
Mary Ellen Comes to Town
1920
Director
Directing
Born in Chicago, he was an actor in touring stock companies before making his screen debut in 1912. Joining D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio in 1914, he was cast as Union officer Phil Stoneman in "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and as The Rhapsodie in the Babylonian story of "Intolerance" (1916). He was also a second-unit director for those films. Promoted to director in 1917, Clifton supervised several successful Fine Arts comedies starring Dorothy Gish while continuing to serve as Griffith's assistant. Their association culminated with the blockbuster "Way Down East" (1920). Clifton shot much of its famous "Rescue from the ice" sequence and doubled for star Richard Barthelmess in the riskier scenes. He then left Griffith to form his own production company and had a smash hit with "Down to the Sea in Ships" (1922), a colorful whaling saga made on location in New England. It made a star of future "It Girl" Clara Bow, who appeared as a cross-dressing stowaway. In 1923 Clifton signed a lucrative seven-year contract with Fox and was poised to become one of Hollywood's major directors. Then tragedy struck. He was filming "The Warrens of Virginia" in Texas when his lead actress died from burns in an accident on the set. Although Clifton was blameless in the incident, he was fired by Fox and his career never regained its momentum.

1920
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1916
as The Rhapsode (Babylonian Story)

1942
Screenplay

1949
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1943
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1939
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1948
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1943
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1937
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1941
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1942
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1915
as Stoneman's Elder Son Phil

1943
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1928
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1917
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1944
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1949
Director

1935
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1922
Producer

1944
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1944
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1935
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1941
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1944
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1940
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1936
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1942
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1941
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1944
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1936
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1936
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1935
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1944
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1935
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1945
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1944
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1948
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1950
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1944
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1943
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1936
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1936
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1941
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1944
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1938
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1936
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1938
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1938
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1937
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1918
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1928
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1944
Screenplay

1915
as Allison Edwards

1914
as Charley Bates

1916
as Horace Gaylord

1914
as Cub Reporter

1915
as Phillip Clyde - Evelyn's Fiancé
1914
as The Sympathtic Publisher

1914
as Frank (Carol's country lover)

1915
as Cuthbert

1916
as Ned Fowler

1917
as Jimmie
1915
as Marashida
1914

2019
as Phil
1914
as Jack Holt
1916
as Wilbur Howard

1916
as Steve Coburn
1914
as Jack, 3rd period

1928
Director

1943
Writer

1947
Screenplay

1950
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1943
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1944
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1935
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1938
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1938
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1935
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1918
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1918
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1917
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1946
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1945
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1927
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1918
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1949
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1944
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1943
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1936
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1942
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1943
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1944
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1945
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1917
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1946
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1947
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1938
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1917
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1917
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1917
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1917
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1918
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1918
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1928
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1924
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1918
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1923
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1929
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1919
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1931
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1919
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1946
Screenplay

1918
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1919
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1919
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1919
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1919
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1929
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1931
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1935
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1918
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1924
Director
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