American second feature director who arrived in California aboard the SS Mongolia (bound from New York) on which he served as a bellboy. Sherman began his career in the movie business in the mail room at Warner Brothers before working his way up to assistant director. By 1937, he had graduated to directing in his own right under contract with Republic. Sherman specialised almost exclusively in B-westerns, (including the "Three Mesqueteers" series, which featured a young John Wayne), with occasional forays into action and horror themes. He often achieved a sense of style over substance. Indeed, as to his handling of the 'Mesqueteers', Variety commented on his imparting a "poetry in motion" to his "unified timing of cowboys mounting, riding, wheeling, galloping and dismounting of steeds" (July 2 1939). From 1940, Sherman also served as associate producer on many of his films.
The diminutive (five foot) Sherman turned out reliable low-budget fare for Columbia between 1945 and 1948, then moved on to do the same at Universal for another eight years. Thereafter, he turned to free-lancing and working in television. The only A-grade films to his credit were two westerns, starring John Wayne: The Comancheros (1961), as producer; and Big Jake (1971), as director.
Date of Birth 14 July 1908, New York City, New York
Date of Death 15 March 1991, Los Angeles County, California
Known For
Big Jake
(1971)
Director
Comanche
(1956)
Director
Comanche Territory
(1950)
Director
Full Filmography
Directing
Sunset Range
(1935)
Assistant Director
The Border Patrolman
(1936)
Assistant Director
Hollywood Cowboy
(1937)
Director
Wild Horse Rodeo
(1937)
Director
Park Avenue Logger
(1937)
Assistant Director
Manhattan Merry-Go-Round
(1937)
Assistant Director
Santa Fe Stampede
(1938)
Director
Overland Stage Raiders
(1938)
Director
Red River Range
(1938)
Director
Pals of the Saddle
(1938)
Director
Outlaws of Sonora
(1938)
Director
The Purple Vigilantes
(1938)
Director
Rhythm of the Saddle
(1938)
Director
Riders of the Black Hills
(1938)
Director
Heroes of the Hills
(1938)
Director
New Frontier
(1939)
Director
South of the Border
(1939)
Director
Three Texas Steers
(1939)
Director
The Night Riders
(1939)
Director
Wyoming Outlaw
(1939)
Director
Cowboys from Texas
(1939)
Director
Mexicali Rose
(1939)
Director
Rovin' Tumbleweeds
(1939)
Director
The Kansas Terrors
(1939)
Director
Colorado Sunset
(1939)
Director
One Man's Law
(1940)
Director
Covered Wagon Days
(1940)
Director
Under Texas Skies
(1940)
Director
Rocky Mountain Rangers
(1940)
Director
The Trail Blazers
(1940)
Director
Lone Star Raiders
(1940)
Director
Ghost Valley Raiders
(1940)
Director
Texas Terrors
(1940)
Director
The Tulsa Kid
(1940)
Director
Death Valley Outlaws
(1941)
Director
A Missouri Outlaw
(1941)
Director
The Apache Kid
(1941)
Director
Citadel of Crime
(1941)
Director
Kansas Cyclone
(1941)
Director
The Phantom Cowboy
(1941)
Director
Two Gun Sheriff
(1941)
Director
Desert Bandit
(1941)
Director
Wyoming Wildcat
(1941)
Director
X Marks the Spot
(1942)
Director
Arizona Terrors
(1942)
Director
Jesse James, Jr.
(1942)
Director
Stagecoach Express
(1942)
Director
The Cyclone Kid
(1942)
Director
The Sombrero Kid
(1942)
Director
The Mantrap
(1943)
Director
London Blackout Murders
(1943)
Director
Mystery Broadcast
(1943)
Director
A Scream in the Dark
(1943)
Director
The Purple V
(1943)
Director
The West Side Kid
(1943)
Director
False Faces
(1943)
Director
Storm Over Lisbon
(1944)
Director
The Lady and the Monster
(1944)
Director
The Crime Doctor's Courage
(1945)
Director
The Secret of the Whistler
(1946)
Director
The Bandit of Sherwood Forest
(1946)
Director
Renegades
(1946)
Director
Personality Kid
(1946)
Director
Last of the Redmen
(1947)
Director
Larceny
(1948)
Director
Feudin', Fussin' and A-Fightin'
(1948)
Director
River Lady
(1948)
Director
Black Bart
(1948)
Director
Relentless
(1948)
Director
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass
(1949)
Director
Red Canyon
(1949)
Director
Sword in the Desert
(1949)
Director
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
(1949)
Director
The Sleeping City
(1950)
Director
Comanche Territory
(1950)
Director
Spy Hunt
(1950)
Director
The Raging Tide
(1951)
Director
Tomahawk
(1951)
Director
Target Unknown
(1951)
Director
The Golden Horde
(1951)
Director
Against All Flags
(1952)
Director
The Battle at Apache Pass
(1952)
Director
Steel Town
(1952)
Director
Back at the Front
(1952)
Director
War Arrow
(1953)
Director
The Lone Hand
(1953)
Director
The Veils of Bagdad
(1953)
Director
Johnny Dark
(1954)
Director
Border River
(1954)
Director
Dawn at Socorro
(1954)
Director
Chief Crazy Horse
(1955)
Director
Count Three and Pray
(1955)
Director
The Treasure of Pancho Villa
(1955)
Director
Comanche
(1956)
Director
Reprisal!
(1956)
Director
The Hard Man
(1957)
Director
Ten Days To Tulara
(1958)
Director
The Last of the Fast Guns
(1958)
Director
Son of Robin Hood
(1958)
Director
The Flying Fontaines
(1959)
Director
Hell Bent for Leather
(1960)
Director
The Enemy General
(1960)
Director
For the Love of Mike
(1960)
Director
The Fiercest Heart
(1961)
Director
The Wizard of Baghdad
(1961)
Director
Find Me That Girl
(1964)
Director
The New Cinderella
(1964)
Director
Panic Button
(1964)
Director
Murieta
(1965)
Director
Smoky
(1966)
Director
Daniel Boone: Frontier Trail Rider
(1966)
Director
Big Jake
(1971)
Director
Writing
In Old Monterey
(1939)
Screenplay
Calamity Jane and Sam Bass
(1949)
Story
The Pursuit of Happiness
(1971)
Screenplay
Production
Arizona Terrors
(1942)
Associate Producer
Stagecoach Express
(1942)
Associate Producer
London Blackout Murders
(1943)
Producer
The West Side Kid
(1943)
Associate Producer
Mystery Broadcast
(1943)
Associate Producer
A Scream in the Dark
(1943)
Associate Producer
The Lady and the Monster
(1944)
Associate Producer
Storm Over Lisbon
(1944)
Associate Producer
Son of Robin Hood
(1958)
Producer
Ten Days To Tulara
(1958)
Producer
For the Love of Mike
(1960)
Producer
The Comancheros
(1961)
Producer
Hello Down There
(1969)
Producer
Little Mo
(1978)
Producer