William Crain (filmmaker)

William Crain (born June 20, 1949)[1] is an American film and television director. He was one of the first black filmmakers from a major film school to achieve commercial success.

William Crain
BornJune 20, 1949 (1949-06-20) (age 75)

Crain was born in Columbus, Ohio.[1] A graduate of UCLA's film school, Crain, unlike many of the "L.A. Rebellion" filmmakers who made films of a deeply personal or political nature, made work consisting almost entirely of mainstream and genre-driven works.[citation needed] Throughout the 1970s, he directed TV shows and movies.[2]

In 1972, at the age of 23, he directed Blacula.[3] While largely ignored by critics, the film has become somewhat of a cult favorite[4] and made a name for actor William Marshall, who played the title character. Crain did other films and then returned to TV show installments, which he continues to do today.

Many sources confuse him with another Bill/William Crain who produced educational short films in the 1970s and directed Mirage (1990) and Midnight Fear (1991).

Filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b "William Crain". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Ramsey, Mike (2021-10-17). "'Blacula' director swoops into Chicago to talk '70s low-budget horror". WBBM NEWSRADIO. Audacy. Archived from the original on 2022-12-08. Retrieved 2024-04-15. The African-American director worked on some of the most popular television shows of the 1970s, including 'The Mod Squad,' 'S.W.A.T' and 'Starsky and Hutch.'
  3. ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (2021-08-09). "Blacula Was About the Respectable Monster Haunting Us All". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
  4. ^ Anderson, Lea (2024-03-16) [2022-07-27]. "Celebrating 50 Years Of BLACULA". Fangoria. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
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