George Stevens
George Stevens | |
|---|---|
Army Signal Corps | |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | World War II Victory Medal |
George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.[1] He received two Academy Awards and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1953.
He won the
The More the Merrier (1943), Shane (1953), and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959). Among his most notable films are Swing Time (1936), Gunga Din (1939), Woman of the Year (1942), and The Greatest Story Ever Told
(1965).
Early life
Stevens was born on December 18, 1904, in
Brownie camera, and he began photographing the city and portraits of his mother.[3]
: 9:00
Career
1930–1939
At the age of 17,
director of photography and a gag writer on 35 Laurel and Hardy short films, such as Bacon Grabbers (1929) and Night Owls (1930); according to Stevens he learned from this experience that comedy could be "graceful and human".[3]: 12:00 In 1928, he met Yvonne Howell in Oliver Hardy's home; they were married on January 1, 1930.[4] In the early 1930s, Stevens began to disagree with Roach's studio, wanting to flesh out characters rather than just make slapstick comedy. This led to a suspension and his departure from the studio.[3]: 14:00 In 1933, he directed his first feature film, The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble, for Universal Pictures
.
In 1934, Stevens was hired by
Wheeler and Woolsey. His big break came when he directed Katharine Hepburn the next year in Alice Adams; according to Hepburn, Stevens felt that she got him the job.[3]: 15:00, 30:00 He would subsequently make seven films for the studio in five years.[3]: 15:00 In the late 1930s, he directed Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers together in the musical Swing Time and separately in A Damsel in Distress and Vivacious Lady, respectively. In 1939, Stevens directed Cary Grant in the large-scale Gunga Din, costing over $1 million as RKO's most expensive film to date; though the studio feared its ballooning budget, it ended up a profitable success.[3]
: 23:00, 27:00
1940–1949
In 1940, he directed
Nazi propaganda film Triumph of the Will (1935), he was provoked to join the Allied forces in World War II.[5]
He joined the
Nuremberg Trials;[8] this was released as the hour-long Nazi Concentration Camps (1945).[9] In 2008, Stevens's footage was entered into the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as an "essential visual record" of the war.[6][10] In 1946, Stevens resumed his duties as president of the SDG, remaining so until 1948.[5][2] As a result of his experiences during the war, his films became more dramatic.[3]: 59:00 The drama I Remember Mama
(1948) was only partly comedic.
1950–1975
In 1950, during the
McCarthyist scare and related Hollywood blacklist, Stevens defended Joseph L. Mankiewicz from Cecil B. DeMille's attempt to recall him as president of the SDG.[11][5] Stevens went on to direct and earn two Academy Awards for Best Director for A Place in the Sun (1951) starring Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, the epic Western drama Giant (1956) Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. For those films he also earned nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director
.
Stevens also directed the Western Holocaust drama The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), and his biblical epic of Jesus, The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). In 1960 he earned the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award. That same year he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He ended his directing career with the 1970 romantic comedy-drama The Only Game in Town with Warren Beatty and Elizabeth Taylor. That year, he was head of the jury at the 20th Berlin International Film Festival, which ended in scandal.[12][13] In 1973, he was a member of the jury at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.[14]
Personal life
During his time filming wild horses with Hal Roach Studios in Utah, Stevens bonded with the Comanche. Stevens was the father of television and film writer-producer-director
George Stevens, Jr., the founder of the American Film Institute (AFI).[5] George Jr. produced and directed the documentary about his father George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey in 1984[5] and is the father of Stevens's grandson Michael Stevens
(1966–2015), who was also a television and film producer-director.
Death
Stevens died following a heart attack on March 8, 1975, on his ranch in
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles.[15]
Filmography
Short films
| Year | Title | Production Co. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1932 | Who, Me? | Universal | Short film |
| 1932 | The Finishing Touch | Universal | Short film |
| 1932 | Boys Will Be Boys | Universal | Short film |
| 1933 | Family Troubles | Universal | Short film |
| 1933 | Rock-a-Bye Cowboy | Universal | Short film |
| 1933 | Should Crooners Marry | Universal | Short film |
| 1933 | Room Mates | Universal | Short film |
| 1933 | Quiet Please! | RKO |
Short film |
| 1933 | What Fur | RKO |
Short film |
| 1933 | Walking Back Home | RKO | Short film |
| 1933 | Grin and Bear It | RKO |
Short film |
| 1933 | A Divorce Courtship | Universal | Short film |
| 1934 | Strictly Fresh Yeggs | RKO | Short film |
| 1934 | Cracked Shots | RKO |
Short film |
Feature films
| Year | Title | Production Co. | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Ladies Last | Hal Roach Studios | 3rd episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | Blood and Thunder | Hal Roach Studios | 4th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | High Gear | Hal Roach Studios | 5th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | Air-Tight | Hal Roach Studios | 7th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | Call a Cop! | Hal Roach Studios | 8th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | Mama Loves Papa | Hal Roach Studios | 9th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1931 | The Kick-Off! | Hal Roach Studios | 10th episode from the "Boy Friends" series |
| 1933 | The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble | Universal | Part of "The Cohens and Kellys" comedy series |
