Sidney Salkow
Sidney Salkow was my Directing Professor at CSUN. Although it was for 1 year, he had a major impact on me. I was captivated with his knowledge of the old studio system that he took part in. He was part of an era that made movies on a weekly basis and honed their craft that become 2nd nature. I was also fascinated with all the stories of the Studio Chiefs he had to deal with being in that system, I was hooked. They don't make movie like use-to.
After dropping out as a senior at CSUN, I stayed in touch with him until he passed away in 2000. I would give him updates on my progress in the business and he always encouraged me to keep going with my endeavors in film. Thus, naming the Backlot after Sidney just seemed so fitting.
​
-Roland Cañamar/Studio Chief, SDF
1909-2000
By ROBERTO J. MANZANO, Times Staff Writer
Sidney Salkow directed more than 50 motion pictures and a number of television programs, and later headed the film program at Cal State Northridge. Born to Hungarian parents in New York City, Salkow first worked as a child actor in theater. He later attended City College of New York, and received a master's degree from Columbia University, his widow, Patricia, said Tuesday. At 19, Salkow was admitted to Harvard Law School, "but the lure of the stage drew him away from that," Patricia Salkow said.
He directed two plays on Broadway, then signed a contract in the early 1930s with Paramount Studios. Early in his career, he directed films starring the Three Stooges and Bing Crosby. Salkow wasn't the only member of his family to find his calling in Hollywood. His brothers, Lester and Irving, became successful agents. Their father, Louis, was a tailor for Western Costume, a major outfitter to the film industry.
At the beginning of World War II, Salkow joined the Marines, rising to the rank of major. He suffered shrapnel injuries to his back when Japanese planes attacked an aircraft carrier, where he was part of a film unit documenting the war. After the war, Salkow returned to his film career and directed and wrote many films, including "Faithful in My Fashion" (1946), "Sitting Bull" (1954), "Twice-Told Tales" (1963) and "Last Man on Earth" (1964). He also directed episodes of the TV shows "The Addams Family" and "Lassie." In the early 1970s, Salkow began teaching film at Northridge, where he became a professor emeritus and headed the film side of the Radio, Television and Film Department.
At 62, Salkow returned to college and earned a master's of fine arts at USC. "He really put our film program together," said Karen Kearns, a Northridge professor. Salkow mobilized his studio contacts to secure donations for film equipment for the fledgling program, she said.
During about 20 years at Northridge, Salkow was a popular if demanding film production teacher, Kearns said. "He taught kids if they wanted to succeed in the film industry they had to meet deadlines," Kearns said. "This business is so young-oriented. It was good for him to come and teach because that kept him young."
Sidney Salkow Credits
The Addams Family (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- Morticia, the Decorator (1966)
- Morticia and Gomez vs. Fester and Grandmama (1966)
- Uncle Fester, Tycoon (1965)
- Portrait of Gomez (1965)
1965The Murder Game
1965The Great Sioux Massacre
1964The Long Rifle and the Tomahawk
1964Blood on the Arrow
1964The Quick Gun
1964The Last Man on Earth (: in Italian prints - uncredited)
1962-1963Death Valley Days (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- Deadly Decision (1963)
- The Vintage Years (1962)
- To Walk with Greatness (1962)
- The Hat That Won the West (1962)
1963 Twice-Told Tales
1962 77 Sunset Strip (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- The Snow Job Caper (1962)
- Pattern for a Bomb (1962)
- The Disappearance (1962)
- The Diplomatic Caper (1962)
1962Ernestine (TV Movie)
1962The Comedy Spot (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Soft Touch (1962)
1962Bronco (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Immovable Object (1962)
1961-1962Surfside 6 (TV Series) (3 episodes)
- Irish Pride (1962)
- Separate Checks (1962)
- Prescription for Panic (1961)
1962Maverick (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- The Troubled Heir (1962)
- Marshal Maverick (1962)
