James Cruze was born Jens Vera Cruz Bosen in Ogden, Utah on March 24, 1884 to a Mormon family. 1n 1900, he left Utah for San Francisco to pursue a stage career. He joined David Belasco's stock company in 1906; in 1911, he joined the Thanhouser Company and began acting in films. In 1917, he joined Famous Players in Hollywood and, in 1918, he switched to directing. He is best known for the films he directed in the silent era, achieving much success. He had a difficult time transitioning to sound. He died from complications of a heart ailment on Aug 3, 1942.