Most notable films: Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990), The English Patient (1996), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), Cold Mountain (2003).
Sadly, the 'Oscar Director-y' acknowledges the passing of Anthony Minghella, who rose to Oscar fame with his direction of The English Patient, which earned him Best Director, and his film, the Best Picture of 1996.
With 24 nominations and 10 Oscars, covering just 3 films, Anthony Minghella is ranked #80 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born on the Isle of Whyte, in England, on January 6, 1954, Anthony was the son of Italian immigrants, who ran an ice cream factory. His childhood dream was to become a writer, and he eventually attended the University of Hull, subsequently becoming a professor of literature. He also taught drama. He began in television as a general assistant on a popular TV show, then became a script editor and writer on "Grange Hill", a well established BBC soap. After writing Whale Music in 1985, he achieved success with Made in Bangkok in 1986. He followed that up with acclaimed scripts for "The Storyteller" and "Inspector Morse", both popular BBC shows.
In 1990, Minghella wrote and directed his first feature film, Truly, Madly, Deeply, which was well received by the English critics. Unfortunately, his next attempt, an American romantic-comedy called Mr. Wonderful, did not go over well at all. While in New York filming this 1993 vehicle, he read a novel by Michael Ondaatje, called The English Patient. He called producer Saul Zaentz, who had been a fan of Truly, Madly, Deeply. Zaentz agreed to back Minghella's screen adaptation and the film, released in 1996, put the director into the spotlight. The English Patient received 12 Oscar nominations, winning 9 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. Minghella was also nominated for his Adapted Screenplay, but lost out to Billy Bob Thornton's Sling Blade. Juliette Binoche won the Oscar for Supporting Actress, the first of five performers to be nominated for their work in Minghella-lensed films.
Anthony Minghella's next work was another adaptation of a novel, this time Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. This 1999 film accrued 5 nominations, including another Adapted Screenplay nod for Minghella. His last major screen success was Cold Mountain, adapted from the award-winning novel by Charles Frazier. The film received 7 nominations, with its only Oscar going to Supporting Actress Renee Zellwegger.
Shortly before his death, Anthony Minghella had completed the direction of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a two-hour pilot film for a BBC-TV series. It was shot in Botswana, South Africa. The film aired just five days after Minghella died, on March 18, of a hemorrhage following surgery. He was just 54 years old.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The 'Oscar Director-y's 1st Anniversary
It's been a year since I created the 'Oscar Director-y', and I've managed to post 26 articles relating to film directors in that time. After a busy first four months, though, my production slowed to a snail's pace. Once I published my 'Stanley Kramer' blog in late December, I decided to hold off until after the Oscar Awards on February 24th, so I could update the list and move on from there.
The possibility of a change in the Top 25 was also a factor in waiting. As it turned out, Sidney Lumet, currently #26 on the list, did not receive a nomination for his film, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Just one nod, in any category, would have moved him into 25th place, but it wasn't to be. There was some sharp movement up the list for a half dozen other directors. This year, the Best Director Oscar went to Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. This was Ethan's first time getting co-director credit, but brother Joel has directed all their previous films. Their film, No Country for Old Men, received 8 Oscar nominations, and won 4 Oscars, for Picture, Direction, Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem) and Adapted Screenplay, and vaulted him into the Top 100, from #156 to #93.
For those who may be unfamiliar as to how the 'Oscar Director-y' is determined, all directors who have had a film nominated in any of the performing or craft categories (example: Costume Design, Makeup, Original Score, Film Editing), Animated Feature and Foreign Film, get a point. The Coen brothers had nominations in the four categories mentioned above, and, additionally, scored nods for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Cinematography and Film Editing. Prior to 2007, Joel had directed four films (Barton Fink, Fargo, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou! and The Man Who Wasn't There), that had combined for 13 nominations. Therefore, his updated total is 21 nominations, with 6 wins (2 for Fargo). Each subsequent film he directs can only elevate his position in the standings.
Other directors moving up this year: Mike Nichols direction of Supporting Actor nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman, in Charlie Wilson's War, moved Nichols from #29 to #27, and was his 42nd career nomination. Ridley Scott jumped from #60 to #50 with a pair of nominations for American Gangster. Tim Burton moved up from #153 to #117, with 3 nods for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Michael Bay, with 3 nods for Transformers, moved from #221 to #176, and Gore Verbinski went from #229 to #191, with his helming of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Beside Sidney Lumet, three other Top 100 directors had movies released in 2007, that failed to receive Academy recognition. Francis Ford Coppola, #16, struck out with Youth Without Youth. Robert Zemeckis, #48, was blanked with Beowulf, and Ang Lee, #68, came up empty with Lust, Caution.