1961The Roaring 20's (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- So's Your Old Man (1961)
- The Duke on the Bum (1961)
1961Hawaiian Eye (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Kupua of Coconut Bay (1961)
1960-1961The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (TV Series) (12 episodes)
- The Law Must Be Fair (1961)
- Wyatt Earp's Baby (1961)
- Doc Holliday Faces Death (1961)
- Billy Buckett, Incorporated (1961)
- The Too Perfect Crime (1960)
Show all 12 episodes
1961Michael Shayne (TV Series) (5 episodes)
- Murder Is a Fine Art (1961)
- Murder at the Convention (1961)
- The Heiress (1961)
- Four Lethal Ladies (1961)
- Spotlight on a Corpse (1961)
1960Overland Trail (TV Series) (3 episodes)
- The Vigilantes of Montana (1960)
- All the O'Mara's Horses (1960)
- Westbound Stage (1960)
1960The Big Night
1959-1960Shotgun Slade (TV Series) (8 episodes)
- The Deadfall (1960)
- Ring of Death (1960)
- Lost Gold (1960)
- Charcoal Bullet (1960)
- A Flower on Boot Hill (1960)
Show all 8 episodes
1960Simon Lash: The Black Book (TV Movie)
1957-1959Tales of Wells Fargo (TV Series) (6 episodes)
- Clay Allison (1959)
- The Tall Texan (1959)
- The Walking Mountain (1958)
- The Silver Bullets (1957)
- Stage to Nowhere (1957)
Show all 6 episodes
1959Mike Hammer (TV Series) (3 episodes)
- A Haze on the Lake (1959)
- The Commodore (1959) ... (as Sid Salkow)
- The Last Aloha (1959)
1957-1959State Trooper (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- The Choker (1959)
- Death on the Rock (1957)
- Coate of Many Colors (1957)
- Rocking Chair Bandit (1957)
1958This Is Alice (TV Series) (38 episodes)
- When the Bough Breaks (1958)
- Weight Lifter (1958)
- Two Yanks in Georgia (1958)
- Trial Balloon (1958)
- Too Many Fathers (1958)
Show all 38 episodes
1957Along the Mohawk Trail
1956-1957Fury (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- Pee Wee Grows Up (1957)
- The Tomboy (1957)
- My Horse Ajax (1957)
- Joey and the Little League (1956)
1957Casey Jones (TV Series) (1 episode)
- Night Mail (1957)
1957Chicago Confidential
1957Gun Duel in Durango
1957Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans (TV Series) (1 episode)
- Hawkeye's Homecoming (1957)
1957The Iron Sheriff
1956The Count of Monte Cristo (TV Series) (10 episodes)
- An Affair of Honour (1956)
- Andorra (1956)
- The Duel (1956)
- The Golden Blade (1956)
- The First Train to Paris (1956)
Show all 10 episodes
1955-1956Soldiers of Fortune (TV Series) (4 episodes)
- The Black Cat Waits (1956)
- Drums of Far Island (1955)
- Return of the Hawk (1955)
- Gypsy Prince (1955)
1956Gun Brothers
1956Crusader (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Secret (1956)
1955The Toughest Man Alive
1955Robbers' Roost
1955The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Boy with the Beautiful Mother (1955)
1955Las Vegas Shakedown
1954-1955Lassie (TV Series) (9 episodes)
- The Snake (1955)
- Father (1955)
- Runaways (1955)
- The Fighter (1954)
- The Rustlers (1954)
Show all 9 episodes
1954Sitting Bull
1953-1954Cavalcade of America (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- The Absent Host (1954)
- Breakfast at Nancy's (1953)
1953General Electric Theater (TV Series) (2 episodes)
- Test of Love (1953)
- Bilshan and the Thief (1953)
1953Raiders of the Seven Seas
1953Jack McCall, Desperado
1953Prince of Pirates
1952The Pathfinder
1952Your Jeweler's Showcase (TV Series) (1 episode)
- The Hand of St. Pierre
1952The Golden Hawk
1952Scarlet Angel
1951La rivale dell'imperatrice
1950Shadow of the Eagle
1950Fugitive Lady
1948Sword of the Avenger
1947Bulldog Drummond at Bay
1947Millie's Daughter
1946Faithful in My Fashion
1943The Boy from Stalingrad
1943City Without Men
1942Flight Lieutenant
1942The Adventures of Martin Eden
1941Tillie the Toiler
1941Time Out for Rhythm
1941The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance
1940The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date
1940Girl from God's Country
1940The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady
1940The Lone Wolf Strikes
1940Cafe Hostess
1939Flight at Midnight
1939She Married a Cop
1939The Zero Hour
1939Street of Missing Men
1939Woman Doctor
1939Fighting Thoroughbreds
1938Storm Over Bengal
1938The Night Hawk
1937That's My Story!
1937Behind the Mike
1937Girl Overboard
1936Four Days' Wonder