A great-great-great grandson of Francis Lewis of New York, one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence.
Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945." Pages 1185-1194. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.
Directed 7 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Fredric March, Janet Gaynor, Brian Donlevy, Robert Mitchum, James Whitmore, Jan Sterling, and Claire Trevor.
Father of Cissy Wellman, actress Gloria Wellman, Kathleen 'Kitty' Wellman, Maggie Wellman, actor Michael Wellman, and William Wellman Jr.. Father-in-law of James Franciscus.