Veteran film executive, producer and screenwriter. Parsons produced more than 150 theatrical features and three TV series in addition to supervising vast numbers of genre pictures as the production head of Monogram Studios and Allied Artists. He began as a newspaperman and moved into the entertainment industry as the publicity director of Monogram Pictures. Before long Parsons was churning out screenplays for B Westerns--nearly 20 in a five-year period--many starring a bright young talent named John Wayne. He went on to personally produce over 40 films, including some titles in the popular Charlie Chan and Bowery Boys series.
Parsons' credits as a producer include films by such notable tough-guy B filmmakers as Bud Boetticher ("Black Midnight" 1949, "The Wolf Hunters" 1949, "The Killer Shark" 1950) and Phil Karlson. A sampling of his voluminous credits yields such colorful titles as "King of the Zombies" (1941), "Law of the Jungle" (1942), "Rhythm Inn" (1951), "Cry Vengeance" (1954), "Desert Pursuit" (1952), "Trail of the Yukon" (1949), "The Adventures of Kitty O'Day" (1944) and "Leave It to the Irish" (1944).
- Also Credited As:
Lindsley Parsons
- Born:
September 12, 1905 in Tacoma, Washington
- Died:
October 9, 1992.
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Job Titles:
Executive, Producer, Screenwriter, Publicity director, Writer, Editor, Politician, Publisher, Reporter
Family
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Father: Louis Parsons.
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Mother: Louise Lindsley Parsons.
Education
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University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Milestones
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1931 Entered show business as the publicity director of Monogram Pictures
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1933 Became a screenwriter; first credit on "Sagebush Trail", a B-Western starring the young John Wayne
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1967 Produced the directorial debut of William Friedkin, "Good Times" starring Sonny & Cher
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1975 Joined Completion Service Company as executive vice president
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Edited and published the "San Marino News"
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Personally produced over 40 features including some in the Charlie Chan and Bowery Boys series
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Produced three TV series, "The Files of Jeffery Jones", "The Gray Ghost", and "The Whistler"
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Scripted a series of Westerns for Grand National Studios and Republic
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Served as executive in charge of production for Monogram Studios and Allied Artists
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Served as executive vice president of Film Finances Inc., A completion guarantee company
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Served as president of Completion Service Company
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Served as publicity director for Republic Studios
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Worked as a producer at Grand National Studios
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Worked as a producer at Motion Pictures International
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Worked as an independent producer releasing films through Monogram and AA; served as president of Lindsley Parsons Productions
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Worked on the editorial staff of various newspapers including "City News Service" (LA), "Alhambra Post-Advocate", "Calexico Chronicle", "Santa Rosa Press Democrat", and the "Humboldt Times"
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Wrote at least nine more B-Westerns which starred John Wayne including "The Man From Utah", "Randy Rides Alone", "Paradise Canyon", "Rainbow Valley", and "The Oregon Trail"