So, what's in store for the 'Oscar Director-y' in the next year? I plan to complete the Top 25, with the following nine directors (in alphabetical order) rounding out the list: Woody Allen, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Henry Koster, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Vincente Minnelli, Sydney Pollack and Sam Wood. I'll post when any notable director passes away, as I did with Delbert Mann, Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni and Melville Shavelson. I hope to do a post on female directors, and also, actors who've turned director.
I look forward to more posts in the coming months, as the 'Oscar Director-y' enters its 2nd year. RayB
The possibility of a change in the Top 25 was also a factor in waiting. As it turned out, Sidney Lumet, currently #26 on the list, did not receive a nomination for his film, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Just one nod, in any category, would have moved him into 25th place, but it wasn't to be. There was some sharp movement up the list for a half dozen other directors. This year, the Best Director Oscar went to Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. This was Ethan's first time getting co-director credit, but brother Joel has directed all their previous films. Their film, No Country for Old Men, received 8 Oscar nominations, and won 4 Oscars, for Picture, Direction, Supporting Actor (Javier Bardem) and Adapted Screenplay, and vaulted him into the Top 100, from #156 to #93.
For those who may be unfamiliar as to how the 'Oscar Director-y' is determined, all directors who have had a film nominated in any of the performing or craft categories (example: Costume Design, Makeup, Original Score, Film Editing), Animated Feature and Foreign Film, get a point. The Coen brothers had nominations in the four categories mentioned above, and, additionally, scored nods for Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Cinematography and Film Editing. Prior to 2007, Joel had directed four films (Barton Fink, Fargo, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou! and The Man Who Wasn't There), that had combined for 13 nominations. Therefore, his updated total is 21 nominations, with 6 wins (2 for Fargo). Each subsequent film he directs can only elevate his position in the standings.
Other directors moving up this year: Mike Nichols direction of Supporting Actor nominee Philip Seymour Hoffman, in Charlie Wilson's War, moved Nichols from #29 to #27, and was his 42nd career nomination. Ridley Scott jumped from #60 to #50 with a pair of nominations for American Gangster. Tim Burton moved up from #153 to #117, with 3 nods for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Michael Bay, with 3 nods for Transformers, moved from #221 to #176, and Gore Verbinski went from #229 to #191, with his helming of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.
Beside Sidney Lumet, three other Top 100 directors had movies released in 2007, that failed to receive Academy recognition. Francis Ford Coppola, #16, struck out with Youth Without Youth. Robert Zemeckis, #48, was blanked with Beowulf, and Ang Lee, #68, came up empty with Lust, Caution.
So, what's in store for the 'Oscar Director-y' in the next year? I plan to complete the Top 25, with the following nine directors (in alphabetical order) rounding out the list: Woody Allen, Frank Capra, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Henry Koster, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Vincente Minnelli, Sydney Pollack and Sam Wood. I'll post when any notable director passes away, as I did with Delbert Mann, Ingmar Bergman, Michelangelo Antonioni and Melville Shavelson. I hope to do a post on female directors, and also, actors who've turned director.
I look forward to more posts in the coming months, as the 'Oscar Director-y' enters its 2nd year. RayB
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
#16 - Stanley Kramer - 54/9/10
Notable films: The Defiant Ones (1958), Judgment at Nurenberg (1961), It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), Ship of Fools (1965), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)
In a film career spanning almost 40 years, Stanley Kramer, known in the industry as "Hollywood's Conscience", produced and directed nearly three dozen movies that tackled important moral and timely issues. With 54 nominations and 9 Oscars, covering just 10 movies, Stanley Kramer is ranked #16 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born on September 19, 1913, in New York City, Stanley Earl Kramer's early years were anything but easy. After his father abandoned the family, Stanley was raised by his mother and grandmother in a cold-water flat in Hell's Kitchen, a rough part of mid-town Manhattan. Taking part-time jobs while excelling at school, Stanley graduated high school at the age of 15. He entered New York University in the fall of 1929, and graduated when he was 19. With his mother being a clerical worker at Paramount Studios in New York, the film industry was in his system, and when he won a writing contest in 1933, he earned an internship at 20th-Century Fox, in Hollywood. He worked as a production assistant, and also continued writing, working on several screenplays. He was a skilled carpenter, and he landed a job at MGM, where he built sets. He also learned film editing, as he built up his knowledge of the industry. He earned his first screen credit, as Associate Producer, in 1942. The film was A Moon and Sixpence. Later that year, Kramer was drafted into the Armed Forces, and assigned to the U. S. Signal Corps. He was stationed stateside, and commissioned to direct training films, and "industrials", gaining valuable filmmaking experience behind the camera. After returning to Hollywood at war's end, he realized the industry was flooded with veterans, all seeking studio work. Kramer decided his future lay in film production, and raised enough money to open his own independent film production company, producing So This is New York, in 1948. It was not a financial success, but his next feature, 1949's Champion, gave Stanley Kramer Productions a major boost, earning 6 Oscar nominations. From 1949 to 1954, Kramer produced films that would earn more than 30 Oscar nominations, including Home of the Brave, The Men (Marlon Brando's screen debut), Cyrano de Bergerac, The Member of the Wedding, High Noon, The Wild One and The Caine Mutiny. Home of the Brave, in 1949, dealt with ethnic bias in the military, a timely topic, and the lasting effects of war on the men who fought it was explored in 1950's The Men. High Noon (1952), examined one man standing up for his beliefs, in the face of overwhelming odds. The Wild One, in 1953, depicted social rejects returning to attack those who denied them ("What are you rebelling against, Johnny?" "Whatdya got?").
