Joseph H. Lewis

Joseph H. Lewis
Lewis on the set of The Undercover Man (1949).
Born(1907-04-06)April 6, 1907
DiedAugust 30, 2000(2000-08-30) (aged 93)
EducationDeWitt Clinton High School
Occupations
Years active1935-1966
Spouse(s)Buena Vista Lewis (?–2000; his death; 1 child)
ChildrenCandy Lewis Sangster
Parent(s)Ernestine Miriamson Lewis
Leopold Lewis

Joseph H. Lewis (April 6, 1907 – August 30, 2000) was an American director and editor of film and television. In a 30-year directorial career, he directed numerous low-budget westerns, action pictures, musicals, adventures, and thrillers. His stylish B-movies came to be appreciated by auteur theory-espousing film critics in the years following his retirement in 1966.

Today he is remembered for mysteries and films noir: My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) and So Dark the Night (1946) as well as his most highly regarded features, 1950's Gun Crazy, which spotlighted a desperate young couple (Peggy Cummins and John Dall) who embark on a deadly crime spree, and The Big Combo (1955), with its critically acclaimed cinematography by John Alton.