Biography
Like many of his contemporaries, director B. Reeves Eason broke into films in the early teens as a journeyman actor. While working with the American Film Company--an organization with a paucity of experienced directors in 1913--Eason got his first chance to yell "Action!" through a megaphone. Few of his films were considered worth noting by the critical elite; Eason earned his nickname "Breezy" by shooting 'em fast and making 'em move. After several years' worth of westerns and serials under his belt, Eason's reputation as an economy-conscious troubleshooter reached the larger studios. While MGM's mighty
Ben-Hur (1926) was officially credited to Fred Niblo, it was Eason who handled the film's chariot-race centerpiece. While Eason was much-treasured for his ability to stage mammoth battle and chase scenes, he proved troublesome due to his cavalier attitude towards animals; his helming of the climactic set-to in
Charge of the Light Brigade resulted in the deaths of several horses and a major bearing-down from the ASPCA. B. Reeves Eason continued to helm second-echelon actioners and serials, and to accept second-unit credit for "A" pictures like
Gone With the Wind (1939), until his retirement in 1950. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide