Leon d’Usseau — Biographical Sketch (1927) 🇺🇸

Perseverance and the keenest desire to learn every phase of his business is what landed Leon d’Usseau near the top of his profession. Where others were satisfied to master the particular angle in which they intended to specialize, d’Usseau wanted to know the why and wherefor of production. That is why he is now supervisor of production at the FBO studios and assistant to William Le Baron [William LeBaron], in charge of production.

Prior to his arrival in Hollywood in 1915, d’Usseau had been, first, an actor on the stage and then a newspaper reporter. From this he worked into the publicity and exploitation field and then into a partnership which controlled six theatres, showing, variously, road plays, vaudeville and pictures.

These experiences gave him a wide knowledge of everything but the production end, and that was the particular end to which he aspired. His first job in the picture studios was that of property man. Having studied art in New York, the evidence of which showed in his dressing of sets, he was quickly given the responsibility of designing and dressing settings. He gained prominence, as a result, by being among the first in the industry to receive screen credit as an art director.

After a year of this, in which he was making rapid advancement, d’Usseau deliberately gave it up to become an assistant director, which he considered a step nearer to his goal. He was not long satisfied as assistant director, so in steady succession he took up cutting, title writing, continuities and original script, establishing himself firmly in each branch.

Then for two years he devoted himself to the assignment of scenario editor, which he gave up to become a director. He made three pictures before William Le Baron took him into the Famous Players’ Astoria studio. When Le Baron withdrew from Famous to become production chief for FBO, he took d’Usseau with him and made him his assistant. In addition he is one of the company’s three supervisors. He is still a keen student of everything that has to do with production, and it is freely predicted around the studios that his progress in the future will be even more rapid than it has been in the past.

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Leon d’Usseau

Supervisor

FBO

1927

• Jake the Plumber
• Beyond London Lights
• The Jungle
• Her Summer Hero
• Ranger of the North
• Breed of Courage
• Beauty Parlor Series

(Two Reel Comedies)

Assistant to William Le Baron

V. Pres. in charge of Production

Collection: Motion Picture News, October 1927 (Booking Guide and Studio Directory)