Joseph Kane

In his teens and early twenties, Joseph Kane displayed a talent for music and played cello for many years before discovering motion pictures. In 1926 he started as a ''cutter,'' or editor, and eight years later began co-directing serials for Republic, moving on to directing primarily low-budget Westerns including early John Wayne vehicles such as "The Lonely Trail" and "King of the Pecos," both from 1936. In addition, Kane directed a number of features by popular singing cowboys Gene Autry and Roy Rogers including "Melody Trail," "Billy the Kid Returns" and "Shine On, Harvest Moon." Kane remained with Republic as a top house director and by 1939 began producing films as well, eventually being credited as an associate producer or producer on more than sixty features. Later, Kane took on bigger budgeted Republic films, producing and directing "Flame of Barbary Coast" and "Dakota" with John Wayne, and "The Maverick Queen" with Barbara Stanwyck from 1956. In the late 1950s and 1960s Kane moved easily into television, directing several episodes for the Westerns "Bonanza," "Rawhide" and "Laramie." Kane's last film credit was the 1975 independent feature, "Smoke in the Wind," co-starring long-time character actor Walter Brennan, whom Kane had directed in the 1940s and 1950s, and co-directed by Brennan's son Andy.