Anecdotes

Best remembered for his direction of Charley Chase, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy comedies for Hal Roach, Horne helmed a single "Our Gang" feature, When the Wind Blows (1930). One of the children in the cast would have been Horne's son-in-law, had he lived: In 1944, two years after his death, Horne's daughter June Harris married Jackie Cooper.

Nephew of Georgia Woodthorpe.

Twin children: June Harris and James Horne Jr. (b. 28 March 1917).

Uncle of George Stevens and Jack Stevens.

Great-uncle of George Stevens Jr..

Director of Big Business (1929), one of the first 100 films selected by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry.

Worked at Kalem, Biograph and for Hal Roach. Best known for directing the classic Laurel & Hardy comedy Big Business (1929). Ended his career as director of serials and second features at Columbia.

While other directors worked on some of Laurel & Hardy's English-language films, producer Hal Roach preferred Horne to work on the German, Spanish and French versions.

Joined Hal Roach Studios in 1928, directing his first film there the following year--Big Business (1929), which is regarded as a silent classic. He left Roach in 1932, returning in 1935 and the following year directed the Laurel & Hardy classic Way Out West (1937).

Unable to find an actor he thought suitable to play an Arabian Riff chieftain in the Laurel & Hardy comedy Beau Hunks (1931), he played the part himself.