Film Director. He was best known for directing numerous westerns and lighthearted family films mainly for 20th Century-Fox during the 1930s and 1940s. He was also a Second Unit Director and Assistant Director. He will be best remembered for directing the classic crime mystery film drama, "Charlie Chan In Shanghai" (1935). The film which was written for the screen by Edward T. Lowe Jr., and Gerard Fairlie, and which was based on the character of 'Charlie Chan' by Earl Derr Biggers, and which also starred Warner Oland, Irene Hervey, Jon Hall, Russell Hicks, and Keye Luke, tells the story of when a prominent official is murdered at a banquet honoring Charle Chan, the detective and son Lee team up to expose an opium-smuggling ring. He is also best remembered for directing 25 episodes of the classic detective crime drama television series, "Racket Squad," from 1950 to 1953, which starred Reed Hadley, Hugh Beaumont, and Keith Richards. He was born one of six children as James Stuart Tinling in Seattle, Washington, to Grant Colfax Tinling (1868-1939), and his wife Eva Elizabeth Williams Tinling (1872-1956), on May 8, 1898. He was educated locally and served his country during World War I with an artillery division overseas from July 14, 1918, to February 26, 1919. He was honorably discharged from active duty a month later on March 21, 1919. He then went to Los Angeles, California, and was a prop boy and a stuntman before turning to directing. He made his actual directorial debut with the comedy romance film, "Very Confidential" (1927). The film which was written for the screen by Randall Faye and based on a story by James Kevin McGuinness, and which also starred Madge Bellamy, Patrick Cunning, Mary Duncan, Joseph Cawthorn, Marjorie Beebe, and Isabella Keith, tells the story of Madge Murphy, a fashion model in a sporting goods store, learning that Adelaide Melbourne, "a famous sportswoman, is to spend the Summer in Alaska, conceives the idea of impersonating her at another resort in the hope of winning Roger Allen, who does not know, but greatly admires Miss Melbourne. She puts the deception over, but it involves her in a number of scrapes, trying to live up to her assumed reputation, including the handling of a speed boat and an auto race up a mountain trail, but she comes through triumphant and wins Roger in her proper person against the machinations of Priscilla Travers." Besides, his actual directorial debut with the comedy romance film, "Very Confidential" (1927), and directing the classic crime mystery film drama, "Charlie Chan In Shanghai" (1935), his many other film credits include, "The Dumb Bell" (1921), "The Ancient Mariner" (1925), "The Road To Glory" (1926), "Fig Leaves" (1926), "Soft Living" (1928), "Don't Marry" (1928), "Fazil" (1928), "True Heaven" (1929), "The Exalted Flapper" (1929), "Word's Music" (1929), "One Mad Kiss" (1930), "El precio de un beso" (1930), "The Flood" (1931), "El caballero de la noche" (1932), "El último varon sobre la Tierra" (1933), "Arizona To Broadway" (1933), "The Last Trail" (1933), "Jimmy And Sally" (1933), "Three On A Honeymoon" (1934), "Call It Luck" (1934), "Love Time" (1935), "Married Lady Needs Husband" (1935), "George White's 1935 Scandals" (1935), "Under The Pampas Moon" (1935), "Welcome Home" (1935), "Your Uncle Dudley" (1935), "Every Saturday Night" (1936), "Champagne Charlie" (1936), "Educating Father" (1936), "Pepper" (1936), "Back To Nature" (1936), "The Holy Terror" (1937), "The Great Hospital Mystery" (1937), "Angel's Holiday" (1937), "Sing And Be Happy" (1937), "Ali Baba Goes To Town" (1937), "45 Fathers" (1937), "Change Of Heart" (1938), "Mr. Moto's Gamble" (1938), "Passport Husband" (1938), "Sharpshooters" (1938), "Boy Friend" (1939), "Last of The Duanes" (1941), "Riders Of The Purple Sage" (1941), "Lone Star Ranger" (1942), "The Ox-Bow Incident" (1942), "Sundown Jim" (1942), "Cosmo Jones In The Crime Smasher" (1943), "Immortal Sergeant" (1943), "Rendezvous 24" (1946), "Smoky" (1946), "Deadline For Murder" (1946), "Strange Journey" (1946), "Dangerous Millions" (1946), "Second Chance" (1947), "Roses Are Red" (1947), "Night Wind" (1948), "Trouble Preferred" (1948), and "Tales Of Robin Hood" (1951). Besides, directing 25 episodes of the classic detective crime drama television series, "Racket Squad," from 1950 to 1953, which starred Reed Hadley, Hugh Beaumont, and Keith Richards, his many other television credits include, he also directed episodes of, "Beulah," "The Stu Erwin Show," and "Public Defender." He lastly directed 5 episodes of the classic family western television series, "Fury," from 1959 to 1960, which also starred Peter Graves, William Fawcett, Bobby Diamond, Roger Mobley, Jimmy Baird, and James Seay. He retired from directing shortly thereafter. He passed away in Malibu, California, on May 14, 1967, six days after celebrating his 68th birthday, and he was buried in Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California. He was married twice, first to Margaret Goble Tinling (1905-), in about 1922, and secondly to Helen Marie Tiedeman Tinling (1909-1978), in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, on February 14, 1941, and they remained married until his death on May 14, 1967. He had no children.