Norman Z. McLeod


Norman Zenos McLeod was an American film director, cartoonist, and writer.
McLeod made several successful and influential movies such as Taking A Chance, Monkey Business, Horse Feathers, Alice in Wonderland, Topper, Pennies from Heaven, There Goes My Heart, Merrily We Live, Topper Takes a Trip, Little Men, Panama Hattie, Jackass Mail, and his last, Alias Jesse James. Other memorable films directed by McLeod includes It's a Gift with W.C. Fields, the Danny Kaye comedy, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and The Paleface starring Bob Hope. In his later years, McLeod was recruited by writer Rod Serling to direct silent film comedy legend Buster Keaton in the 1961 Richard Matheson-penned Once Upon a Time episode of Serling's classic CBS Television series The Twilight Zone.

Personal life

He was educated at the University of Washington and spent two years as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Service in France during World War I. He was married to Evelyn Ward, whom he married in 1926, until his death on January 26, 1964, from a stroke at age 64. McLeod was buried in the Court of Freedom courtyard at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
On February 8, 1960, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his contributions to the motion pictures industry at 1724 Vine Street.