The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Although Saunders received credit as "assistant director" on several Dead End Kids films, he was actually hired to keep the kids in line. A former football player, he was originally hired on ANGELS WASH THEIR FACES (1939) because Warner Bros. was fed up with the kids' disruptions, pranks and vandalism to the sets and studio property (they once crashed a truck through a soundstage wall). The first time they started to act up on ANGELS WASH THEIR FACES, Saunders grabbed a fire hose off the wall, turned it on full blast and knocked the kids to the floor with a powerful stream of water. They were informed that if they continued to act up, they would receive the same treatment every time. They behaved themselves for the rest of the picture, and Saunders had a job for as long as they were at the studio. Saunders worked as an assistant director (largely uncredited) on over 70 films. Some of his notable a.d. or 2nd unit director credits include THE HOUSE ON 56TH STREET (1933), THE SECRET BRIDE (1934), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM and DANGEROUS (both 1935), THE WALKING DEAD (1936), THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA (1937), MY BILL (1938), THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL and THE MAN WHO DARED (both 1939), two of the "Nancy Drew" films (also 1939), TUGBOAT ANNIE SAILS AGAIN (1940), HIGH SIERRA, THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE and THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (all 1941), GENTLEMAN JIM (1942), BACKGROUND TO DANGER (1943), ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944), WHITE HEAT (1949), SO BIG (1953), THEM! (1954), THE COURT-MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL (1955), THE LEFT HANDED GUN and THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (both 1958), SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO (1960), HATARI! (1962), PT 109 (1953), CHEYENNE AUTUMN (1964), MICKEY ONE (1965), THE CHASE (1966), FAT CITY (1972, also prod. mgr.) and FROM NOON TILL THREE (1976, also prod. mgr.). In 1967 Saunders began working as a production manager. Some of those notable credits include BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967), THE STALKING MOON and THE COMIC (both 1969), WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT? (1970), THE WAY WE WERE (1973), THE LONGEST YARD (1974), SHARKS' TREASURE (1975), THE SHOOTIST (1976), THE DRIVER (1978), THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979) and STRIPES (1981).    Nominated for Assistant Director 1937: THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA 1 nomination