Herman C. Raymaker — Biographical Sketch (1927) 🇺🇸
Herman C. Raymaker is a native son. He was born and raised in sunny California and has spent practically all of his life there. The peculiar part of his advent into the picture industry is that he broke in through a pact with a girl while the pair were participating in amateur theatricals in high school at Petaluma, California.
Both the girl and Raymaker were ambitious to break into the theatrical or picture profession. So they made a pact that if either succeeded in getting a job he or she would try to help the other do so. Hallie Manning was the girl and it was not a romance. She got a job with the old Kalem in 1915 and made good and proceeded to get Raymaker a job doing stunts.
By dint of hard work and long hours, Raymaker made rapid progress. His first real picture was with Charles Chaplin in “Dough and Dynamite.” He was very ambitious and in just a year and one-half he was directing pictures. Among the prominent players he first directed were Charley Murray [Charles Murray], Chester Conklin, Mal St. Clair, Eddie Sutherland [A. Edward Sutherland], Louise Fazenda and Ben Turpin. As a two-reel comedy director he directed Triangles, Hall Room Boys, Baby Peggy, Mack Swain, Hank Mann and Monty Banks. He also made Monty Banks’ first feature picture, “Racing Luck,” for Associated Exhibitors.
With Warner Bros., Raymaker was very successful. He directed several of the Rin-Tin-Tin starring vehicles, including “Tracked in the Snow Country,” “Below the Line,” “Heroes of the Big Snow” and “The Night Cry.” Others of his Warner pictures were, “His Jazz Bride,” “Millionaires,” “The Love Hour,” “The Gay Old Bird” and “Simple Sis.”
Raymaker is back with Monty Banks now, his latest picture being “Flying Luck.” And he is preparing another story for the same star. He considers his best picture “The Night Cry,” with Rin-Tin-Tin. He says he gets his greatest thrill in life out of every preview when the picture goes over.
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Herman C. Raymaker — Director
Recent Releases
- The Night Cry
- Simple Sis
- Millionaires
Now Producing
- “Flying Luck” starring Monty Banks
Collection: Motion Picture News, October 1927 (Booking Guide and Studio Directory)