Hollingshead began his career as an assistant director, with his first work being the
1916 film The Shrine Girl, in which he also had an acting role. Through the
silent film era, Hollingshead assisted in the direction of thirteen films, and continued as an assistant director until
1934. He joined
Warner Bros. in 1921, where he remained until his death.[1]
He produced his first film, Morocco Nights, in 1934. This started him on the path of producing, which would lead to enormous success. From 1934 to
1953, Hollingshead produced 174 films and
film shorts. He received sixteen
Oscar nominations, and won six Oscars, including for the short film Star in the Night (1945). In 1944, he produced the 16-minute film I Am an American, featured in American theaters as a short feature. The film was created in connection with "I Am an American Day", now called
Constitution Day. Hollingshead was the cousin of the mother of actress
Gene Tierney.
Death
He was residing in
Balboa Island, California at the time of his death on July 8, 1952, aged 60.[2] Three of his short films were released posthumously in 1953.
Home video availability
Hollingshead's shorts can also be found as extras on DVDs of classic Warner Bros. films of the period:
The Romance of Robert Burns is on the DVD of
Hollywood Hotel