Fred C. Brannon

Fred Curtis Brannon (April 26, 1901 – April 6, 1953) was an American film director of the 1940s and 1950s. He is known among film buffs as a staff director at Republic Pictures, where he directed or co-directed serials and westerns from 1945 until his death.

His first film, The Purple Monster Strikes (1945), was a collaboration with veteran serial director Spencer Gordon Bennet. Bennet and Brannon (then billed as Fred Brannon) remained a team until 1947, when Bennet left the studio for Sam Katzman's serial unit at Columbia Pictures. Brannon then became Republic's principal serial director (now billed as Fred C. Brannon) and continued to direct serials and western features for the studio for the next six years.

Death Brannon died on April 6, 1953 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital in Los Angeles, a few weeks short of his 52nd birthday. He was interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Filmography 1945: The Purple Monster Strikes 1946: The Phantom Rider (as Fred Brannon) 1946: King of the Forest Rangers (as Fred Bannon) 1946: Daughter of Don Q 1946: The Crimson Ghost 1947: Son of Zorro 1947: Jesse James Rides Again 1947: The Black Widow 1948: G-Men Never Forget 1948: Dangers of the Canadian Mounted (as Fred Bannon) 1948: Adventures of Frank and Jesse James (as Fred Brannon) 1949: Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc. 1949: Ghost of Zorro 1949: Frontier Investigator 1949: King of the Rocket Men 1949: Bandit King of Texas 1949: The James Brothers of Missouri 1949: Radar Patrol vs. Spy King 1950: Gunmen of Abilene 1950: Code of the Silver Sage 1950: Salt Lake Raiders 1950: The Invisible Monster 1950: Desperadoes of the West 1950: Vigilante Hideout 1950: Rustlers on Horseback 1950: Flying Disc Man from Mars 1951: Arizona Manhunt 1951: Lost Planet Airmen 1951: Government Agents vs Phantom Legion 1951: Don Daredevil Rides Again 1951: Night Riders of Montana 1951: Rough Riders of Durango 1952: Radar Men from the Moon 1952: Captive of Billy the Kid 1952: Wild Horse Ambush 1952: Zombies of the Stratosphere 1953: Jungle Drums of Africa 1955: Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe

The following feature films, credited to Fred Brannon, were compiled from his serials and released to theaters or television: 1951: Lost Planet Airmen (theatrical feature condensed from King of the Rocket Men) 1958: Missile Monsters (theatrical feature condensed from Flying Disc Man from Mars) 1958: Satan's Satellites (theatrical feature condensed from Zombies of the Stratosphere) 1959: Ghost of Zorro (theatrical feature condensed from the serial of the same name) 1966: Cyclotrode "X" (television feature condensed from The Crimson Ghost) 1966: R.C.M.P. and the Treasure of Genghis Khan (television feature condensed from Dangers of the Canadian Mounted) 1966: D-Day on Mars (television feature condensed from The Purple Monster Strikes) 1966: Retik, the Moon Menace (television feature condensed from Radar Men from the Moon) 1966: U-238 and the Witch Doctor (television feature condensed from Jungle Drums of Africa) 1966: Slaves of the Invisible Monster (television feature condensed from The Invisible Monster) 1966: Code 645 (television feature condensed from G-Men Never Forget)