John P. McCarthy
| John P. McCarthy | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born |
March 17, 1884 San Francisco, California, United States |
| Died | September 4, 1962 (aged 78) Pasadena, California, United States |
| Occupation | Director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1920–45 |
John P. McCarthy, also known as J.P. McCarthy or simply as John McCarthy, was an American director and screenwriter of the 1920s through 1945. He began in the film industry in front of the camera, as an actor in silent films and film shorts during the 1910s, before moving behind the camera in 1920. He would usually direct his own screenplays. Although he directed the occasional drama or comedy, his specialty was the Western, which make up most of his filmography.
Born on Saint Patrick's Day 1884 in San Francisco, California, McCarthy entered the film industry in 1914. His first part was a small role in the film short, The Wireless Voice. Over the next four years he would appear in 8 films, all but one a film short. His one feature was in a small part of a prison guard in the 1916 D. W. Griffith classic, Intolerance. McCarthy would move behind the camera in 1920, writing, producing and directing Out of the Dust, starring Russell Simpson. He would write 18 scripts, all but four of which he would direct himself. His notable silent films include The Lovelorn (1927), and Diamond Handcuffs (1928). McCarthy would direct a total of 38 films over his 25-year career, 12 of which were silent films. His most prolific year was 1931, when he directed eight films, two of which he also wrote: Cavalier of the West and God's Country and the Man. Of his 38 films, 28 of them were westerns. Some of his notable sound films include: Oklahoma Cyclone (1930), one of the first "singing cowboy films;The Law of 45's, the forerunner to the Republic Pictures western series The Three Mesquiteers; and 1936's Song of the Gringo, the film debut of Tex Ritter. He took a hiatus from the film industry in the early 1940s, before returning in 1944. His final directorial credit would be part of The Cisco Kid series, 1945's The Cisco Kid Returns. In 1946 McCarthy wrote the story for the Western, Under Arizona Skies, directed by Lambert Hillyer, it would be his final film credit.
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