The following is an overview of 1927 in film, including significant events, a list of films released and notable births and deaths. This year saw the release of the first successful film with sound, The Jazz Singer, which helped usher in the era of "talkies".
Emmett Dalton was an American outlaw, train robber and member of the Dalton Gang in the American Old West. Part of a gang that attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville, Kansas, on October 5, 1892, he was the only member of five to survive, despite receiving 23 gunshot wounds. Two of his brothers were killed. After serving 14 years in prison for the crime, Dalton was pardoned. He later capitalized on his notoriety, both as a writer and as an actor. His 1918 serial story Beyond the Law was adapted as a like-named silent film in which he played himself. His 1931 book When the Daltons Rode was adapted after his death as a 1940 film of the same name.
Francis Healey Albertson was an American actor who had supporting roles in films such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Psycho (1960).
Casey of the Coast Guard was a 1926 American silent action film serial released in ten chapters, directed by William Nigh and written by Lewis Allen Browne. The film is now presumed lost.
William Nigh was an American film director, writer, and actor. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye".
The Ghost Writer is a 2010 neo-noir political thriller film directed by Roman Polanski. The film is an adaptation of a 2007 Robert Harris novel, The Ghost, with the screenplay written by Polanski and Harris. It stars Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Kim Cattrall, and Olivia Williams.
Enter Madame is an American romantic comedy film directed by Elliott Nugent, starring Elissa Landi and Cary Grant, and released by Paramount Pictures.
Rose-Marie is a 1928 American silent drama film directed by Lucien Hubbard. It was the first of three Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer adaptations of the 1924 operetta Broadway musical Rose-Marie. The best-known film adaptation starring Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald was released in 1936; another film was released in 1954. All three versions are set in the Canadian wilderness.
Weary River is a 1929 American romantic drama film directed by Frank Lloyd and starring Richard Barthelmess, Betty Compson, and William Holden. Produced and distributed by First National Pictures, the film, like many made during the changeover from silent to sound movies, is mostly silent with a few sequences featuring synchronized dialogue and singing. Based on a story by Courtney Riley Cooper, the film is about a gangster who goes to prison and finds salvation through music while serving his time. After he is released and falls back into a life of temptation, he is saved by the love of a woman and the warden who befriended him. The film received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Director in 1930.
Jan Wiley was an American film actress.
Wild Company is a 1930 American pre-Code drama film directed by Leo McCarey and written by Bradley King. The film stars Frank Albertson, Joyce Compton, Sharon Lynn, H. B. Warner, Richard Keene and Frances McCoy. The film was released on July 5, 1930, by Fox Film Corporation. Bela Lugosi had a relatively brief role in this film as a nightclub owner, although his character's murder provides a pivotal plot point.
The Sundown Kid is a 1942 American Western film directed by Elmer Clifton and written by Norman S. Hall. The film stars Don "Red" Barry, Ian Keith, Helen MacKellar, Linda Leighton, Emmett Lynn and Wade Crosby. The film was released on December 28, 1942, by Republic Pictures.
Mystery Broadcast is a 1943 American mystery film directed by George Sherman and written by Dane Lussier and Gertrude Walker. The film stars Frank Albertson, Ruth Terry, Nils Asther, Wynne Gibson, Paul Harvey, and Mary Treen. The film was released on November 23, 1943, by Republic Pictures.
The Man Who Died Twice is a 1958 American crime film drama, directed by Joseph Kane and written by Richard C. Sarafian. The film stars Rod Cameron, Vera Ralston, Mike Mazurki, Gerald Milton, Richard Karlan and Louis Jean Heydt. The film was released on June 6, 1958, by Republic Pictures.
Rags to Riches is a 1922 American silent comedy film directed by Wallace Worsley and written by Walter DeLeon and William Nigh. The film stars Wesley Barry, Niles Welch, Ruth Renick, Russell Simpson, Minna Redman, and Richard Tucker. The film was released by Warner Bros. on September 24, 1922.
Beware! is a 1919 American silent war drama film directed by William Nigh, and starring Maurine Powers, Regina Quinn, Leslie Ryecroft, and William Nigh. The film was released by Warner Bros. on June 1, 1919.
Boy of the Streets is a 1937 American drama film directed by William Nigh and written by Gilson Brown and Scott Darling. The film stars Jackie Cooper, Maureen O'Connor, Kathleen Burke, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Marjorie Main and Matty Fain. The film was released on December 8, 1937, by Monogram Pictures.
Shadow of Terror is a 1945 American thriller film directed by Lew Landers and written by Arthur St. Claire. The film stars Richard Fraser, Grace Albertson, Cy Kendall, Emmett Lynn, Kenneth MacDonald and Eddie Acuff. The film was released on October 5, 1945, by Producers Releasing Corporation.
Beauty and the Bandit is a 1946 American Western film directed by William Nigh and written by Charles S. Belden. The film stars Gilbert Roland, Martin Garralaga, Frank Yaconelli, Ramsay Ames, Vida Aldana and George J. Lewis. The film was released on November 9, 1946, by Monogram Pictures.
The Mad Dancer is a 1925 American silent drama film directed by Burton L. King and starring Ann Pennington, Johnnie Walker, and Coit Albertson.
