Biography: Born and educated in Colorado, American director Fred Newmeyer was a professional baseball player from ages 21 through 24. He entered films as a Universal Studios extra in 1913, where he made the acquaintance of fellow extras Hal Roach and Harold Lloyd. When Roach set up his own studio with Lloyd as star in 1915, Newmeyer occasionally functioned as a writer and prop man, and eventually as director.
He directed Lloyd's first 4-reeler, A Sailor Made Man (1921), then helmed the comedian's inaugural feature films Grandma's Boy (1922) and Doctor Jack (1922). In collaboration with Sam Taylor, Newmeyer went on to direct such Harold Lloyd moneyspinners as Safety Last (1923), Why Worry? (1923), Hot Water (1924), Girl Shy (1924) and The Freshman (1925). He also helmed several of Hal Roach's Our Gang silent shorts. Outside the Roach/Lloyd orbit, Newmeyer directed comedians Douglas MacLean, Larry Semon, W.C. Fields and Reginald Denny. Making the transition to sound with elan, Newmeyer remained a comedy specialist with such films as Queen High (1930) and Fast and Loose (1930). He made a brief return to Hal Roach in the mid '30s, where he codirected (with newcomer Gordon Douglas) the Our Gang feature General Spanky (1936). At this point, Fred Newmeyer's credits abruptly come to an end. Some sources list the year of his death at 1937; but according to the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital, where Fred Newmeyer spent his declining years, his undocumented death occured around 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
DVDs that Fred Newmeyer worked on "behind the scenes"...
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