William Keighley

William Jackson Keighley, born on August 4, 1889 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an acclaimed American stage actor and Hollywood film director. He began a multifaceted career at the age of 23 after graduating from the Ludlum School of Dramatic Art. By the 1910s and 1920s, he was already active in the entertainment sector as an actor and director on Broadway. With the advent of sound in films, also known as 'talkies', he migrated his talents to the growing film industry in Hollywood. Keighley was later signed with Warner Bros., a recognized leader in the film and TV industry.

During World War II, he made remarkable contributions as a superintendent of the First Motion Picture Unit of the United States Army Air Forces. One of his noteworthy projects was 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', however, he was replaced by Michael Curtiz during the production of the film. In 1953, at the age of 64, he retired and moved to Paris.

While in France, he pursued a hobby as a photographer. Yet, his retirement was not an end to his eventful life, for he breathed his last only in New York City at the age of 94, succumbing to a stroke.