George Sherman, a renowned American film director, embarked on his cinematic journey by arriving in California aboard the SS Mongolia, a ship that departed from his birthplace, New York City, where he served as a bellboy. Subsequently, he pursued a career in the film industry, commencing in the mail room at Warner Brothers before ascending the ranks to become an assistant director.
By 1937, Sherman had earned his directorial stripes under contract with Republic Pictures, specializing primarily in "B" westerns, including the iconic "Three Mesquiteers" series, which featured a young John Wayne. Occasionally, he ventured into action and horror themes, often striking a balance between style and substance. Variety Magazine praised his direction of the "Mesquiteers" series, highlighting his ability to infuse a sense of poetry in motion into his scenes, particularly his "unified timing of cowboys mounting, riding, wheeling, galloping, and dismounting of steeds" (July 2, 1939).
From 1940, Sherman also took on the role of associate producer for many of his films. The diminutive director, standing at 5'0", consistently delivered reliable low-budget productions for Columbia Pictures between 1945-48, before moving on to Universal Pictures for another eight years. Subsequently, he transitioned to freelancing and television work.
Notably, Sherman's only "A"-grade productions were two westerns starring John Wayne: The Comancheros (1961),where he served as a producer, and Big Jake (1971),which he directed, although John Wayne took over direction when Sherman fell ill.
