Christy Cabanne (pronounced “CAB-a-nay”) spent several years in the US Navy, leaving the service in 1908. He decided on a career in the theater, and became a director as well as an actor. Although acting was his main profession, when he finally broke into the film industry it was chiefly as a director after appearing in over 40 short films between 1911-14. He signed on with the Fine Arts Co., then was employed as an assistant to D.W. Griffith. Miriam Cooper credited him with discovering her as an extra in 1912. Being a published author, he was hired by Metro Pictures to write a serial. After that he formed his own production company, but shut it down only a few years later. He then became a director for hire, mainly of low- to medium-budget films for such studios as FBO, Associated Exhibitors, Tiffany and Pathe, although he worked at MGM on a few occasions in the mid- to late 1920s on films such as The Midshipman (1925). Cabanne directed legendary child actress Shirley Temple in The Red-Haired Alibi (1932) in her first ever credited role in a feature-length movie. In the 1930s Christy Cabanne made many films with Universal. By the 1940s he continued to direct Universal’s popular “B” pictures, and made himself available to low-budget, independent producers. In 1947 he directed a Bela Lugosi thriller, Scared to Death, which was experimental in that it was photographed on semi-professional, economical 16mm color film. (Robert L. Lippert released it on standard 35mm film in 1947.) Christy Cabanne was married to Millicent Fisher. They had two children, a son William and daughter Audrey.