Fred Sears

After attending Boston College, Fred F. Sears entered the regional-theatre talent pool as an actor, director and producer. Sears created the famed Little Theatre of Memphis and taught dramatic arts at Southwestern University before being hired by Columbia Pictures as a dialogue coach in 1947. He played supporting parts in several Columbia features before being promoted to director on the studio's Charles Starrett "B" western series. Sears remained at Columbia for the rest of his career, generally working with the ultra-economical Sam Katzman unit. His output consisted of westerns, crime dramas, low-budget musicals (Rock Around the Clock, Cha-Cha-Cha Boom!) and science-fiction flicks. Most observers consider Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) as Sears' finest effort, though credit for most of that film's success must go to special- effects wizard Ray Harryhausen. Fred F. Sears also directed several half-hour playlets for Columbia's TV subsidiary Screen Gems, sometimes lensing as many as three episodes of three different series simultaneously! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide