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Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After several years of acting and directing for traveling companies, stock, vaudeville, and Broadway revues, he entered motion pictures in 1920. One of his early assignments was as chief engineer of illumination and lighting effects on Erich von Stroheim's FOOLISH WIVES (1922). He also worked as a cameraman and production manager on several other films. Before long, he was producing low-budget Fred Thompson Westerns for Monogram and by 1925 he was heading his own production company, for which he directed and produced numerous oaters and action pictures, mostly starring Reed Howes, through 1927. He then directed or produced for another company many silent and early sound Ken Maynard Westerns. In 1933 he gave up directing and became a producer of some major productions for Warner Bros., Fox and other studios. He returned to directing only once, in 1944, with the musical film KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY, which he also produced. In the late 40s and throughout the 50s he produced many Westerns in association with actor Randolph Scott. His first wife was actress Sally Eilers (1908-1978). Their son, Harry Joe Brown, Jr. (1934-2005), was also a film producer.
Nominated for Best Picture 1935: CAPTAIN BLOOD - Associate Producer at Warner Bros. w. Hal B. Wallis & Gordon Hollingshead
2 nominations |