27 Facts About Delmer Daves

Delmer Lawrence Daves was an American screenwriter, film director and film producer.

Delmer Daves worked in many genres, including film noir and warfare, but he is best known for his Western movies, especially Broken Arrow, The Last Wagon, 3:10 to Yuma and The Hanging Tree.

Delmer Daves was required to work exclusively on studio-based films after heart trouble in 1959, one of which, A Summer Place, was a huge commercial success.

Delmer Daves helped to develop the careers of up-and-coming players such as Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, Felicia Farr and George C Scott.

Delmer Daves tried his hand at acting and appeared in more than ten movies including The Night Flyer, The Duke Steps Out and Good News.

Delmer Daves began his career as a screenwriter by contributing to the early sound comedy film So This Is College, directed by Sam Wood.

Delmer Daves was particularly successful with Love Affair which, using his original script, was remade as An Affair to Remember.

Delmer Daves assisted with the screenplay and this became normal practice for him as a director.

Delmer Daves returned to Warners where he wrote and directed Dark Passage, starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Agnes Moorehead.

Delmer Daves later directed To the Victor, A Kiss in the Dark and Task Force.

Delmer Daves wrote the screenplay for Task Force, which starred Gary Cooper.

In February 1949, Delmer Daves signed a long-term contract at 20th Century Fox.

Delmer Daves began by directing his first Western, the critically acclaimed Broken Arrow which starred James Stewart, Debra Paget and Jeff Chandler.

Delmer Daves decided to try other genres with the adventure films Bird of Paradise and Treasure of the Golden Condor, both of which he wrote and directed.

Delmer Daves became a freelance director in 1954 and returned to Warners to work on Drum Beat, which he wrote, directed and co-produced with Alan Ladd, who starred in the movie.

Delmer Daves worked primarily on Westerns for the next five years.

Delmer Daves co-wrote the screenplay for the first two of these; Halsted Welles adapted 3:10 to Yuma from the novel by Elmore Leonard.

Delmer Daves returned to Westerns towards the end of 1958 when he made The Badlanders for MGM.

Delmer Daves suffered problems with his heart during the making of The Hanging Tree and was forced to step aside for several days; Malden took over as director while Delmer Daves was absent.

On medical advice, Delmer Daves decided to forgo Westerns and limit himself to studio-bound productions which were less strenuous.

Delmer Daves wrote, produced and directed a series of romantic dramas at Warners which all starred Troy Donahue: A Summer Place, Parrish, Susan Slade and Rome Adventure.

Delmer Daves then wrote, directed and produced Youngblood Hawke and The Battle of the Villa Fiorita.

Delmer Daves was married to actress Mary Lawrence from 1938 until he died on August 17,1977.

Delmer Daves is interred at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.

Delmer Daves, he says, achieved this in each of Broken Arrow, The Last Wagon, 3:10 to Yuma, and The Hanging Tree.

Delmer Daves began his career as filmmaker in 1943, following a career working as an actor and scriptwriter.

Delmer Daves is credited with making 26 films between 1943 and 1965, his most acclaimed being the 1957 film 3:10 to Yuma.