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Jean Yarbrough

Jean Yarbrough not only came of age during the mid-20th-century heyday of the B movie, but also helped define it. Working for the low-budget production house Monogram Pictures, among others, he helped crank out scores of films with such titles as "King of the Zombies" (1941) and "Criminal Investigator" ('42). During the war years, Yarbrough was fortunate to win a job directing films starring the popular comedy duo Abbott and Costello. He helmed several of the pair's efforts, including the '45 period piece "The Naughty Nineties," which featured the team's classic routine "Who's on First?" A few years later, the prolific and seemingly tireless Yarbrough also directed a plethora of episodes of the pair's TV series, "The Abbott and Costello Show" ('52). Not long after the two comedians started making films, ensemble comedy group the Bowery Boys got into the movie game. Thanks to his experience, Yarbrough was a natural choice to direct some of these productions. His contributions to the series include "Angels in Disguise" and "Master Minds," both released in '49. All told, Yarbrough's film credits total over 125. Ever energetic, he was also very active in TV, directing episodes of misfit family sitcom "The Addams Family" ('64) and the Western saga "Death Valley Days" ('67), in addition to many other shows.