In 1955, Kramer stepped behind a camera to direct Not As a Stranger, which earned an Oscar nomination for its Sound Recording. In 1958, he directed the inter-racial prison drama, The Defiant Ones. The film garnered 9 nominations, including acting nods for Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier (Best Actor), Theodore Bikel (Supp. Actor) and Cara Williams (Supp. Actress). These were the first of 14 performers nominated for Kramer-directed films. Two of them would win the Oscar: Maximillian Schell (Best Actor in Judgment at Nurenberg) and Katharine Hepburn (Best Actress in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). Kramer also received the first of his three Best Director nominations (Judgment at Nurenberg and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner were the other). Here is a list of Kramer's nominated films, with the number of nominations and Oscars won:
Not As a Stranger (1955) 1/-
The Defiant Ones (1958) 9/2
On the Beach (1959) 2/-
Inherit the Wind (1960) 4/-
Judgment at Nurenberg (1961) 11/2
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) 6/1
Ship of Fools (1965) 8/2
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) 10/2
The Secret of Santa Vittorio (1969) 2/-
Bless the Beasts and Children (1971) 1/-
Stanley Kramer's films broached strong 'moralistic' topics, including On the Beach, which dealt with nuclear war, Inherit the Wind, about the famed evolution-themed 'Monkey Trials', Judgment at Nurenberg, concerning the Nazi war criminals, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which delved into inter-racial marriage. His subject matter was often controversial, and audiences usually had plenty to talk about after viewing a Stanley Kramer production.
Kramer retired from filmmaking at the end of the '70's. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America in 1991, and a special NAACP honor in 1998, acknowledging his effort to highlight and counteract racism in film.
Some of Stanley Kramer's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: The Pride and the Passion, R.P.M., Oklahoma Crude, The Domino Principle and The Runner Stumbles.
Stanley Kramer died on February 19, 2001, of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. He was 87 years old.
In a film career spanning almost 40 years, Stanley Kramer, known in the industry as "Hollywood's Conscience", produced and directed nearly three dozen movies that tackled important moral and timely issues. With 54 nominations and 9 Oscars, covering just 10 movies, Stanley Kramer is ranked #16 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born on September 19, 1913, in New York City, Stanley Earl Kramer's early years were anything but easy. After his father abandoned the family, Stanley was raised by his mother and grandmother in a cold-water flat in Hell's Kitchen, a rough part of mid-town Manhattan. Taking part-time jobs while excelling at school, Stanley graduated high school at the age of 15. He entered New York University in the fall of 1929, and graduated when he was 19. With his mother being a clerical worker at Paramount Studios in New York, the film industry was in his system, and when he won a writing contest in 1933, he earned an internship at 20th-Century Fox, in Hollywood. He worked as a production assistant, and also continued writing, working on several screenplays. He was a skilled carpenter, and he landed a job at MGM, where he built sets. He also learned film editing, as he built up his knowledge of the industry. He earned his first screen credit, as Associate Producer, in 1942. The film was A Moon and Sixpence. Later that year, Kramer was drafted into the Armed Forces, and assigned to the U. S. Signal Corps. He was stationed stateside, and commissioned to direct training films, and "industrials", gaining valuable filmmaking experience behind the camera. After returning to Hollywood at war's end, he realized the industry was flooded with veterans, all seeking studio work. Kramer decided his future lay in film production, and raised enough money to open his own independent film production company, producing So This is New York, in 1948. It was not a financial success, but his next feature, 1949's Champion, gave Stanley Kramer Productions a major boost, earning 6 Oscar nominations. From 1949 to 1954, Kramer produced films that would earn more than 30 Oscar nominations, including Home of the Brave, The Men (Marlon Brando's screen debut), Cyrano de Bergerac, The Member of the Wedding, High Noon, The Wild One and The Caine Mutiny. Home of the Brave, in 1949, dealt with ethnic bias in the military, a timely topic, and the lasting effects of war on the men who fought it was explored in 1950's The Men. High Noon (1952), examined one man standing up for his beliefs, in the face of overwhelming odds. The Wild One, in 1953, depicted social rejects returning to attack those who denied them ("What are you rebelling against, Johnny?" "Whatdya got?").
