Wendell James Franklin

Wendell James Franklin (1916 – July 22, 1994) was an American film executive, who was the first Black member of the Directors Guild of America starting in 1960. He held several job roles in his career including film and television series director, assistant director, producer, and as a stage manager for live television series.

Career As a young man, Franklin studied acting with Laura Bowman and performed in the theatre with the Lafayette Players. In his early career he was the parking lot attendant for a film studio, and The Bill Cosby Show (from 1969 to 1971). In 1971, Franklin directed the Blaxploitation genre film, Ghetto Revenge (1971).

Filmography Ghetto Revenge (1971), also known as The Bus Is Coming, as film director