A tourné beaucoup avec Laurel et Hardy et W.C.Fields.Il a été un grand cinéaste comique puis un cinéste sentimental.
Il a été jusqu'au mélodrame.
Il a commencé comme assistant réalisateur puis entre 1923 et 1929 il a été un des piliers des studios Hal Roach.Il était chargé de réaliser des films pour :
-max davidson
-Charley Chase
-Laurel et Hardy .
Il réalise donc des films muets de 20 minutes dont beaucoup seront des chefs d'oeuvre.
Il utilise le procédé "oeil pou oeil" et utilise l'espace et le déséquilibre entre l'homme et
cet espace.
Lorsque le parlant arrive il va travailler avec les Marx Brothers "La soupe aux canards" ...
"L'extravagant Mr Ruggles" sera une satire sociale.Il tournera avec Gary Grant "Cette sacrée vérité" archétype de la comédie américaine.
Et pour finir deux beaux films avec Bing Crosby : "La route semée d'étoiles" et "les cloches de Sainte-Marie".
Il a eu 3 Oscars.
SOCIETY SECRETS ... 1921
PUBLICITY DAYS ... 1924
YOUNG OLDFIELDS ... 1924
STOLEN GOODS .... 1924
JEFFRIES JR ... 1924
WHY HUSBANDS GO MAD? .... 1924
A TEN MINUTE EGG ...1924
SEEING NELLIE HOME ... 1924
SWEET DADDY ... 1924
WHY MEN WORK... 1924
OUTDOOR PAJAMAS ... 1924
SITTIN 'PRETTY ...1924
TOO MANY MAMAS ... 1924
BUNGALOW BOOBS ... 1924
ACCIDENTAL ACCIDENTS ... 1924
ALL WET ... 1924
THE POOR FISH ... 1924
THE ROYAL RAZZ .... 1924
THE RAT'S KNUCKLES ... 1925
HELLO BABY ... 1925
FIGHTING FLUID ... 1925
THE FAMILY ENTRANCE ... 1925
PLAIN AND FANCY GIRLS ... 1925
SHOULD HUSBANDS BE WATCHED? ... 1925
HARD BOILED ... 1925
IS MARRIAGE THE BUNK ... 1925
BAD BOY ... 1925
BIG RED RIDING HOOD ... 1925
LOOKING FOR SALLY ... 1925
WHAT PRICE GOOFY ... 1925
ISN'T LIFE TERRIBLE?... 1925
INNOCENT HUSBANDS ... 1925
NO FATHER TO GUIDE HIM ... 1925
THE CARETAKER'S DAUGHTER ... 1925
THE UNEASY THREE ... 1925
HOLD EVERYTHING ... 1925
HIS WOODEN WEDDING ... 1925
CHARLEY MY BOY ... 1926
MAMA BEHAVE ... 1926
DOG SHY ... 1926
MUM'S THE WORLD ... 1926
LONG FLIV THE KING ... 1926
MIGHTY LIKE A MOOSE ... 1926
CRAZY LIKE A FOX .... 1926
BROMO AND JULIET ... 1926
TELL'EM NOTHING ... 1926
BE YOUR AGE ... 1926
SHOULD MEN WALK HOME ... 1927
WHY GIRLS SAY NO ... 1927
JEWISH PRUDENCE ... 1927
EVE'S LOVE LETTERS ... 1927
DON'T TELL EVRYTHING ... 1927
SUGAR DADDIES ... 1927
WHAT EVERY ICEMAN KNOWS .... 1927
SHOULD SECOND HUSBANDS COME FIRST ? ... 1927
THE WAY OF ALL PANTS ... 1927
US .... 1927
FLAMING FATHERS 1927
PASS THE GRAVY ... 1928
THE FAMILY GROUP ... 1928
THE FINISHING TOUCH ... 1928
CAME THE DAWN ... 1928
BLOW BY BLOW ... 1928
TELL IT TO THE JUDGE ...1928
THE FIGHT PEST ... 1928
SHOULD WOMEN DRIVE? ... 1928
IMAGINE MY EMBARRASSMENT ... 1928
SHOULD MARRIED MEN GO HOME? ... 1928
THAT NIGHT ... 1928
DO GENTLEMN SNORE? ... 1928
HABEAS CORPUS ... 1928
FEED' EM AND WEEP ... 1928
WE FAW DOWN ...1928
GOING GA-GA ... 1929
VIVE LA LIBERTE ... LIBERTY ... 1929
WRONG AGAIN ... 1929
WHEN MONEY COMES... 1929
WHY IS A PLUMBER? ... 1929
BIG BUSINESS ... 1929
THE UNKISSED MAN ... 1929
HURDY GURDY ... 1929
MADAME Q ... 1929
DAD'S DAY ... 1929
THE SOPHOMORE ... 1929
RED HOT RHYTHM ...1929
WILD COMPANY ... 1930
LET'GO NATIVE ... 1930
PART TIME WIFE ... 1930
INDISCRET ... INDISCREET ... 1931
LE ROI DE L'ARENE ... THE KID FROM SAPIN ... 1932
LA SOUPE AU CANARD ... DUCK SOUP ... 1933
POKER PARTY ...SIX OF A KIND ... 1934
L'EXTRAVAGANT MR RUGGLES .... RUGGLES OF RED GAP... 1935
PLACE AUX JEUNES ... MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW .... 1937
CETTE SACREE VERITE .... THE AWFUL TRUTH .... 1937
LOVE AFFAIR .... 1939
CE BON VIEUX SAM ....GOOD SAM .... 1948
YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD .... 1951
MY SON JOHN .... 1952