| 1933 | Flirting in the Park | RKO |
Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1934 | Bridal Bail | RKO |
Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1934 | The Undie-World | RKO |
Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1934 | Rough Necking | RKO | Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1934 | Ocean Swells | RKO |
Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1935 | Hunger Pains | RKO |
Part of "The Blonde and The Redhead" comedy series |
| 1934 | Bachelor Bait | RKO |
|
| 1934 | Kentucky Kernels | RKO |
|
| 1934 | Hollywood Party | MGM |
Was among 8 directors supervising sequences for the film |
| 1935 | Laddie | RKO |
|
| 1935 | The Nitwits | RKO |
|
| 1935 | Alice Adams | RKO |
|
| 1935 | Annie Oakley | RKO |
|
| 1936 | Swing Time |
RKO |
|
| 1937 | Quality Street | RKO |
|
| 1937 | A Damsel in Distress | RKO |
|
| 1938 | Vivacious Lady | RKO |
|
| 1939 | Gunga Din | RKO |
|
| 1940 | Vigil in the Night | RKO |
|
| 1941 | Penny Serenade | Columbia | |
| 1942 | Woman of the Year | MGM |
|
| 1942 | The Talk of the Town | Columbia | |
| 1943 | The More the Merrier | Columbia | |
| 1945 | That Justice Be Done | War Activities Committee | Documentary / Short film |
| 1945 | Nazi Concentration Camps | Documentary | |
| 1948 | On Our Merry Way | Miracle Productions | Anthology film / Co-directed a sequence |
| 1948 | I Remember Mama | RKO |
|
| 1951 | A Place in the Sun | Paramount |
|
| 1952 | Something to Live For | Paramount |
|
| 1953 | Shane | Paramount |
Technicolor film |
| 1956 | Giant | Warner Bros. | Warnercolor film |
| 1959 | The Diary of Anne Frank | 20th Century Fox |
|
| 1965 | The Greatest Story Ever Told | George Stevens Prod. | Ultra Panavision 70 Technicolor film |
| 1970 | The Only Game in Town | 20th Century Fox |
Color film |
Archives
The moving image collection of George Stevens is held at the Academy Film Archive. The film material at AFI is complemented by material in the George Stevens papers at the Academy's Margaret Herrick Library.[16]
Awards and honors
Academy Awards
| Year | Award | Film | Result | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Best Picture | The Talk of the Town | Nominated | Sidney Franklin – Mrs. Miniver | [17] |
| 1943 | The More the Merrier | Nominated | Hal B. Wallis – Casablanca | [18] | |
| Best Director | Nominated | Michael Curtiz – Casablanca | |||
| 1951 | Best Picture | A Place in the Sun | Nominated | Arthur Freed – An American in Paris | [19] |
| Best Director | Won | — | |||
| 1953 | Best Picture | Shane | Nominated | Buddy Adler – From Here to Eternity | [20] |
| Best Director | Nominated | Fred Zinnemann – From Here to Eternity | |||
| Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award | Received | — | |||
| 1956 | Best Motion Picture | Giant | Nominated | Mike Todd – Around the World in 80 Days | [21] |
| Best Director | Won | — | |||
| 1959 | Best Motion Picture | The Diary of Anne Frank | Nominated | Sam Zimbalist – Ben-Hur (Posthumous) | [22] |
| Best Director | Nominated | William Wyler – Ben-Hur | |||
As a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, Stevens headed the Signal Corps unit that filmed D-Day and the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp. For these contributions, he was awarded the Legion of Merit.
Stevens has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1701 Vine Street. He won the Academy Award for Best Director twice, in 1951 for A Place in the Sun and in 1956 for Giant. He was also nominated in 1943 for The More the Merrier, in 1954 for Shane, and in 1959 for The Diary of Anne Frank.
He also received both the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1954). He also received the National Board of Review Award for Best Director and the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director.
References
- ^ Obituary Variety, March 12, 1975, page 79.
- ^ a b Barson, Michael (March 4, 2021). "George Stevens | American director". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)
- ISBN 978-1-4968-0844-8.
- ^ a b c d e f Feeney, F. X. (2016). "The Family Business - Stevens Family". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Cinematic Classics, Legendary Stars, Comedic Legends and Novice Filmmakers Showcase the 2008 Film Registry". Library of Congress. December 30, 2008. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ISBN 9781476636603.
- ^ Robert E. Conot, Justice at Nuremberg, page 197
- ^ "Nazi Concentration and Prison Camps". C-SPAN.org. November 11, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
- ^ Ulmer, James (2011). "A Guild Divided - The Effect of the Blacklist". Directors Guild of America. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ^ "Berlinale 1970: Juries". berlinale.de. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "Berlinale 1970: Yearbook". berlinale.de. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
- ^ "8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973)". MIFF. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ She Could Be Chaplin!: The Comedic Brilliance of Alice Howell
- ^ "George Stevens Collection". Academy Film Archive. September 4, 2014.
- ^ "15th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "16th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "24th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "26th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "29th Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
- ^ "32nd Academy Awards". Oscars.org. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
Further reading
- Cronin, Paul: George Stevens: Interviews. Jackson, MS, University Press of Mississippi, 2004. ISBN 1-57806-639-5
- Moss, Marilyn Ann: Giant: George Stevens, a Life on Film. Madison, WI, University of Wisconsin Press, 2004. ISBN 0-299-20430-8
- Petri, Bruce: A Theory of American Film: The Films and Techniques of George Stevens. New York, Taylor & Francis, 1987. ISBN 0-8240-0070-6
- Richie, Donald: George Stevens: An American Romantic. New York, Taylor & Francis, 1984 (reprint of 1970 original). ISBN 0-8240-5773-2
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to George Stevens (film director).
- George Stevens at IMDb
- George Stevens: Movie Movie
- George Stevens papers, Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences