E. W. Hammons
# E. W. Hammons

Earle W. Hammons, known professionally as E. W. Hammons (December 2, 1882 – July 31, 1962), was an American film producer, . He produced more than 220 films between 1921 and 1938.

## Biography

Born in Winona, Mississippi, in 1882, Hammons founded Educational Pictures in 1915 with the intention of making educational films for schools. Hammons found that there was a larger market for short comedies in movie theaters, and shifted the firm's focus. Although Educational Pictures would continue to release occasional documentary shorts, its primary output was comedy.

Hammons became a highly respected film executive, and in 1938 he attempted to branch out into the lucrative feature-film market by joining forces with Grand National Pictures. The merger failed, owing to insufficient capital to operate both companies, and Hammons declared bankruptcy in 1940.

He remained a consultant to the industry, associated with documentary shorts for Paramount Pictures during World War II and with ABC-TV in the 1950s. In 1962 he died of a heart ailment, in New Rochelle, New York.

For further discussion of Hammons and his studio, see Educational Pictures and Buster Keaton.

## Selected filmography

* Air Pockets (1924, with Lige Conley)
* The Iron Mule (1925, with Al St. John, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle)
* The Movies (1925, with Lloyd Hamilton, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle)
* Drama Deluxe (1927, with Lupino Lane, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle)
* Honeymooniacs (1929, with Monty Collins, directed by Jules White)
* The Right Bed (1929, with Edward Everett Horton)
* Honeymoon Trio (1931, with Al St. John, Walter Catlett, and Dorothy Granger, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle)
* Windy Riley Goes Hollywood (1931, with Jack Shutta and Louise Brooks, directed by Roscoe Arbuckle)
* Keep Laughing (1932)
* I Surrender Dear (1932, with Bing Crosby)
* Always Kickin' (1932, football comedy)
* The Hitch Hiker (1932, with Harry Langdon and Vernon Dent)
* Two Black Crows in Africa (1933, with Moran and Mack)
* Million Dollar Melody (1933, with Lillian Roth)
* Krakatoa (1933, narrated by Graham McNamee, produced by Joe Rock)
* Dora's Dunkin' Doughnuts (1934, with Andy Clyde and Shirley Temple)
* Hotel Anchovy (1934, with The Ritz Brothers, directed by Al Christie)
* Going Spanish (1934, with Bob Hope)
* Three Cheers for Love (1934, with Sylvia Froos and Warren Hull)
* Grooms in Gloom (1935, with Tom Howard and George Shelton)
* Hail, Brother (1935, with Billy Gilbert and Shemp Howard)
* Dumb Luck (1935, with the Easy Aces)
* Mr. Widget (1935, with Joe Cook)
* Way Up Thar (1935, with Joan Davis, directed by Mack Sennett)
* Blue Blazes (1936, with Buster Keaton)
* Grand Slam Opera (1936, with Buster Keaton)
* Playboy Number One (1937, with Willie Howard)
* Montague the Magnificent (1937, with Bert Lahr)
* The Bashful Ballerina (1937, with Imogene Coca)
* Dates and Nuts (1937, with Herman Timberg, Jr. and Pat Rooney, Jr., and June Allyson)
* Getting an Eyeful (1938, with Danny Kaye)
* All's Fair (1938, with The Cabin Kids)
* Col. Stoopnagle's Cavalcade of Stuff #2 (1939, the final Educational comedy)
