Film historian Neil Roughley has been doing research into the incredibly prolific career of film director Sam Newfield, who is, as Roughley says on his impeccably researched website, “the most prolific feature film director of the American sound era.”
As he adds in his prefatory remarks, “because of his amazing output, no Newfield filmography will ever be complete. The following is an attempt to accurately catalog all of his known features and shorts. Originally online in 1998 and last updated in 2001, I have finally revised the filmography with more accurate information and notes, plus the addition of images. The entire filmography has been revamped from the ground up, and is still a work in progress to some degree.
Although somewhat unorthodox, order is now based on the Production Code Administration (PCA) certificate number instead of the earliest release date. This method generally adheres to the release order anyway, and provides a more accurate and indisputable chronology as the films became available for general distribution. A film could be certified and held back, of course, which was not uncommon; or, rarer, a film could be completed but not submitted for certification until later. Some films were previewed before certification, too. This method, however flawed, provides a balance between production order and release, although exceptions do exist.”
