Ron Ormond

Ron Ormond (August 29, 1910 – May 11, 1981) was an American author, showman, screenwriter, film producer, and film director of Western, musical, and exploitation films. Following his survival of a 1968 plane crash, Ormond began making Christian films.

Ron Ormond was born Vittorio Di Naro, anglicised to Vic Narro. He took his surname from his friend the magician and hypnotist Ormond McGill. Ormond married the vaudeville singer and dancer June Carr (1912–2006) six weeks after he met her when they were performing on stage in 1935. Ormond was performing as a magician calling himself "Rahn Ormond" and was acting as the master of ceremonies of the show leaving town as June watched the last performance. She said to her friend sitting next to her, "See that guy, I'm going to marry him." They remained married until his death. They became partners in film production and had two sons; the first son, Victor, died of pneumonia, and their second son, Tim, appeared in several of their films. June Ormond's father actor, former nightclub owner and burlesque comic Cliff Taylor, also appeared in many of the Ormond's films.

Ormond's first film was as an uncredited technical director on The Shanghai Cobra (1945). Ormond formed Western Adventure Productions, Inc in 1948 and formed a partnership with Lash LaRue writing and producing and eventually directing his films. Ormond's first credit was Dead Man's Gold in that year. Ormond made his directing debut in King of the Bullwhip with La Rue in 1950. Ormond also wrote a series of Westerns starring former Hopalong Cassidy sidekicks James Ellison and Russell Hayden and filmed vaudeville acts for a film released by Robert L. Lippert. Western Adventure also acquired re-issue rights to a number of Hal Roach's Laurel and Hardy comedies, and distributed them along with their own productions.

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