University of Berkeley graduate William H. McGann entered the film industry as an assistant cameraman after serving in much the same capacity during World War I. McGann was promoted to director of photography by Douglas Fairbanks; he lensed such popular Fairbanks vehicles as When the Clouds Roll By (1919) and The Mark of Zorro (1920), then briefly worked for Buster Keaton on The Three Ages (1923). He began his directorial career in 1930, helming Spanish-language versions of American films. After a short stay in England, he returned to Hollywood, where he became a stalwart of Warner Bros.' "B"-picture unit. He went on to direct programmers for RKO, Paramount, and finally Harry Sherman Productions. William H. McGann's most frequently exhibited effort was the curious all-star 2-reeler The Stolen Jools (1931), a fund-raising short produced on behalf of the National Variety Artists' tuberculosis sanitarium; for the first and last time in his career, McGann had the opportunity to direct virtually every big name in Hollywood, from Norma Shearer to Laurel & Hardy, in one fell swoop.
| Title | Year | Editors' Rating | User Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fort Worth
Special Effects |
1951 | |||
|
Her First Romance
Director |
1951 | |||
|
Chain Lightning
Special Effects |
1950 | |||
|
The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady
Special Effects |
1950 | |||
|
Beyond the Forest
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
Colorado Territory
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
It's a Great Feeling
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
John Loves Mary
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
The Fountainhead
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
The Girl From Jones Beach
Special Effects |
1949 | |||
|
Johnny Belinda
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
June Bride
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
Key Largo
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
Silver River
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
Wallflower
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
Whiplash
Special Effects |
1948 | |||
|
Always Together
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Cheyenne
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Cry Wolf
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Deep Valley
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Life With Father
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Possessed
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
Pursued
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
That Hagen Girl
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
That Way with Women
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
The Unfaithful
Special Effects |
1947 | |||
|
A Stolen Life
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Never Say Goodbye
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
Nobody Lives Forever
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
The Verdict
Special Effects |
1946 | |||
|
The Conspirators
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
The Doughgirls
Special Effects |
1944 | |||
|
Frontier Badmen
Director |
1943 | |||
|
American Empire
Director |
1942 | |||
|
In Old California
Director |
1942 | |||
|
Tombstone
Director |
1942 | |||
|
A Shot in the Dark
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Highway West
Director |
1941 | |||
|
The Parson of Panamint
Director |
1941 | |||
|
We Go Fast
Director |
1941 | |||
|
Dr. Christian Meets the Women
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Wolf of New York
Director |
1940 | |||
|
Blackwell's Island
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Everybody's Hobby
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Lincoln in the White
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Pride of the Bluegrass
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Sweepstakes Winner
Director |
1939 | |||
|
Girls on Probation
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Penrod and His Twin Brother
Director |
1938 | |||
|
When Were You Born?
Director |
1938 | |||
|
Alcatraz Island
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Marry the Girl
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Penrod and Sam
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Sh! The Octopus
Director |
1937 | |||
|
Brides Are Like That
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Freshman Love
Director, Editor |
1936 | |||
|
Hot Money
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Polo Joe
Director |
1936 | |||
|
The Case of the Black Cat
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Times Square Playboy
Director |
1936 | |||
|
Two Against the World
Director |
1936 | |||
|
A Night at the Ritz
Director |
1935 | |||
|
A Shot in the Dark
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Man of Iron
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Maybe It's Love
Director |
1935 | |||
|
Long Live the King
Director |
1933 | |||
|
Her Night Out
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Illegal
Director |
1932 | |||
|
Murder on the Second Floor
Director |
1932 | |||
|
The Silver Greyhound
Director |
1932 | |||
|
I Like Your Nerve
Director |
1931 | |||
|
The Stolen Jools
Director |
1931 | |||
|
On the Border
Director |
1930 | |||
|
The Wedding March
Cinematographer |
1928 | |||
|
Pleasure Buyers
First Assistant Director |
1925 | |||
|
Three Ages
Cinematographer |
1923 | |||
|
Vengeance of the Deep
Cinematographer |
1923 | |||
|
The Nut
Cinematographer |
1921 | |||
|
The Mark of Zorro
Cinematographer |
1920 | |||
|
The Mollycoddle
Cinematographer |
1920 | |||
|
When the Clouds Roll By
Cinematographer |
1920 | |||
|
Hearts of Men
Cinematographer |
1919 |

















