Felix E. Feist

Felix Ellison Feist (; February 28, 1910 – September 2, 1965) was an American film and television director and writer born in New York City. He is probably best remembered for Deluge, for writing and directing the film noirs The Devil Thumbs a Ride (1947) and The Threat (1949), and for helming the second screen version of the Curt Siodmak sci-fi tale Donovan's Brain (1953), which starred Nancy Davis before she became known as Nancy Reagan.

He directed Judy Garland and Deanna Durbin in their first significant screen appearances, in the 1936 short film Every Sunday.

Life Feist was the son of a MGM sales executive, Felix F. Feist (1884–1936), and nephew of a publishing house magnate, Leo Feist. He was educated at Columbia University. In the late 1920s he found work as a newsreel cameraman, and he was on staff at MGM from 1929 to 1932, directing screen tests and producing one-reel travelogues.

In 1931, Feist married Dorothy Hart Jacobs. The two met in New York, NY, and traveled to Los Angeles together where Feist began his career with MGM. They had two daughters, Marjory and Jacqueline Ellison.

Marjory (or Marjery) and Jacqueline Ellison. Jacqueline eloped at age 14 in Tijuana, but the marriage was annulled five year later on the grounds that it was improperly performed.

His second marriage was to Lisa Howard, a pioneering female journalist and television news anchor, who briefly had an acting career. She appeared in a few of his films, such as The Man Who Cheated Himself, Guilty of Treason, and Donovan's Brain. They had a daughter, Fritzi.

In 1955, he married Lulu Estelle "Barbara" Allen, whose son, Raymond, he adopted. Raymond became a fantasy author.

Feist died of cancer on September 2, 1965, at the age of 55. In his obituary, it was reported that he had three sons and three daughters. The sons were Felix, Jr., Raymond, and Robert.

Filmography YearFilmFunctioned asDirectorProducerScreenwriter MusicActor 1930 The Sea Bat 1932 Football Footwork 1933 Deluge 1934 My Grandfather's Clock Strikes and Spares MGM's March on in 1934-35 with Metro Goldwyn Mayer: Convention of the Century 1935 Football Teamwork 1936 Every Sunday Hollywood Extra! Hollywood - The Second Step How to Train a Dog How to Vote How to Be a Detective 1937 The Romance of Digestion Give Till It Hurts Decathlon Champion: The Story of Glenn Morris What Do You Think? 1938 The Magician's Daughter Follow the Arrow 1939 Double Diving Happily Buried Prophet Without Honor Radio Hams Take a Cue Set 'em Up Let's Talk Turkey 1940 Pound Foolish Golden Gloves Dreams 1943 All by Myself You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith 1944 Pardon My Rhythm This Is the Life Reckless Age 1945 George White's Scandals 1947 The Devil Thumbs a Ride 1948 The Winner's Circle 1949 The Threat 1950 Guilty of Treason The Golden Gloves Story The Man Who Cheated Himself 1951 Fixin' Fool Tomorrow Is Another Day The Basketball Fix 1952 The Big Trees This Woman Is Dangerous Babes in Bagdad Battles of Chief Pontiac 1953 The Man Behind the Gun Donovan's Brain 1955 Pirates of Tripoli I Credited for the lyrics of "Lo-Lo" II Credited for the screenplay III Credited as a composer IV Credited as a writer V Uncredited VI Credited for the story VII Credited for the original screenplay

Television YearTitleCredited as Series EpisodeDirectorProducer 1953 The Revlon Mirror Theater "Lullaby" General Electric Theater "The Eye of the Beholder" 1956 Star Stage "The Mountain That Moved" Telephone Time "The Man in the Black Robe" The Jane Wyman Show "Father Forgets” 1956–1957 Zane Grey Theater 5 episodes 1957 Highway Patrol "Gem Robbery" Dr. Christian "Amnesia" Tombstone Territory unknown episodes 1958 Sea Hunt "Sixty Feet Below" Harbourmaster "Strangers in Town" The Texan unknown episodes 1958–1959 The Californians 5 episodes directed, 3 episodes produced 1959 The Deputy "Back to Glory" Riverboat 2 episodes 1960 Bonanza "Blood on the Land" 1960–1961 Adventures in Paradise 17 episodes 1961–1962 Follow the Sun 2 episodes 1962 Bus Stop "Verdict of 12" 1964 Peyton Place unknown episodes 1964–1965 Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea 6 episodes 1965 The Outer Limits "The Probe"