John H. Auer

Born in Hungary and educated in Vienna, John H. Auer was an actor in European films from the age of 12. After his career as a child actor ended, he entered the business world, but soon decided to rejoin the film industry. He journeyed to Hollywood in 1928 to find work as a director, but came up empty. However, he did sign a contract to direct films in Mexico, and the several films he made there were well-reviewed (and, more importantly, made money) and won awards from the Mexican government. Hollywood noticed, and called him back in the early 1930s. He directed many mostly routine films for various studios, but spent many years at Republic. Although virtually all house directors at Republic made at least a few westerns--that genre being the studio's bread and butter--Auer made none, concentrating mainly on musicals and crime dramas. In addition, unlike most Republic directors, Auer was the producer of most of the films he directed.