Menu
Norman Foster

Norman Foster

Known For Directing
Birthday Dec 13, 1903
Died Jul 07, 1976 (72)
Birthplace Richmond, Indiana, USA
Popularity 0.2 (history)
Updated Aug 09, 2025
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Norman Foster (December 13, 1903 - July 7, 1976) was an American film director and actor. Born John Hoeffer in Richmond, Indiana, Foster originally became a cub reporter on a local newspaper in Indiana before going to New York in the hopes of getting a better ... newspaper job but there were no vacancies. He tried a number of theatrical agencies before getting stage work and later appeared on Broadway in the George S. Kaufman / Ring Lardner play June Moon in 1929. He has also acted in London, England. He started working in crowd scenes in films before moving to bigger parts. His film acting credits include Prosperity (1932), Pilgrimage (1933), Rafter Romance (1933) with Ginger Rogers and State Fair (1933). He has written several plays. He gave up acting in the late 1930s to pursue directing, although he occasionally appeared in movies and television programs. Some of Foster's directorial efforts include The Sign of Zorro (1958), and the stylish films noir Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (1948), Woman on the Run (1950) and Journey into Fear (1943). Foster directed Rachel and the Stranger and the Davy Crockett segments of Disneyland that were edited into feature films Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Davy Crockett and the River Pirates where he did not accept any interference from Walt Disney. In 1967, he directed Brighty of the Grand Canyon, based on a children's novel by Marguerite Henry about a burro in the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. The film starred Joseph Cotten, Karl Swenson, Dick Foran, and Pat Conway. It was rumored that Orson Welles took over direction of Journey Into Fear, which Welles later denied. Foster was the director of the "My Friend Bonito" segment of Orson Welles' Pan-American anthology film It's All True until RKO aborted the project. Foster directed a number of Charlie Chan and Mr. Moto mysteries, including Charlie Chan in Panama (1940), Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939), Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation (1939), Charlie Chan in Reno (1939), Mr. Moto's Last Warning (1939), Mysterious Mr. Moto (1938), Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (1938), Thank You, Mr. Moto (1937), and Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937). Foster was married to Claudette Colbert from 1928 until their divorce in 1935. In 1937, he wed actress Sally Blane, an older sister of Loretta Young. The couple remained married until his death in 1976 from cancer in Santa Monica at the age of 75. They had two children, Robert and Gretchen. He is buried in Culver City's Holy Cross Cemetery. Description above from the Wikipedia article Norman Foster, licensed under CC-BY-SA,full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Known For

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Profile
Filmography

The Other Side of the Wind

The Other Side of the Wind

2018

as Billy Boyle

Play It as It Lays

Play It as It Lays

1972

as Abortionist

The Love Goddesses

The Love Goddesses

1965

as (archive footage)

Mysterious Mr. Moto

Mysterious Mr. Moto

1938

as Hoodlum in Tavern

I Cover Chinatown

I Cover Chinatown

1936

as Eddie Barton

High Tension

High Tension

1936

as Eddie Mitchell

The Leavenworth Case

The Leavenworth Case

1936

as Detective Bob Grice

Fatal Lady

Fatal Lady

1936

as Phillip Roberts

Behind the Green Lights

Behind the Green Lights

1935

as Detective Lt. Dave Britten

The Hoosier Schoolmaster

The Hoosier Schoolmaster

1935

as Ralph Hartsook

Suicide Squad

Suicide Squad

1935

as Larry Barker

The Fire-Trap

The Fire-Trap

1935

as Bill Farnsworth

Behind the Evidence

Behind the Evidence

1935

as Tony Sheridan

Ladies Crave Excitement

Ladies Crave Excitement

1935

as Don Phelan

Escape from Devil's Island

Escape from Devil's Island

1935

as Andre Dion

The Bishop Misbehaves

The Bishop Misbehaves

1935

as Donald Meadows

Orient Express

Orient Express

1934

as Carlton Myatt

Strictly Dynamite

Strictly Dynamite

1934

as Fleming

Elinor Norton

Elinor Norton

1934

as Bill Foster

Walls of Gold

Walls of Gold

1933

as Barnes Ritchie

Rafter Romance

Rafter Romance

1933

as Jack

Professional Sweetheart

Professional Sweetheart

1933

as Jim Davey

Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage

1933

as Jim 'Jimmy' Jessop (Hannah's son)

