Born on February 29, 1896 in Brookline, Massachusetts, William A. Wellman was a descendant of Francis Lewis of New York, who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The leap year baby was known as “Wild Bill” in his aviator days during World War I. The name persisted throughout his Hollywood career as befit the larger-than-life character he always was.

Wellman, who was stationed in San Diego, would fly his Spad fighter plane to Los Angeles on weekends, using Douglas Fairbanks’ polo field in Bel Air as his landing strip. Fairbanks was fascinated with Wellman’s true-life adventures which led to his being cast as the juvenile lead in his first film, 1919’s The Knickerbocker Buckaroo. Next cast in Evangeline, he was fired for slapping leading lady Miriam Cooper, wife of director Raoul Walsh.

Moving to work behind the camera, he directed the first of his eighty-three films in 1920. Most of his early films were low-budget throwaways, but in 1927 he moved into the big time with Wings thanks to his vast knowledge of World War I aviation. The film was a smash hit and went on to win the first ever Oscar for Best Picture. Wellman, himself, was not nominated.

He followed that with a series of hits that included The Public Enemy; Night Nurse; So Big!; The Conquerors; Central Airport; Midnight Mary and Heroes for Sale all made in quick succession between 1931 and 1933.

He had three wives between 1918 and 1933, some sources say five, when he met the love of his life, chorus girl Dorothy Coonan who he cast against type as a tomboy in Wild Boys of the Road. The couple married and had seven children together. They stayed together until his death in 1975. Dorothy lived another 24 years, succumbing at the age of 95 in 2009.

Although many of his films were critical successes as well as box office hits, Wellman was not nominated for an Oscar of his own until 1937 when he was nominated both for directing and co-writing the story for 1937’s A Star Is Born, a rare non-macho work for him. He won for Best Original Story, shared with Robert Carson.

Generally considered his finest work, 1943’s The Ox-Bow Incident incredibly went into that year’s Oscar race with only one nomination – for Best Picture.

The acclaimed 1945 film, The Story of G.I. Joe received four Oscar nominations including Best Supporting Actor, Robert Mitchum’s sole career recognition from the Academy, but Wellman himself was once again ignored. The film also featured Dorothy Coonan Wellman in her first film since Wild Boys of the Road, her last on-screen appearance.

Another acclaimed war movie, 1949’s Battleground about a squad of 101st Airborne Division trapped in the besieged city of Bastone during the Battle of the Bulge, finally brought him a second Best Director nomination.

1954’s The High and the Mighty, the granddaddy of the modern all-star disaster movie, brought him his third and final Best Director bid. That same year’s Track of the Cat, from the novel by Walter Van Tilburg Clark, author of The Ox-Bow Incident, was not a success but has become a cult favorite in recent years.

It was back to his World War I glory days in Lafayette Escadrille for his final film in 1957.

He was given a career achievement award by the Directors Guild in 1973, two years before his death. Wild Bill Wellman died of leukemia on December 9, 1975 at the age of 79.

ESSENTIAL FILMS

WINGS (1927)

The first Best Picture Oscar winner was also the first film to feature aviation in World War I as its main theme. Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen are two friends in love with the same girl (Clara Bow). Rising star Gary Cooper has a memorable cameo as a doomed pilot and director Wellman has one as well as a dying soldier. This was a very influential film, with 1930’s Hell’s Angels and The Dawn Patrol among the first to emulate its structure. Films as late as 1989’s Born on the Fourth of July were still utilizing some of its plot lines.

WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD (1933)

In the heart of the depression, two boys, Frankie Darro and Edwin Phillips ride the rails to find work to help support their families. They’re joined along the way by another boy who turns out to be a girl in disguise. She’s played by Dorothy Coonan, the future Mrs. Wellman. The three stars are absolutely wonderful together with tension breaking comedy and even a quick step thrown in to break the monotony of their suffering. Rochelle Hudson and Ward Bond have featured roles.

THE OX-BOW INCIDENT (1943)

One of the screen’s great westerns, and a morality tale to boot, Wellman’s film focuses on the two everymen, played by Henry Fonda and Henry (Harry) Morgan, who become involved with a vigilante posse headed by Frank Conroy. Dana Andrews and Anthony Quinn both registered early screen credentials as two of the three innocent men who hanged as horse thieves. Jane Darwell, who usually played sympathetic mothers, had one of her best roles, playing against type as a heartless old biddy.

BATTLEGROUND (1949)

War movies were omnipresent during World War II, but audiences had tired of them by war’s end. Battleground, made four years after the war in Europe ended, was one of the first successful post-war films dealing with the war, and one of the best. The film captures the bone-chilling effects of the ice cold winter and its effects on the combat fatigued men. There are excellent performances from Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, Oscar nominated James Whitmore and others.

THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY (1954)

One of the most successful films of its time, The High and the Mighty had a mythical reputation for many years as Michael Wayne, John Wayne’s son, held the rights and refused to allow the film to be seen for less than a king’s ransom in fees. It was only after Michael’s death that the Wayne estate allowed the film to be released on DVD. Time hasn’t been too kind. While the film works as an example of 1950s style extravaganzas, the plot has been recycled so many times you can practically recite the dialogue even if you haven’t seen the film before. Besides Wayne, the film’s huge cast included Robert Stack, Laraine Day and Oscar nominees Jan Sterling and Claire Trevor.

WILLIAM A. WELLMAN AND OSCAR

• A Star Is Born (1937) – Nominated Best Director
• A Star Is Born (1937) – Oscar Best Original Story (shared with Robert Carson)
• Battleground (1949) – Nominated Best Director
• The High and the Mighty (1954) – Nominated Best Director