George Sidney(1916-2002)

George was the son of Louis K. Sidney the vice president of M.G.M, and Hazel Mooney of The Mooney Sisters. He began at the age of five working with Tom Mix as 'The Littlest Cowboy'. At fourteen, he was a messenger at MGM. At eighteen, he directed 'Our Gang' comedies and at twenty he moved to directing screen tests and shorts. After winning two Oscars for 'Best Short, he was promoted to feature director and won a 3rd Oscar for Best Short in 1953 ('The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture'). He held the record for 15 consecutive box office hits, some grossing $30 million in an era of 50 cent tickets. .He retired at 49 and became a paleontologist, art historian, U.S.C. law school graduate (passing his bar exam), lectured to university students and took photographs, building up an archive of over a million negatives. He was the youngest member when he joined the Directors Guild of America (known as the Screen Directors Guild) and became the youngest member of the organisation, serving for sixteen years.