Joseph M. Newman's remarkable career began as an office boy and clerk, gradually rising through the ranks to become a writer and assistant director under renowned filmmakers George Cukor and Ernst Lubitsch, among others. In 1937, he was briefly assigned to MGM's British section as a second unit director, but returned to the United States within the year to focus on directing short features.
Newman's involvement in bigger productions was not limited to his work on the famous "Donkey Serenade" from The Firefly (1937),although he did not receive screen credit for his efforts. In fact, he earned two Oscar nominations as an assistant director, a category that was eventually discontinued.
After directing his first full-length motion picture, Northwest Rangers (1942),Newman served in World War II, where he rose to the rank of major and created documentaries and newsreels for the Signal Corps. This experience instilled in him a sense of realism and attention to detail that would serve him well in his later years.
Many of Newman's films, which were often produced on modest budgets, feature character actors in leading roles and possess a gritty, semi-documentary aesthetic. Two of his most notable films, 711 Ocean Drive (1950) and Red Skies of Montana (1952),showcase his ability to craft engaging stories that explore themes of technology and human relationships.
Newman's most famous film is arguably the cult sci-fi classic This Island Earth (1955),which features impressive special effects, clever matte paintings, and lush three-strip Technicolor photography. However, it's worth noting that nearly half of the film was re-shot by director Jack Arnold due to the studio's dissatisfaction with Newman's initial work.
Following This Island Earth, Newman's output became somewhat routine, with a few westerns, a minor swashbuckler, and a couple of crime pictures. Nevertheless, sci-fi fans will remember his contributions to The Twilight Zone (1959) and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, for which he directed a total of fourteen episodes.
