AllMovie

True to his name, director John English was English, born in Cumberland in 1903. English was raised in Canada, where he received his schooling. In films in various technical capacities since the dawn of the talkie era, English was given a chance to direct by the newly formed Republic Pictures in 1935. The bulk of his films were westerns, starring the likes of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. John English is best known for his many Republic serials, many of these directed in collaboration with William Witney: Dick Tracy Returns (1937), The Lone Ranger (1938), Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939), Drums of Fu Manchu (1939), Captain America (1940), etc. Frank Coghlan Jr., who starred in the Republic serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel (1940), has recalled that while Witney handled most of the action sequences, English devoted his time to the dialogue and dramatic scenes. He also proved equal to the challenge of juggling a murder mystery, several musical numbers, and an elaborate ice-skating finale in the 1946 Vera Hruba Ralston vehicle Murder in the Music Hall. Even after Republic ceased production in 1959, John English remained on the studio lot, directing TV episodes produced by such organizations as Four Star Productions and Revue.