Thornton Freeland

MINI BIO:

Thornton Freeland was at his best making elegant, sophisticated comedies and musicals, with just a touch of the zany and the unexpected here and there.  During the silent years, Freeland was an actor, cutter, cameraman and assistant director, becoming a full-fledged director with the advent of sound. His early sound musicals are lively entertainments that move well: Flying Down to Rio (the first film to introduce Fread Astaire and Ginger Rogers as a team) and George White's Scandals. In 1934, Freeland went to Britain and began an association with Astaire's British equivalent, the dry-voiced dry-humored Jack Buchanan: their initial collaboration was on a fast and funny version of Brewster's Millions. With the outbreak of war, Freeland went back to America, but returned to Britain in post-war years, signing off a modest career with a pleasing, star-studded version of Arnold Bennett's comedy novel, Dear Mr. Prohack. Freeland married American actress June Clyde, who also made both Hollywood and British films.