Man (1933), starring Jean Harlow and Clark Gable and directed by Sam Wood.

Kings Row - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Warner Bros' Kings Row (1942), starring Robert Cummings, Ann Sheridan, and Ronald Reagan. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

A Night at the Opera - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are a few photos taken behind-the-scenes during production of MGM's A Night at the Opera (1935), starring the Marx Bros. and directed by Sam Wood.

Kitty Foyle - Behind-the-Scenes Photo

Here is a photo taken behind-the-scenes during production of Kitty Foyle (1940), directed by Sam Wood and starring Ginger Rogers.

Videos

Hold Your Man (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Be A Pal! Following shortly upon the opening, tight comedy with Clark Gable as hustler Eddie caught running a street scam, diving into the apartment where Jean Harlow bathes, gamely providing cover when his mark and a cop (Henry B. Walthall, Jack Cheatham) arrive in pursuit, in MGM's Hold Your Man, 1933.

Hold Your Man (1933) -- (Movie Clip) Can't Tell A Banker From A Bum Clever opening bit with Clark Gable in hustler mode, encountering venerable Henry B. Walthall on an MGM city street, then Garry Owen at a pawn shop, Sam Wood directing from an original screenplay by Howard Emmett Rogers and Anita Loos, in Hold Your Man, 1933, also starring Jean Harlow.

Hold Your Man (1933) -- (Movie Clip) The Cutest Suburbs Jean Harlow as party girl Ruby brings Stuart Erwin as her devoted semi-sugar daddy beau to a night club, where she has subterfuge in mind, and we find out she’s been visiting in hopes of meeting con-man Clark Gable, who’s a regular, and who finally turns up, in MGM”s Hold Your Man, 1933, Louise Beavers the washroom lady.

Way For A Sailor (1930) -- (Movie Clip) That's What I Call Seafood Merchant sailors on leave in Singapore, John Gilbert as Jack and Jim Tully as Ginger and planning a scam to stretch their funds when they encounter their abusive crew boss “Tripod” (Wallace Beery) from the ship, in the middle of being fleeced by a pleasure-boat pimp (Sôjin Kamayama), in MGM’s Way For A Sailor, 1930.

Way For A Sailor (1930) -- (Movie Clip) You'd Drop Dead Ten Times A Day Back to London after a wild world-wide tour, sailor Jack (John Gilbert), with buddy Ginger (Jim Tully) remembers to take a run at pay clerk Joan (Leila Hyams, her first scene), though she’s not interested, early in MGM’s Way For A Sailor, 1930, also starring Wallace Beery.

Lord Jeff (1938) -- (Movie Clip) We Carry Our Own Kit Exposed fake Lord Geoffrey (Freddie Bartholomew) and pals Baker, Thrums and Potter (Terry Kilburn, Walter Tetley and Peter Lawford age maybe 15, on harmonica) arrive at Russell-Cotes Nautical Academy, Jelks (Herbert Mundin) introducing Captain Briggs (Charles Coburn), in MGM's Lord Jeff, 1938.

Lord Jeff (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Darjeeling Is Not Hot Early events, young Lord Geoffrey (Freddie Bartholomew) from India is visited by Inspector Scott (Matthew Boulton), after a trip with his governess to a London jeweler ended strangely, the first sign of funny business, with Gale Sondergaard and George Zucco on the phone, in MGM's Lord Jeff, 1938.

Lord Jeff (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Any Major Infractions Captain Briggs (Charles Coburn), head of the Russell-Cotes naval academy, addresses the boys with good news, then chats with Terry O'Mulvaney (Mickey Rooney), then new boy Geoffrey (Freddie Bartholomew), about an earlier incident, in MGM's Lord Jeff, 1938.

Night at the Opera, A (1935) -- (Movie Clip) Party of the First Part Driftwood (Groucho Marx) and Fiorello (Chico Marx) conduct business relating to an opera singer's contract in a famous scene from A Night at the Opera 1935, the screenplay credited to George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind.

