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Biography: Ellis Dungan

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 ▶  WHEELING HISTORY  ▶  PEOPLE  ▶  BIOGRAPHIES

▼ Ellis Dungan Quick Links

 ▼ Biography  |  ▼ Films   |  ▼ Photo Stills from "Wheels to Progress"   |   ▼ Library Resources

International Film Director

May 11, 1909 - December 1, 2001

Ellis Dungan, Film Director

From his youth, Ellis R. Dungan (born 1909 in the small town of Barton, Ohio) loved adventure.  After high school, he hitchhiked to California where he would study at USC’s first Cinema Department and sailed to India in 1935 to direct films for 15 years.  He is honored in India as a pioneer in their cinema history. 

Returning to Hollywood after WWII, he worked on jungle adventure films.  He moved to Wheeling in 1958 where he met his beloved wife, Elaine, and where they raised their son, Chris Bowie.

For the next 28 years, Ellis, through his own Ellis Dungan Productions,  produced and directed industrial, business, and public relations films—to  name a few— for:  West Virginia University, Ohio Power Company, Wheeling Steel Corporation, Consolidation Coal Company, and The Wheeling Ironmen.

Ellis remained a proud resident of Wheeling until his death in 2001. (B. Smik for Legendary Locals of Wheeling)

▶ Read Ellis Dungan's Wheeling Hall of Fame biography.

Films:

Selected films from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History's Archives and History Deparment's YouTube channel:
Wheels To Progress, 1959 (About Wheeling)
 Wild Wonderful West Virginia, 1971
Film from India
 High Speed Steel, 1969

▶ View all the Dungan films digitized by the WV State Archives

Stills from "Wheels to Progress" taken by Ellis Dungan, 1959

These photo stills were donated to the library by the Dungan Estate. All copyrights belong to the Dungan Estate. (Click on images to enlarge)

Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Bird's-eye View of Wheeling Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Wheeling Tunnel under construction Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Parade on Main Street Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Parade on Market Street Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Market Street
Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Market Auditorium Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Stone and Thomas Department Store Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Mount de Chantal Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Linsly Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Doc Williams at the Wheeling Jamboree
Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Steel Factory Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Wharf Garage Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Wheeling Downs Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Wheeling Downs, with the football stadium in the background Still from Wheels to Progress, 1959: Wheeling Downs

Related resources in our library

LOCATION: ▼ Regular Stacks (circulating) ▼
Book A Guide to Adventure : an autobiography (Dungan, Ellis R., 2001)
CALL NUMBER:  791.43 D918g 2001
Book Legendary Locals (Duffy, Sean; Carney, Brent, 2013)
CALL NUMBER:  975.414 Duff 2013
LOCATION: ▼ Wheeling Room (non-circulating - public access) ▼
Book A Guide to Adventure : an autobiography (Dungan, Ellis R., 2001)
CALL NUMBER:  Wheeling 791.43 D918g 2001
Book Wheeling Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony [November 20, 1994] (Wheeling Hall of Fame Board, 1994)
CALL NUMBER:  Wheeling 975.415 W57 1994
LOCATION: ▼ Archives (non-circulating - access by appointment only) ▼
Folder Archives Vertical File: Ellis Dungan (Compiled by the OCPL staff)
CALL NUMBER:  Archives VF - Dungan, Ellis
Video Wheels to Progress [35mm film] (Ellis Dungan Productions, 1959)
CALL NUMBER:  Special Collections

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