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Joseph Kane

1894 – 1975

American film director

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About Joseph Kane

Lived 1894 – 1975 (aged 81). Joseph Kane was an American film director, cellist, film editor, screenwriter, film producer and manufacturer.

Jasper Joseph Inman Kane (March 19, 1894 – August 25, 1975) was an American film director, film producer, film editor and screenwriter. He is best known for his extensive directorship and focus on Western films.

Biography Kane began his career as a professional cellist. In 1934 he took an interest in film directing and, starting in 1935, he co-directed serials for Mascot Pictures and Republic Pictures. He soon became Republic's top Western film director.

Unlike most Republic house directors, Kane was also credited as associate producer on many of his films. During 1939–57 he was a major film producer, producing over 60 films. Kane was also a film editor and screenwriter responsible for the editing process of over 20 of his films, and he had a brief stint as an actor.

During the 1950s Kane worked steadily in television, with emphasis on Westerns and action series. He spent the last decade of his life as a second-unit director on such productions as Universal Studios Beau Geste (1966) and In Enemy Country (1968).

Kane died on August 25, 1975, in Santa Monica, California.

Partial filmography

The Blind Trail (1926) The Cherokee Kid (1927) The Bronc Stomper (1928) Yellow Contraband (1928) The Boss of Rustler's Roost (1928) The Black Ace (1928) The Pride of Pawnee (1929) .45 Calibre War (1929) Big Money (1930) The Big Gamble (1931) with William Boyd In Old Santa Fe (1934) with Ken Maynard, George "Gabby" Hayes, and Gene Autry Tumbling Tumblingweeds (1935) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette The Headline Woman (1935) Melody Trail (1935) with Gene Autry, Ann Rutherford, and Smiley Burnette The Lawless Nineties (1936) with John Wayne, Ann Rutherford and George "Gabby" Hayes Darkest Africa with Clyde Beatty King of the Pecos (1936) with John Wayne and Muriel Evans The Lonely Trail (1936) with John Wayne and Ann Rutherford Guns and Guitars (1936) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Oh, Susanna! (1936) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Ride Ranger Ride (1936) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette The Old Corral (1936) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Undersea Kingdom (1936) Git Along, Little Dogies (1937) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Round-Up Time in Texas (1937) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge (1937) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Public Cowboy No. 1 (1937) with Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Ann Rutherford Boots and Saddles (1937) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Springtime in the Rockies (1937) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Heart of the Rockies (1937) The Old Barn Dance (1938) with Gene Autry, Smiley Burnette, and Roy Rogers Under Western Stars (1938) with Roy Rogers (in his first lead role) and Smiley Burnette Gold Mine in the Sky (1938) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Man from Music Mountain (1938) with Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette Come On, Rangers (1938) with Roy Rogers Shine On, Harvest Moon (1938) with Roy Rogers In Old Monterey (1939) with Gene Autry and Sarie and Sallie Days of Jesse James (1939) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes Colorado (1940) with Roy Rogers Sheriff of Tombstone (1941) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes Robin Hood of the Pecos (1941) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes Man from Cheyenne (1942) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes Sons of the Pioneers (1942) with Roy Rogers Romance on the Range (1942) with Roy Rogers and George "Gabby" Hayes The Man from Music Mountain (1943) with Roy Rogers King of the Cowboys (1943) with Roy Rogers and Smiley Burnette The Cowboy and the Senorita (1944) with Roy Rogers The Yellow Rose of Texas (1944) with Roy Rogers Flame of Barbary Coast (1945) with John Wayne and William Frawley Dakota (1945) with John Wayne and Walter Brennan Wyoming (1947) The Last Bandit (1949) Brimstone (1949) California Passage (1950) Ride the Man Down (1952) with Brian Donlevy and Ella Raines Hoodlum Empire (1952) with Brian Donlevy and Claire Trevor Fair Wind to Java (1953) with Fred MacMurray, Vera Ralston, and Robert Douglas Jubilee Trail (1954) with Vera Ralston Timberjack (1955) with Sterling Hayden and Hoagy Carmichael The Road to Denver (1955) with John Payne, Mona Freeman, Lee J. Cobb, Ray Middleton, and Skip Homeier Accused of Murder (1956) with David Brian, Vera Ralston, and Sidney Blackmer The Maverick Queen (1956) with Barbara Stanwyck The Crooked Circle (1957) with John Smith and Fay Spain Track of Thunder (1967) with Faith Domergue The Search for the Evil One (1967) with Lee Patterson and Lisa Pera Smoke in the Wind (1975) with Walter Brennan

Notable actors directed by Kane

Robert Armstrong Gene Autry Clyde Beatty Scott Brady Walter Brennan Edgar Buchanan Smiley Burnette Rod Cameron Lee Van Cleef

Elisha Cook, Jr. Jim Davis Paul Fix Sterling Hayden George "Gabby" Hayes Jack Ingram Chubby Johnson Fred MacMurray

Gerald Mohr Peggy Moran Jack O'Shea Roy Rogers Ann Rutherford Barbara Stanwyck John Wayne Hank Worden

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Important facts

People in Joseph Kane's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Joseph Kane's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Joseph Kane?

American film director (1894–1975)

When was Joseph Kane born?

Joseph Kane was born on 19 March 1894 in San Diego.

When did Joseph Kane die?

Joseph Kane died on 25 August 1975 in Santa Monica.

What was Joseph Kane's occupation?

Joseph Kane was a film director, cellist, film editor, screenwriter, film producer and manufacturer.

What nationality was Joseph Kane?

Joseph Kane was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Joseph Kane

· Wikidata: Q555092

· DBpedia: Joseph Kane

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Joseph Kane. https://biography.guide/joseph-kane/

MLA: "Joseph Kane." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/joseph-kane/.

Chicago: "Joseph Kane." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/joseph-kane/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-23 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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