Pride Of The Yankees, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) What Your Mother Wants Young Lou Gehrig (not-so-young Gary Cooper), a student-waiter at the fraternity where his mother works, with vivacious Myra (Virginia Gilmore), later teased by frat boys, and ejecting sportswriter Blake (Walter Brennan), in Samuel Goldwyn's The Pride Of The Yankees, 1943.

Pride Of The Yankees, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) Lou Lou Lou! Elaborate recreation of a real event from the 1928 World Series, Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper) hitting two home runs "for" ailing Billy (Gene Collins), family (Ludwig Stossel, Elsa Janssen) and spouse Eleanor (Teresa Wright) on the radio, in The Pride Of The Yankees, 1943.

Pride Of The Yankees, The (1943) -- (Movie Clip) The Last Straw On the team train, (the real!) Babe Ruth and fellow Yankees (Mark Koenig, Bill Dickey et al) sucker Lou Gehrig (Gary Cooper) into a joke, sportswriters Hank (Dan Duryea) and Sam (Walter Brennan) observing, in The Pride Of The Yankees, 1943.

For Whom the Bell Tolls -- (Original Trailer) Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman fight the good fight in Spain in the movie of Ernest Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943).

Ambush - (Original Trailer) A Westerner (Robert Taylor) searches for a white woman held by the Apaches. The last movie from director Sam Wood (Good-bye Mr. Chips).

Unguarded Hour, The -- (Original Trailer) A blackmailer tries to stop a woman from revealing evidence that could save a condemned man in The Unguarded Hour (1936) starring Loretta Young.

Whipsaw - (Original Trailer) G-Man Spencer Tracy falls for glamorous jewel thief Myrna Loy in Whipsaw (1935).

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) - (Original Trailer) A cold-hearted teacher becomes the school favorite when he falls for a beautiful young woman in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) with Robert Donat.

Gone With the Wind (1939) -- (1961 Re-Issue Trailer) Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) fights to save her beloved plantation and find love during the Civil War in Gone With the Wind (1939).

Saratoga Trunk - (Re-issue Trailer) A woman with a past returns to 19th-Century New Orleans for revenge in Saratoga Trunk (1945) starring Ingrid Bergman and Gary Cooper.

Madame X (1937) - (Original Trailer) MGM rather shooting the moon in this original trailer for the fourth film version of Madame X, 1937, this time starring Gladys George.

Stamboul Quest - (Original Trailer) A notorious enemy spy (Myrna Loy) falls for an American medical student during World War I in Stamboul Quest (1934).

Navy Blue And Gold - (Re-issue Trailer) James Stewart and Robert Young play young Navy cadets in Navy Blue And Gold (1937), directed by Sam Wood.

Rendezvous - (Original Trailer) A decoding expert (William Powell) tangles with enemy spies in Rendezvous (1935) based on the true-life adventures of the head of the U.S. Secret Service.

Command Decision - (Original Trailer) A senior officer faces the horror of sending his men on suicide missions over Germany during the last days of WW II in Command Decision (1948).

Family

K T Stevens

Daughter

Actor. Born on July 19, 1919 appeared in her father's "Kitty Foyle" (1940); married and divorced actor Hugh Marlowe; died of lung cancer on June 13, 1994.

Companions

Clara Wood

Wife

Bibliography

Notes

Received Oscar nominations for Best Director for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" (1939), "Kitty Foyle" (1940), and "Kings Row" (1942).

About

Biography

Filmography

Photos & Videos

Family & Companions

Notes

Biography

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

Cast (Feature Film)

Writer (Feature Film)

Producer (Feature Film)

Film Production - Main (Feature Film)

Production Companies (Feature Film)

Assistant Direction (Short)

Life Events

1908

1915

1920

1939

1947

1949

Photo Collections

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Companions

Bibliography

Notes

TCM Emails