
Born in Chicago, he was an actor in touring stock companies before making his screen debut in 1912. Joining D.W. Griffith's Fine Arts Studio in 1914, he was cast as Union officer Phil Stoneman in "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) and as The Rhapsodie in the Babylonian story of "Intolerance" (1916). He was also a second-unit director for those films. Promoted to director in 1917, Clifton supervised several successful Fine Arts comedies starring Dorothy Gish while continuing to serve as Griffith's assistant. Their association culminated with the blockbuster "Way Down East" (1920). Clifton shot much of its famous "Rescue from the ice" sequence and doubled for star Richard Barthelmess in the riskier scenes. He then left Griffith to form his own production company and had a smash hit with "Down to the Sea in Ships" (1922), a colorful whaling saga made on location in New England. It made a star of future "It Girl" Clara Bow, who appeared as a cross-dressing stowaway. In 1923 Clifton signed a lucrative seven-year contract with Fox and was poised to become one of Hollywood's major directors. Then tragedy struck. He was filming "The Warrens of Virginia" in Texas when his lead actress died from burns in an accident on the set. Although Clifton was blameless in the incident, he was fired by Fox and his career never regained its momentum.

Mary Ellen Comes to Town

The Old Chisholm Trail

Not Wanted

Crashing Thru

I'll Sell My Life

Mile a Minute Love

Frontier Law

Let 'Er Go Gallegher

Boss of Rawhide

The Flame of Youth

Captain America

Cyclone of the Saddle

The Judge

Down to the Sea in Ships

Pilot X

Hard Guy

Seven Doors to Death

Fighting Caballero

Isle Of Destiny

Guns of the Law

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Swamp Woman

The Whispering Skull

Youth Aflame

Wildcat Trooper

Custer's Last Stand

City of Missing Girls

Captured in Chinatown

Skull and Crown

Marked for Murder

Dead or Alive

Wolves of the Sea

Ten Laps to Go

Boots

Gangsters of the Frontier

The Secret of Treasure Island

Gambling with Souls

The Stranger from Arizona

Assassin of Youth

Slaves in Bondage

The Flash of Fate

Virgin Lips

Rough Riding Ranger

Kiss or Kill

Spook Town

The Wreck of the Hesperus

The Hope Chest

Battling Jane

Peppy Polly

I'll Get Him Yet

Nugget Nell

Turning the Tables

Pals of the Range

Six Cylinder Love

Red Rock Outlaw

The Pinto Bandit

Days of Old Cheyenne

Nobody Home

Law of the Texan

Rip Roaring Riley

The Blocked Trail

Custer's Last Stand

The Sundown Kid

The Return of the Rangers

Her Official Fathers

Swing, Cowboy, Swing

The High Sign

The Silver Bandit

Smashing Through

Paroled from the Big House

A Stormy Knight

Brace Up

The Eagle

The Two-Soul Woman

Tropical Nights

Winner Takes All

The Man Trap

Flirting with Death

The Midnight Man

The Warrens of Virginia

California Frontier

Daughters of the Night

Beautiful But Dumb

The Guilt of Silence