J. Searle Dawley, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

J. Searle Dawley

American director and screenwriter

Date of Birth: 13-May-1877

Place of Birth: Colorado, United States

Date of Death: 30-Mar-1949

Profession: screenwriter, film director

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Taurus

James Searle Dawley (May 13, 1877 – March 30, 1949) was an American producer, director and screenwriter.
He directed 149 silent films between 1907 and 1926.
He was born in Del Norte, Colorado, and died in Hollywood, California. Searley is best remembered for directing the Thomas Edison version of Frankenstein in 1910.
He reportedly referred to himself as the first motion picture director, which was not accurate.
He worked for a while at Edison's studio, then started his own production company, being quite successful financially, although most of his films are little known today.
When critics began to regard the films of his day to be immoral, Searley became one of the founding members of the MPDA (Motion Picture Directors Association) which sought to give filmmakers who advocated good taste the power of self-censorship.