Director Andrew V. McLaglen Dies at 94

Director Andrew V. McLaglen passed on August 30th at the age of 94.

McLaglen, born in 1920, was the son of Oscar-winning actor Victor McLaglen. Andrew grew up on his father's sets, later learning from John Ford and John Wayne while working as an assistant on films such as THE QUIET MAN (1952).

McLaglen worked as an assistant director on many of Wayne's productions, including BULLFIGHTER AND THE LADY (1951), BIG JIM MCLAIN (1953), and ISLAND IN THE SKY (1953).

Along with Wayne and Wayne's brother Robert Morrison, McLaglen was a co-producer of the classic Western SEVEN MEN FROM NOW (1956), starring Randolph Scott and directed by Budd Boetticher.

McLaglen's first principal directing credit was on GUN THE MAN DOWN (1956) with James Arness.

His Wayne films MCLINTOCK! (1963) and HELLFIGHTERS (1968) were great favorites of all four of my children growing up. My younger daughter once said of HELLFIGHTERS, "Sometimes I just like to watch things blow up!" But there was a lot more to those films which kept my kids returning to see them again and again, starting them on the path to being both Wayne and classic film fans.

McLaglen also directed James Stewart in SHENANDOAH (1965) and THE RARE BREED (1966), the latter costarring Maureen O'Hara.

McLaglen directed countless TV Western episodes, including nearly 100 episodes of GUNSMOKE with Arness and more than 100 episodes of HAVE GUN - WILL TRAVEL with Richard Boone.

Tributes to McLaglen have been posted by Toby at 50 Westerns from the 50s and Colin at Riding the High Country.

Additional obituaries are in the New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter.

Update: An obituary from the Los Angeles Times and a notice provided by his family. I'm glad he got to enjoy the Seahawks winning the Super Bowl!