Joseph Santley went on stage as a child with his parents, and appeared in summer stock and on tours, where he was billed as "The World's Greatest Boy Actor." He appeared on the New York stage beginning in 1910, and it was only during the '20s that he turned to film work at Paramount's Long Island City studio -- in 1929, he made his first feature film, The Cocoanuts, starring the Marx Brothers, co-directing with Robert Florey, although he didn't remain at Paramount, and moved between Pathe, Monogram, Mascot, and Republic Pictures throughout the '30s, before brief stints at MGM before going over to RKO for two years at the end of the decade. Most of his best subsequent mork was done at Republic, including the comedy Sis Hopkins, the Gene Autry vehicle Melody Ranch, and the wartime drama Remember Pearl Harbor. He left feature films in 1950 and moved to television, where he directed variety shows for such figures as Ethel Merman and Jimmy Durante.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
On the Isle of Samoa
Short Story Author |
1950 | |||
|
When You're Smiling
Director |
1950 | |||
|
Make Believe Ballroom
Director |
1949 | |||
|
Shadow of a Woman
Director |
1946 | |||
|
Earl Carroll Vanities
Director |
1945 | |||
|
Hitchhike to Happiness
Director |
1945 | |||
|
Brazil
Director |
1944 | |||
|
Goodnight Sweetheart
Director |
1944 | |||
|
Jamboree
Director |
1944 | |||
|
Rosie the Riveter
Director |
1944 | |||
|
Three Little Sisters
Director |
1944 | |||
|
Here Comes Elmer
Director |
1943 | |||
|
Shantytown
Director |
1943 | |||
|
Sleepy Lagoon
Director |
1943 | |||
|
Thumbs Up
Director |
1943 | |||
|
A Tragedy at Midnight
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Call of the Canyon
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Chatterbox
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Joan of Ozark
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Remember Pearl Harbor
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Yokel Boy
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Down Mexico Way
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Ice-Capades
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Puddin' Head
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Rookies on Parade
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Sis Hopkins
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Behind the News
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Dancing on a Dime
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Melody Ranch
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Melody and Moonlight
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Music in My Heart
Director |
1940 | |||
|
The Family Next Door
Director |
1939 | |||
|
The Spirit of Culver
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Two Bright Boys
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Always in Trouble
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Blond Cheat
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Radio City Revels
Composer (Music Score) |
1938 | |||
|
She's Got Everything
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Swing, Sister, Swing
Director |
1938 | |||
|
The Return of Carol Deane
Short Story Author |
1938 | |||
|
Meet the Missus
Director |
1937 | |||
|
The Life of the Party
Short Story Author |
1937 | |||
|
There Goes the Groom
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Dancing Feet
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Her Master's Voice
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Laughing Irish Eyes
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Mad Holiday
Short Story Author |
1936 | |||
|
Smartest Girl in Town
Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Harvester
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Walking on Air
Director |
1936 | |||
|
We Went to College
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Harmony Lane
Director, Screenwriter |
1935 | |||
|
Million Dollar Baby
Director, Screenwriter |
1935 | |||
|
Waterfront Lady
Director |
1935 | |||
|
I Like It That Way
Screenwriter |
1934 | |||
|
The Loudspeaker
Director |
1934 | |||
|
Young and Beautiful
Director, Screenwriter |
1934 | |||
|
The House on 56th Street
Book Author |
1933 | |||
|
Swing High
Director, Screenwriter |
1930 | |||
|
Favorite Melodies
Director |
1929 | |||
|
The Cocoanuts
Choreography, Director |
1929 |

