Frank Lloyd was an unassuming, technically skilled director who crafted several enduring Hollywood classics during the 1930s.
He started out as a stage actor and singer in early 1900s London, known for his impersonation of Harry Lauder.
Lloyd emigrated to Canada in 1909, joining the traveling theatrical troupe of Winnipeg entrepreneur C.P. Walker.
He worked as a repairman on telegraph lines between acting gigs and married German-American soubrette Alma Haller in Edmonton, Alberta.
Lloyd spent several months on the vaudeville circuit and in burlesque shows on the West Coast before arriving in Hollywood with an acting contract at Universal in 1913.
After two years of poor critical notices, he gave up acting and turned to writing and directing.
In two years at Fox, 1917-19, he directed fifteen films, often starring William Farnum, including westerns and adaptations of classic literature.
Lloyd joined First National/Warner Brothers in 1922 and became a specialist in period drama and swashbuckling adventure.
He directed Oliver Twist, The Eternal Flame, and The Sea Hawk, and received an Academy Award for The Divine Lady in 1928.
Much of Lloyd's acclaim is based on his work during the 1930s, including Cavalcade, Berkeley Square, and Mutiny on the Bounty, which won the Best Picture Oscar.
He also directed Under Two Flags, Wells Fargo, and If I Were King, and served in World War II, rising to the rank of major and being decorated with the Legion of Merit.
After the war, he retired to his Carmel Valley ranch, but made a brief comeback after his wife's death and directed The Last Command for Republic Studio in 1955.
Lloyd has a star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard.
