Tay Garnett, pseudonym of William Taylor Garnett (Los Angeles, June 13, 1894 – Sawtelle, October 3, 1977), was an American film director and screenwriter. He began his career in silent film as a screenwriter, notably collaborating with Mack Sennett, before transitioning to directing in the late 1920s. He achieved his greatest success during the 1930s and 1940s, directing stars such as Clark Gable, Greer Garson, Marlene Dietrich, and John Wayne in films of various genres, from adventure to melodrama. His most celebrated work is considered the film noir classic *The Postman Always Rings Twice* (1946), starring Lana Turner and John Garfield, a landmark of the genre for its tense and sensual atmosphere. His other notable films include *The Valley of Decision* (1945), which received two Academy Award nominations, and the fantasy comedy *A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court* (1949). In the later years of his career, he also worked in television. For his contribution to the motion picture industry, he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.