Henry King directed Tyrone Power in eleven films. He was director for his first leading role, Lloyd’s of London, in 1936. When asked by Darryl Zanuck to choose between Don Ameche and Tyrone Power for the role of onathan Blake in the movie, he chose Power, saying that he thought he was better looking and would be a big star one day. At the time, Twentieth Century Fox badly needed a male superstar. Lloyd’s of London proved to be a huge success, launching a star that would bring huge boxoffice profits to the studio.

King went on to direct Tyrone in In Old Chicago (1937), Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Jesse James (1939) , A Yank in the R.A.F. (1941) , The Black Swan (1942) , Captain from Castile (1947) , Prince of Foxes (1949) , King of the Khyber Rifles (1953), Untamed (1955) , and The Sun Also Rises (1957) . King was in on the beginning of Tyrone's career, and, the end, since his last movie that he was credited in was released in 1957.

Henry King once said, "I've had more fun directing pictures than most people have playing games." (New York Times, June 30, 1978). He certainly had a long, productive career as a director. Born in 1886 in Virginia, he began his career during the silent era of films and worked all the way until 1962, when he directed Tender Is the Night with Jennifer Jones, Jason Robards, and Joan Fontaine. Throughout his career, he was responsible for many successful films. Among his popular films were Remember the Day, Margie, The Song of Bernadette, Twelve O'Clock High, The Gunfighter, I'd Climb the Highest Mountain, Carousel, and David and Bathsheba, among others. Then, of course, there were the films that he directed with Tyrone Power that were among his most successful. Tyrone Power was King's favorite actor.

Though King has not received a great deal of recognition for his work, he has been praised for his "craftsmanship, durability, and track record at turning out commercial successes." Frank Capra called him "the most underpublicized filmmaker in Hollywood."