State Fair

State Fair

1933

as Wayne Frake

Steady Company

Steady Company

1932

as Jim

Week-End Marriage

Week-End Marriage

1932

as Ken Hayes

Alias the Doctor

Alias the Doctor

1932

as Stephan Brenner

Play Girl

Play Girl

1932

as Wallace 'Wally' Dennis

Girl of the Rio

Girl of the Rio

1932

as Johnny Powell

Prosperity

Prosperity

1932

as John Warren

Strange Justice

Strange Justice

1932

as Wally Baker

Under Eighteen

Under Eighteen

1932

as Alf

Skyscraper Souls

Skyscraper Souls

1932

as Tom Shepherd

The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood

The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood

1932

as Maurice Cohen

It Pays to Advertise

It Pays to Advertise

1931

as Rodney Martin

No Limit

No Limit

1931

as Douglas Thayer

Confessions of a Co-Ed

Confessions of a Co-Ed

1931

as Hal Evans

Men Call It Love

Men Call It Love

1931

as Jack

Reckless Living

Reckless Living

1931

as Doggie

Up Pops the Devil

Up Pops the Devil

1931

as Steve Merrick

Young Man of Manhattan

Young Man of Manhattan

1930

as Toby McLean

Gentlemen of the Press

Gentlemen of the Press

1929

as Ted Hanley

Indian Paint

Indian Paint

1965

Screenplay

The Sign of Zorro

The Sign of Zorro

1958

Screenplay

Sombrero

Sombrero

1953

Screenplay

Navajo

Navajo

1952

Writer

Sky Full of Moon

Sky Full of Moon

1952

Writer

Woman on the Run

Woman on the Run

1950

Screenplay

El canto de la sirena

El canto de la sirena

1948

Writer

Mr. Moto's Last Warning

Mr. Moto's Last Warning

1939

Screenplay

20,000 Men a Year

20,000 Men a Year

1939

Assistant Director

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation

1939

Screenplay

Mysterious Mr. Moto

Mysterious Mr. Moto

1938

Screenplay

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

1938

Original Story

Fair Warning

Fair Warning

1937

Screenplay

Thank You, Mr. Moto

Thank You, Mr. Moto

1937

Screenplay

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

1937

Writer

It's All True

It's All True

1993

Director

The Green Hornet

The Green Hornet

1974

Director

The Deathhead Virgin

The Deathhead Virgin

1974

Director

The Legend of Custer

The Legend of Custer

1968

Director

Indian Paint

Indian Paint

1965

Director

The Sign of Zorro

The Sign of Zorro

1958

Director

Sombrero

Sombrero

1953

Director

Navajo

Navajo

1952

Director

Sky Full of Moon

Sky Full of Moon

1952

Director

Woman on the Run

Woman on the Run

1950

Director

Father Is a Bachelor

Father Is a Bachelor

1950

Director

Tell It to the Judge

Tell It to the Judge

1949

Director

Rachel and the Stranger

Rachel and the Stranger

1948

Director

El canto de la sirena

El canto de la sirena

1948

Director

El ahijado de la muerte

El ahijado de la muerte

1946

Director

La hora de la verdad

La hora de la verdad

1945

Director

Journey into Fear

Journey into Fear

1943

Director

Scotland Yard

Scotland Yard

1941

Director

Ride, Kelly, Ride

Ride, Kelly, Ride

1941

Director

Viva Cisco Kid

Viva Cisco Kid

1940

Director

Charlie Chan in Panama

Charlie Chan in Panama

1940

Director

Mr. Moto's Last Warning

Mr. Moto's Last Warning

1939

Director

Charlie Chan in Reno

Charlie Chan in Reno

1939

Director

Mysterious Mr. Moto

Mysterious Mr. Moto

1938

Director

Walking Down Broadway

Walking Down Broadway

1938

Director

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

Mr. Moto Takes a Chance

1938

Director

Fair Warning

Fair Warning

1937

Director

Thank You, Mr. Moto

Thank You, Mr. Moto

1937

Director

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

Think Fast, Mr. Moto

1937

Director

I Cover Chinatown

I Cover Chinatown

1936

Director

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates

Hans Brinker, or the Silver Skates

1962

Associate Producer

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

No data available

Cannon

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 14, 1971

Espionage

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1963

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 8 13 2
2024 7 11 25 1
2024 8 10 29 5
2024 9 4 9 1
2024 10 4 10 2
2024 11 3 4 1
2024 12 3 5 1
2025 1 7 21 3
2025 2 3 5 1
2025 3 2 3 1
2025 5 1 3 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 1 0
2025 8 2 7 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
2024 6 1143 1143

Return to Top