In 1955, Kramer stepped behind a camera to direct Not As a Stranger, which earned an Oscar nomination for its Sound Recording. In 1958, he directed the inter-racial prison drama, The Defiant Ones. The film garnered 9 nominations, including acting nods for Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier (Best Actor), Theodore Bikel (Supp. Actor) and Cara Williams (Supp. Actress). These were the first of 14 performers nominated for Kramer-directed films. Two of them would win the Oscar: Maximillian Schell (Best Actor in Judgment at Nurenberg) and Katharine Hepburn (Best Actress in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner). Kramer also received the first of his three Best Director nominations (Judgment at Nurenberg and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner were the other). Here is a list of Kramer's nominated films, with the number of nominations and Oscars won:
Not As a Stranger (1955) 1/-
The Defiant Ones (1958) 9/2
On the Beach (1959) 2/-
Inherit the Wind (1960) 4/-
Judgment at Nurenberg (1961) 11/2
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) 6/1
Ship of Fools (1965) 8/2
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) 10/2
The Secret of Santa Vittorio (1969) 2/-
Bless the Beasts and Children (1971) 1/-
Stanley Kramer's films broached strong 'moralistic' topics, including On the Beach, which dealt with nuclear war, Inherit the Wind, about the famed evolution-themed 'Monkey Trials', Judgment at Nurenberg, concerning the Nazi war criminals, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which delved into inter-racial marriage. His subject matter was often controversial, and audiences usually had plenty to talk about after viewing a Stanley Kramer production.
Kramer retired from filmmaking at the end of the '70's. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Producers Guild of America in 1991, and a special NAACP honor in 1998, acknowledging his effort to highlight and counteract racism in film.
Some of Stanley Kramer's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: The Pride and the Passion, R.P.M., Oklahoma Crude, The Domino Principle and The Runner Stumbles.
Stanley Kramer died on February 19, 2001, of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. He was 87 years old.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
#73 - Delbert Mann - 26/6/10
Notable films: Marty (1955), The Bachelor Party (1957), Separate Tables (1958), Lover Come Back (1961), That Touch of Mink (1962).
Delbert Mann, one of the most prolific directors during the "Golden Age of Television", died on November 11, of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. The Oscar winning director of Marty, was 87 years old.
Born on January 30, 1920, in Lawrence, Kansas, his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where his father taught at Scarritt College. Mann received his first dramatic training in a Nashville community theater group, while attending Vanderbilt University. He developed a life-long friendship with Fred Coe, who was a director at the theater. After graduating from Vanderbilt in 1941, Mann served as a bomber pilot during World War II. When the war ended, he attended the Yale School of Drama, which led to stage managing and directing jobs in community theaters in Tennessee and South Carolina. He succeeded his friend Coe as director/producer at the Town Theater in Columbia, S. C. Coe had left for a position with NBC Studios in New York City. In 1949, Mann followed him to New York, where he started off as a floor manager at NBC, then became an assistant director. In the next half-dozen years, Mann would direct more than 100 television productions for the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, with Fred Coe as the producer. One of the productions, in 1953, was a drama by a young playwright named Paddy Chayefsky. It was called Marty, and it starred Rod Steiger as a lonely butcher. The show was a hit. Steiger, however, refused to play the role in a feature film version, as he did not want to be tied to a contract with the producers. Ernest Borgnine replaced him, with Delbert Mann making his feature film directing debut. The results: Oscars for Mann, Borgnine, Chayefsky and the film was awarded Best Picture of 1955. Mann's accomplishment, directing a Best Picture winner on his feature film debut, would not be repeated until 1999, when Sam Mendes won for directing American Beauty.
