Fred C. Newmeyer

{{Infobox person

|name = Fred C. Newmeyer

|image = Fred C. Newmeyer (1888–1967).png

|caption = Portrait in The Moving Picture World, {{Nowrap|February 1927}}

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1888|8|9|mf=y}}

|birth_place = Central City, Colorado, U.S.

|death_date = {{Death date and age|mf=yes|1967|4|24|1888|8|9}}

|death_place = Woodland Hills, California, U.S.

|occupation = Actor, film director, film producer

|birthname =

}}

Fred C. Newmeyer{{efn|Newmeyer's draft registration card of June 1917, which he signed, lists his name as "Fred R. Newmeyer".{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/image/557901799 |title=Draft Registration Card |date=June 1917 |publisher=Selective Service System |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |via=fold3.com |url-access=subscription}} He also is listed with a middle initial of "R" in the 1930 United States census.{{cite web |url=https://www.fold3.com/image/166697827?rec=166698187&terms=r,fred,newmeyer |title=Sheet 17A Census - US Federal 1930 |date=April 1930 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |via=fold3.com |url-access=subscription}}}} (August 9, 1888 – April 24, 1967) was an American actor, film director and film producer.

Biography

File:Captain_Kidd's_Kids_(Harold_Lloyd_and_Fred_Newmeyer).png in the 1919 short film Captain Kidd's Kids]]

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, eight of them being features. 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0628345/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm |title=Biography: Fred C. Newmeyer |website=IMDb |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |quote=Fred C. Newmeyer was a professional baseball player from 1909-13 before beginning his career as an extra at Universal Pictures.}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87709047/bunnies-have-to-pay-income-tax/ |title=Bunnies Have to Pay Income Tax |newspaper=Quad-City Times |location=Davenport, Iowa |page=8 |date=March 9, 1914 |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |via=newspapers.com |quote=Fred Newmeyer, who pitched for Muscatine last season ... will continue in the motion picture business, which he started this winter.}}{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87711170/from-pitching-to-movies/ |title=From Pitching to Movies |first=Speed |last=Kendall |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |page=III-1 |date=May 12, 1929 |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}} 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. He made at least 66 appearances and was the winning pitcher of at least 26 games.{{cite web |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=newmey001fre |title=Fred Newmeyer Minor Leagues Statistics & History |website=Baseball-Reference.com |accessdate=October 24, 2021}}

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.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87711877/towel-clerk-works-way-into-hearts-of-uni/ |title=Towel Clerk Works Way Into Hearts of Unihi Students |first=Ken |last=Shane |newspaper=Independent |location=Los Angeles, California |page=1 |date=February 13, 1958 |accessdate=October 25, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}} After his film career, Newmeyer worked with the athletic department of University High School in Los Angeles.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87712139/towel-contd/ |title=Towel (cont'd) |first=Ken |last=Shane |newspaper=Independent |location=Los Angeles, California |page=4 |date=February 13, 1958 |accessdate=October 25, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}} Newmeyer died on April 24, 1967, in Woodland Hills, California,{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87708638/obituary-fred-newmeyer/ |title=Obituary: Fred Newmeyer |newspaper=Evening Vanguard |location=Venice, California |page=2 |date=April 26, 1967 |accessdate=October 24, 2021 |via=newspapers.com}} at the age of 78.

Selected filmography

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title
1916 (all as actor) \| Luke's Shattered Sleep Luke Locates the Loot Luke's Fireworks Fizzle Luke, Rank Impersonator Luke's Movie Muddle Luke's Newsie Knockout Luke, Patient Provider Luke, the Gladiator Luke's Preparedness Preparations Luke, the Chauffeur Luke and the Bang-Tails Luke's Speedy Club Life Luke and the Mermaids Luke Joins the Navy Luke Does the Midway Luke's Lost Lamb Luke, Crystal Gazer Luke Rides Roughshod Luke's Society Mixup Luke's Late Lunchers Luke, the Candy Cut-Up

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

1916 (all as actor)

|

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title
1917 \| The Big Idea Step Lively Bashful Move On We Never Sleep All Aboard Clubs Are Trump Love, Laughs and Lather Rainbow Island From Laramie to London Birds of a Feather By the Sad Sea Waves Pinched Lonesome Luke Loses Patients Over the Fence Lonesome Luke's Wild Women Lonesome Luke, Messenger Lonesome Luke on Tin Can Alley

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

1917

|

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title
1918 \| Two-Gun Gussie It's a Wild Life Pipe the Whiskers The Tip

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

1918

|

class="wikitable sortable"
Year ! Title
1919 \| From Hand to Mouth Captain Kidd's Kids Bumping Into Broadway His Only Father Pay Your Dues Count the Votes Soft Money He Leads, Others Follow The Rajah Be My Wife Don't Shove Heap Big Chief Chop Suey & Co. Count Your Change Spring Fever Off the Trolley Swat the Crook Pistols for Breakfast The Marathon Si, Senor Ring Up the Curtain Crack Your Heels Young Mr. Jazz A Sammy in Siberia On the Fire

class="wikitable sortable"

Year

! Title

1919

|