Henry King

Who was Henry King?

Henry King was an American film director.

Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres, and first started to take small film roles in 1912. He directed for the first time in 1915, and grew to become one of the most commercially successful Hollywood directors of the 1920s and 1930s. He was twice nominated for the Best Director Oscar. In 1944, he was awarded the first Golden Globe Award for Best Director for his film The Song of Bernadette. He worked most often with Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck and for 20th Century Fox.

Henry King was one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards excellence of cinematic achievements every year. He directed over 100 films in his career.

In 1955, King was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

During World War II, King served as the deputy commander of the Civil Air Patrol coastal patrol base in Brownsville, TX, holding the grade of captain. In his final years, he was the oldest licensed private pilot in the United States, having obtained his license in 1918.