Motion Picture Producer, Director. He was jokingly nicknamed "Keeper of the B's" for his long career in low-budget films. Born in Chicago, he was the son of famed vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, Sr. and entered show business as one of The Seven Little Foys. He also wrote the hit song "Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean" for the same-named comedy team. In 1918 Foy left the stage for Hollywood and worked as a gag writer for Buster Keaton before joining Warner Bros.' Vitaphone department in 1926. His experience with sound led to his assignment as director of "Lights of New York" (1928), the first full-fledged talkie feature. He never quite mastered directing, however, and switched to producing in the early 1930s. As head of Warners' B unit he launched the popular "Nancy Drew" and "Torchy Blaine" series and churned out potboilers with stories "ripped from the headlines". During the 1940s he was associated with 20th Century-Fox, but he later returned to Warner Bros. and produced the landmark 3-D thriller "House of Wax" (1953). Foy's 200 other producing credits include "Crime School" (1938), "Guadalcanal Diary" (1943), "Doll Face" (1945), "Trapped" (1949), "I Was a Communist for the FBI" (1951), "Crime Wave" (1954), and "House of Women" (1962). His last film was one of his few in the "A" category, "PT 109" (1963).
Motion Picture Producer, Director. He was jokingly nicknamed "Keeper of the B's" for his long career in low-budget films. Born in Chicago, he was the son of famed vaudeville entertainer Eddie Foy, Sr. and entered show business as one of The Seven Little Foys. He also wrote the hit song "Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Shean" for the same-named comedy team. In 1918 Foy left the stage for Hollywood and worked as a gag writer for Buster Keaton before joining Warner Bros.' Vitaphone department in 1926. His experience with sound led to his assignment as director of "Lights of New York" (1928), the first full-fledged talkie feature. He never quite mastered directing, however, and switched to producing in the early 1930s. As head of Warners' B unit he launched the popular "Nancy Drew" and "Torchy Blaine" series and churned out potboilers with stories "ripped from the headlines". During the 1940s he was associated with 20th Century-Fox, but he later returned to Warner Bros. and produced the landmark 3-D thriller "House of Wax" (1953). Foy's 200 other producing credits include "Crime School" (1938), "Guadalcanal Diary" (1943), "Doll Face" (1945), "Trapped" (1949), "I Was a Communist for the FBI" (1951), "Crime Wave" (1954), and "House of Women" (1962). His last film was one of his few in the "A" category, "PT 109" (1963).
Bio by: Bobb Edwards
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