George E. Marshall (1891-1975) was an American actor, screenwriter, producer, film and television director active through the first six decades of movie history. He began as an actor in 1916 and within a year he moved on to writing and directing. The majority of his early assignments were two-reel westerns and adventure serials. In the 1920's, Marshall worked with cowboy star Tom Mix and then became a comedy specialist for Mack Sennett. At Fox, he served as supervising director on the studio's comedic output between 1925 and 1930. At the beginning of the sound era, Marshall joined Hal Roach and directed comedies with Thelma Todd, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Economic conditions forced a downsizing at Roach, and Marshall returned to Fox in 1934, staying there for four years, then worked at Universal (1939-40) and Paramount (1942-50 and 1952-54). One of his biggest critical and financial successes was the classic western Destry Rides Again (1939). Freelancing over the next two decades, Marshall turned out three vehicles for Glenn Ford: a western, The Sheepman (1958); and two comedies The Gazebo (1959) and Advance to the Rear (1964). He was one of three directors assigned individual segments of How the West Was Won (1962). Towards the end of his career he directed episodes of the television series Daniel Boone (1964) and Here's Lucy (1968). Marshall retired from the film industry in 1972.