John E. Burch
| John E. Burch | |
|---|---|
| Born |
John Eugene Burch August 17, 1896 Chicago, Illinois United States |
| Died | July 28, 1969 (aged 72) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Occupation | Producer, assistant director, production manager |
| Years active | 1925–58 |
John E. Burch, more commonly referred to as simply John Burch, was an American producer, director and production manager during the latter part of the silent era right through the 1950s.
Burch was born on August 17, 1896 in Chicago, Illinois to John Sebastian Burch and Mary Ann Pettit. Upon the United States' entry into World War One, Burch enlisted in the Navy, where he served aboard a submarine. At some point after the war, he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles, in an attempt to break into the film industry.
Burch's first foray into the cinematic world was as an actor in 1925's White Fang, adapted by Jane Murfin from the novel of the same name by Jack London. This would be his only on-screen appearance. The following year, as the assistant director on The Arizona Streak (1926), would see him begin a long career behind the camera as an assistant director, production manager, and occasional producer. The remainder of the 1920s would see him continue in the role of assistant director, as well as prop manager.
In 1931 Burch was given the chance to move up to producer on the film, Fanny Foley Herself. It was only the second film shot in the new Technicolor process. Over the course of his career, Burch would be involved in over 65 films. Some of the more notable films he worked on include: Li'l Abner (1940), where he would assist Albert S. Rogell on direction; 1942's A Guy Named Joe, starring Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne, on which he would be one of Victor Fleming's assistant directors; and Brewster's Millions (1945), starring Dennis O'Keefe, and directed by Allen Dwan, assisted by Burch. In 1936, Burch would be one of the founding members of the Director's Guild of America. His final work in film would be on 1958's Thunder Road, starring Robert Mitchum, on which he worked as the production manager. After leaving the film industry, Burch would work for a short time in television, doing a few episodes for shows like The Untouchables, before working steadily as an assistant director on Bonanza from 1960-62.
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