Fred C. Newmeyer

Directing Aug 8, 1888 Apr 24, 1967 (aged 79) Central City, Colorado, USA

A native of Central City, Colorado, Newmeyer is best known for directing a handful of films in the Our Gang series and for directing several Harold Lloyd movies. With Sam Taylor, Newmeyer co-directed Lloyd in films including Safety Last! (1923), Girl Shy (1924), and The Freshman (1925). Newmeyer also had an extensive directing and acting resume in other comedy short films. He appeared as an actor in 71 films between 1914 and 1923.

Prior to his film career, Newmeyer played professional baseball. Partial statistics exist for his time as a left-handed pitcher in Minor League Baseball at the Class D level from 1911 to 1913 in the Southwest Texas League, Michigan State League, and Central Association.[6] He made at least 66 appearances and was the winning pitcher of at least 26 games.

Newmeyer was the original director of the first short in the Our Gang series, also titled Our Gang; his version tested poorly, and producer Hal Roach scrapped most of the footage and remade the short with Robert McGowan as the director. Newmeyer, after directing numerous other shorts at Roach, returned to the Our Gang series in 1936 to direct The Pinch Singer, Arbor Day, Mail and Female and the feature film General Spanky.

Newmeyer and his wife, Berna, had a son, Fred W. After his film career, Newmeyer worked with the athletic department of University High School in Los Angeles. Newmeyer died on April 24, 1967, in Woodland Hills, California, at the age of 78.

42 Acting Credits

52 Crew Credits

Fred C. Newmeyer

Acting

Safety Last!

Billy Blazes, Esq.

Bumping Into Broadway

Number, Please?

Young Mr. Jazz

Captain Kidd's Kids

Luke's Movie Muddle

The Marathon

A Sammy in Siberia

Don't Shove

Over the Fence

By the Sad Sea Waves

Bashful

Step Lively

All Aboard

Lonesome Luke, Messenger

Count Your Change

Clubs Are Trump

Pinched

Luke Joins the Navy

Rainbow Island

It's a Wild Life

Pipe the Whiskers

We Never Sleep

Crew

Safety Last!

The Freshman

Girl Shy

Grandma's Boy

Never Weaken

Why Worry?

Hot Water

Dr. Jack

Number, Please?

Now or Never

Among Those Present

A Sailor-Made Man