Frederick Stephani (1903-1962) was a screenwriter and film director. He is best known for co-writing and directing the 13-chapter science fiction serial Flash Gordon in 1936. The serial became Universal's second highest-grossing productions that year. Despite its success, this was the first and only serial Stephani directed over the course of his career, possibly due to its shortcomings in special effects and overall production values, even by contemporary standards.