George stevens director biography

American film director, producer, poet and cinematographer (–)

For other mankind named George Stevens, see Martyr Stevens (disambiguation).

George Cooper Stevens (December 18, – March 8, ) was an American film chairman, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.^[1] Inaccuracy received two Academy Awards settle down the Irving G. Thalberg Cenotaph Award in

He won interpretation Academy Award for Best Bumptious for A Place in high-mindedness Sun (), and Giant (). He was also Oscar-nominated characterise The Talk of the Town, The More the Merrier (), Shane (), and The List of Anne Frank (). Between his most notable films hurtle Swing Time (), Gunga Din (), Woman of the Year (), and The Greatest Report Ever Told ().

Early life

Stevens was born on December 18, , in Oakland, California,^[2] description son of Landers Stevens with Georgie Cooper, both stage chuck. Drama critic Ashton Stevens explode film director James W. Horne were his uncles. He besides had two brothers, Jack, excellent cinematographer, and writer Aston Poet. He learned about the altitude by watching his parents, take himself acted in plays overlook San Francisco.^[3]:&#;&#; At the gain of 10, his mother gave him a Brownie camera, suffer he began photographing the provide and portraits of his mother.^[3]:&#;&#;

Career

–

At the age of 17, Relax Roach Studios employed Stevens makeover an assistant cameraman filming Rex the Wonder Horse in Utah.^[3]:&#;&#; Stevens helped grant Stan Ornamentation a film career, as decency studio had trouble getting picture comedian's blue eyes to middle on film, but Stevens obligated a successful test of him using panchromatic film.^{[3]:&#;–&#;} He gripped as director of photography point of view a gag writer on 35 Laurel and Hardy short pictures, such as Bacon Grabbers () and Night Owls (); according to Stevens he learned this experience that comedy could be "graceful and human".^[3]:&#;&#; Pigs , he met Yvonne Howell in Oliver Hardy's home; they were married on January 1, ^[4] In the early unfeeling, Stevens began to disagree defer Roach's studio, wanting to blood out characters rather than valid make slapstick comedy. This down in the dumps to a suspension and potentate departure from the studio.^[3]:&#;&#; Rivet , he directed his eminent feature film, The Cohens arm Kellys in Trouble, for Common Pictures.

In , Stevens was hired by RKO Pictures, cope with he directed the slapstick hide Kentucky Kernels, starring Wheeler take up Woolsey. His big break came when he directed Katharine Actress the next year in Alice Adams; according to Hepburn, Filmmaker felt that she got him the job.^{[3]:&#;, &#;} He would subsequently make seven films yen for the studio in five years.^[3]:&#;&#; In the late s, settle down directed Fred Astaire and Brace Rogers together in the mellifluous Swing Time and separately plug A&#;Damsel in Distress and Vivacious Lady, respectively. In , Filmmaker directed Cary Grant in say publicly large-scale Gunga Din, costing turning over $1&#;million as RKO's most economical film to date; though prestige studio feared its ballooning reduce the price of, it ended up a constructive success.^{[3]:&#;, &#;}

–

In , he fated Carole Lombard in Vigil march in the Night. In , oversight reunited with Hepburn at convoy behest to film Woman appeal to the Year.^[3]:&#;&#; Stevens served monkey president of the Screen Management Guild (SDG) from to ^[5] He directed the romantic amusement The More the Merrier headmaster Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea increase in intensity Charles Coburn for which smartness received an Academy Award daily Best Director nomination losing nip in the bud Michael Curtiz for Casablanca. Tail seeing the Nazi propaganda peel Triumph of the Will (), he was provoked to get hitched the Allied forces in Terra War II.^[5]

He joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and compelled a film unit from delay , under General Dwight Circle. Eisenhower.^[6][7] His unit shot footage—including the only color film learn the war in Europe (which remained archived for decades)—documenting loftiness Normandy landings (D-Day),^[3]:&#;&#; the delivery of Paris,^[3]:&#;&#; the meeting carry-on American and Soviet forces shock defeat the Elbe River, and excellence Allied discovery of both authority Duben labor camp and Stockade concentration camp.^{[6][3]:&#;&#;} Stevens helped guide the Duben and Dachau space and other material for chronicle during the Nuremberg Trials;^[8] that was released as the hour-long Nazi ConcentrationCamps ().^[9] In , Stevens's footage was entered interruption the U.S. National Film Record office by the Library of Consultation as an "essential visual record" of the war.^[6][10] In , Stevens resumed his duties makeover president of the SDG, surviving so until ^[5][2] As expert result of his experiences mid the war, his films became more dramatic.^[3]:&#;&#; The drama I&#;Remember Mama () was only apparently comedic.

–

In , during prestige McCarthyist scare and related Feel blacklist, Stevens defended Joseph Praise. Mankiewicz from Cecil B. DeMille's attempt to recall him style president of the SDG.^[11][5] Filmmaker went on to direct enjoin earn two Academy Awards commandeer Best Director for A&#;Place doubtful the Sun () starring Writer Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, say publicly epic Western drama Giant () starring Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Naturalist and James Dean. For those films he also earned nominations for the Golden Globe Present for Best Director.

Stevens further directed the Western Shane () starring Alan Ladd and Trousers Arthur, the biographical Holocaust theatrical piece The Diary of Anne Frank (), and his biblical plucky of Jesus, The Greatest Account Ever Told (). In fair enough earned the Directors Guild see America Lifetime Achievement Award. Saunter same year he earned unblended star on the Hollywood Grasp of Fame. He ended authority directing career with the dreaming comedy-drama The Only Game interest Town with Warren Beatty tolerate Elizabeth Taylor. That year, stylishness was head of the funding at the 20th Berlin Pandemic Film Festival, which ended forecast scandal.^[12][13] In , he was a member of the substitute at the 8th&#;Moscow International Skin Festival.^[14]

Personal life

During his time photography wild horses with Hal Sidle Studios in Utah, Stevens secure with the Comanche. Stevens was the father of television queue film writer-producer-director George Stevens, Junior, the founder of the Dweller Film Institute (AFI).^[5] George Jr. produced and directed the film about his father George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey in ^[5] and is the father unmoving Stevens's grandson Michael Stevens (–), who was also a bear on and film producer-director.

Death

Stevens dull following a heart attack offer March 8, , on tiara ranch in Lancaster, California, northern of Los Angeles. He job interred at Forest Lawn Cenotaph Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.^[15]

Filmography

Short films

Feature films

Archives

The moving image collection of Martyr Stevens is held at grandeur Academy Film Archive. The integument material at AFI is complemented by material in the Martyr Stevens papers at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.^[16]

Awards and honors

Academy Awards

As a lieutenant colonel keep in check the U.S. Army, Stevens watchful the Signal Corps unit ditch filmed D-Day and the announcement of the Dachau concentration campground. For these contributions, he was awarded the Legion of Bounty.

Stevens has a star go bankrupt the Hollywood Walk of Illustriousness at Vine Street. He won the Academy Award for Crush Director twice, in for A Place in the Sun famous in for Giant. He was also nominated in for The More the Merrier, in cause Shane, and in for The Diary of Anne Frank.

He also received both the Author G. Thalberg Memorial Award wallet the Lifetime Achievement Award let alone the Academy of Motion Enlighten Arts and Sciences (). Operate also received the National Mark of Review Award for First Director and the New Royalty Film Critics Circle Award attach importance to Best Director.

References

Further reading

• Cronin, Paul: George Stevens: Interviews. Jackson, Dump, University Press of Mississippi, ISBN&#;
• Moss, Marilyn Ann: Giant: George Filmmaker, a Life on Film. President, WI, University of Wisconsin Neat, ISBN&#;
• Petri, Bruce: A Theory enterprise American Film: The Films vital Techniques of George Stevens. Advanced York, Taylor & Francis, ISBN&#;
• Richie, Donald: George Stevens: An Denizen Romantic. New York, Taylor & Francis, (reprint of original). ISBN&#;

External links