History Creator / RaoulWalsh

Raoul Walsh (March 11, 1887 – December 31, 1980) was an American film director, actor, one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of Hollywood, a man who had a storied career and colorful personality with which he infused into his movies. His movies are noted for being highly rambunctious, filled with [[RatedMForManly men being men]], tough women and a great sense of adventure, especially when the going was tough.

Walsh continued directing and acting intermittently in the tens and twenties. but he became a full time director as a result of a 1928 freak accident. Walsh was directing and starring in a film called, ''In Old Arizona''. While driving his car down a highway, a jackrabbit in the path of the car, jumped on top and burst through the windshield. Walsh lost an eye as a result of this accident and gave up acting for good, famously [[EyepatchOfPower wearing a distinctive eyepatch]] for the rest of his life. This accident was partly recreated in ''Film/HighSierra'' with far less drastic results.

As a director, Walsh directed the likes of Creator/DouglasFairbanks, Creator/JamesCagney, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/ClarkGable, Creator/GregoryPeck. He's most associated with Cagney having made four films with the actor, including ''Film/WhiteHeat'', arguably Walsh's most widely known film. He's mostly associated with FilmNoir, war films and westerns but admirers note that he made several different kinds of films. The likes of Creator/MartinScorsese admire his films set in TheGayNineties (''The Bowery'' which inspired ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' as well as ''The Strawberry Blonde'' and ''Gentleman Jim'', which was based on his childhood). Walsh was a larger than life personality and a renowned practical joker, according to legend, after Creator/JohnBarrymore died, he hijacked the corpse and stashed it in Errol Flynn's room and was thrilled at his shock of horror. The page quote by Jack Warner is regarded by many as a good description of his BoisterousBruiser personality.

Historians often believe that Walsh was OvershadowedByAwesome, as great as he was, his contemporaries were Creator/DWGriffith, Creator/JohnFord, Creator/HowardHawks, Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/KingVidor. Despite this he is considered a great film-maker and an influence on several film-makers and artists around the world, from Creator/MartinScorsese to Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder, as well as composer Music/StephenSondheim.

* ''Film/[[HoratioHornblower Captain Horatio Hornblower]]'' (1951)

* ''Film/HoratioHornblower'' (1951)

As a director, Walsh directed the likes of Creator/DouglasFairbanks, Creator/JamesCagney, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/ClarkGable, Creator/GregoryPeck. He's most associated with Cagney having made four films with the actor, including Film/WhiteHeat, arguably Walsh's most widely known film. He's mostly associated with FilmNoir, war films and westerns but admirers note that he made several different kinds of films. The likes of Creator/MartinScorsese admire his films set in TheGayNineties (''The Bowery'' which inspired ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' as well as ''The Strawberry Blonde'' and ''Gentleman Jim'', which was based on his childhood). Walsh was a larger than life personality and a renowned practical joker, according to legend, after Creator/JohnBarrymore died, he hijacked the corpse and stashed it in Errol Flynn's room and was thrilled at his shock of horror. The page quote by Jack Warner is regarded by many as a good description of his BoisterousBruiser personality.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/raoulwalsh2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:Walsh with his [[EyepatchOfPower one good eye]].]]

Raoul Walsh (March 11, 1887 – December 31, 1980) was one of [[ThePioneer the pioneers]] of Hollywood, a man who had a storied career and colorful personality with which he infused into his movies. His movies are noted for being highly rambunctious, filled with [[RatedMForManly men being men]], tough women and a great sense of adventure, especially when the going was tough.

As a director, Walsh directed the likes of Creator/DouglasFairbanks, Creator/JamesCagney, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/ClarkGable, Creator/GregoryPeck. He's most associated with Cagney having made four films with the actor, including Film/WhiteHeat, arguably Walsh's most widely known film. He's mostly associated with FilmNoir, war films and westerns but admirers note that he made several different kinds of films. The likes of Creator/MartinScorsese admire his films set in TheGayNineties (''The Bowery'' which inspired ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' as well as ''The Strawberry Blonde'' and ''Gentleman Jim''), which was based on his childhood. Walsh was a larger than life personality and a renowned practical joker, according to legend, after Creator/JohnBarrymore died, he hijacked the corpse and stashed it in Errol Flynn's room and was thrilled at his shock of horror. The page quote by Jack Warner is regarded by many as a good description of his BoisterousBruiser personality.

Walsh continued directing and acting intermittently in the tens and twenties. but he became a full time director as a result of a 1928 freak accident. Walsh was directing and starring in a film called, ''In Old Arizona''. While driving his car down a highway, a jackrabbit in the path of the car, jumped on top and burst through the windshield. Walsh lost an eye as a result of this accident and gave up acting for good, famously [[EyepatchOfPower wearing a distinctive eyepatch]] for the rest of his life. This accident was partly recreated in ''Film/HighSierra'' with far less drastic results. As a director, Walsh directed the likes of Creator/DouglasFairbanks, Creator/JamesCagney, Creator/ErrolFlynn, Creator/HumphreyBogart, Creator/JohnWayne, Creator/RobertMitchum, Creator/SpencerTracy, Creator/ClarkGable, Creator/GregoryPeck. He's most associated with Cagney having made four films with the actor, including Film/WhiteHeat, arguably Walsh's most widely known film. He's mostly associated with FilmNoir, war films and westerns but admirers note that he made several different kinds of films. The likes of Creator/MartinScorsese admire his films set in TheGayNineties (''The Bowery'' which inspired ''Film/GangsOfNewYork'' as well as ''The Strawberry Blonde'' and ''Gentleman Jim''), which was based on his childhood. Walsh was a larger than life personality and a renowned practical joker, according to legend, after Creator/JohnBarrymore died, he hijacked the corpse and stashed it in Errol Flynn's room and was thrilled at his shock of horror. The page quote by Jack Warner is regarded by many as a good description of his BoisterousBruiser personality.

* ''Film/InOldArizona'' (1928)

Historians often believe that Walsh was OvershadowedByAwesome, as great as he was, his contemporaries were Creator/DWGriffith, Creator/JohnFord, Creator/HowardHawks, Creator/OrsonWelles and Creator/KingVidor. Despite this he is considered a great film-maker and an influence on several film-makers and artists around the world, from Creator/MartinScorsese to Creator/RainerWernerFassbinder, as well as composer Creator/StephenSondheim.

!! Selected filmography