William A. Wellman was an American film director especially known for his crime, adventure and action genre films. He also directed several well-regarded satirical comedies. Beginning his career as an actor, he soon moved behind the camera and became a director, producer and consultant. Direction was what gave him the greatest satisfaction and he earned much glory for directing the World War I action movie, ‘Wings’ which became the first motion picture to ever win an Academy Award for Best Picture. The son of an insurance broker who hailed from an upper-class English family, William was a troublemaker as a youngster. Intelligent and restless, he was a mischievous boy who got expelled from high school for delinquent behavior. He took up odd jobs as a teenager and also played professionally for a minor league hockey team. It was during a hockey match that the good looking youngster caught the eye of actor and director, Douglas Fairbanks, who suggested that he become an actor. After serving in the army during the World War I, Wellman ventured into Hollywood and began his career as an actor. However, before long he realized that his true interest was in directing films and not starring in them. Over the course of his career that spanned almost four decades, he directed many films that are now considered an immortal part of Hollywood history.