Ernest Borgnine's nomination (and win), along with Supporting nominations for Joe Mantell and Betsy Blair, were the first of 8 nominated performances by actors in Mann-directed films. Borgnine, David Niven (Best Actor for Separate Tables) and Wendy Hiller (Best Supporting Actress for Separate Tables) all took home the golden statue. Here is a list of Mann's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
Marty (1955) 8/4
Bachelor Party (1957) 1/-
Desire Under the Elms (1958) 1/-
Separate Tables (1958) 7/2
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960) 1/-
Lover Come Back (1961) 1/-
That Touch of Mink (1962) 3/-
A Gathering of Eagles (1963) 1/-
Dear Heart (1964) 1/-
Mr. Buddwing (1966) 2/-
Delbert Mann specialized in character-driven dramas, featuring everyday people with deep-rooted problems. He ventured into comedy on occasion, but only the two vehicles with Doris Day (Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink) proved successful. In 1968, he directed one of the most controversial TV-movies of all time, although he wasn't responsible for the controversy. The movie was Heidi, a retelling of the classic Johanna Spyri tale. The film was scheduled for a showing at 7PM on a Sunday night in November. Prior to that, a football game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders was being aired. With under two minutes to play, and the Jets leading by three points, NBC cut away at seven o'clock to show the film. Oakland scored 14 points in the remaining time to win the game, prompting numerous protesting calls to the network for their decision. The game forever became known as "The Heidi Bowl", and forced all networks televising football to ensure that all games would be shown in their entirety after that season.
With few exceptions, Delbert Mann returned to his TV roots throughout the rest of his career. His last effort came in 1994.
Some of Delbert Mann's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: Middle of the Night, Quick Before It Melts, The Outsider, Fitzwilly, The Pink Jungle, Kidnapped and Birch Interval.
Delbert Mann, one of the most prolific directors during the "Golden Age of Television", died on November 11, of pneumonia, in Los Angeles, California. The Oscar winning director of Marty, was 87 years old.
Born on January 30, 1920, in Lawrence, Kansas, his family moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where his father taught at Scarritt College. Mann received his first dramatic training in a Nashville community theater group, while attending Vanderbilt University. He developed a life-long friendship with Fred Coe, who was a director at the theater. After graduating from Vanderbilt in 1941, Mann served as a bomber pilot during World War II. When the war ended, he attended the Yale School of Drama, which led to stage managing and directing jobs in community theaters in Tennessee and South Carolina. He succeeded his friend Coe as director/producer at the Town Theater in Columbia, S. C. Coe had left for a position with NBC Studios in New York City. In 1949, Mann followed him to New York, where he started off as a floor manager at NBC, then became an assistant director. In the next half-dozen years, Mann would direct more than 100 television productions for the Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, with Fred Coe as the producer. One of the productions, in 1953, was a drama by a young playwright named Paddy Chayefsky. It was called Marty, and it starred Rod Steiger as a lonely butcher. The show was a hit. Steiger, however, refused to play the role in a feature film version, as he did not want to be tied to a contract with the producers. Ernest Borgnine replaced him, with Delbert Mann making his feature film directing debut. The results: Oscars for Mann, Borgnine, Chayefsky and the film was awarded Best Picture of 1955. Mann's accomplishment, directing a Best Picture winner on his feature film debut, would not be repeated until 1999, when Sam Mendes won for directing American Beauty.
Ernest Borgnine's nomination (and win), along with Supporting nominations for Joe Mantell and Betsy Blair, were the first of 8 nominated performances by actors in Mann-directed films. Borgnine, David Niven (Best Actor for Separate Tables) and Wendy Hiller (Best Supporting Actress for Separate Tables) all took home the golden statue. Here is a list of Mann's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
Marty (1955) 8/4
Bachelor Party (1957) 1/-
Desire Under the Elms (1958) 1/-
Separate Tables (1958) 7/2
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960) 1/-
Lover Come Back (1961) 1/-
That Touch of Mink (1962) 3/-
A Gathering of Eagles (1963) 1/-
Dear Heart (1964) 1/-
Mr. Buddwing (1966) 2/-
Delbert Mann specialized in character-driven dramas, featuring everyday people with deep-rooted problems. He ventured into comedy on occasion, but only the two vehicles with Doris Day (Lover Come Back and That Touch of Mink) proved successful. In 1968, he directed one of the most controversial TV-movies of all time, although he wasn't responsible for the controversy. The movie was Heidi, a retelling of the classic Johanna Spyri tale. The film was scheduled for a showing at 7PM on a Sunday night in November. Prior to that, a football game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders was being aired. With under two minutes to play, and the Jets leading by three points, NBC cut away at seven o'clock to show the film. Oakland scored 14 points in the remaining time to win the game, prompting numerous protesting calls to the network for their decision. The game forever became known as "The Heidi Bowl", and forced all networks televising football to ensure that all games would be shown in their entirety after that season.
With few exceptions, Delbert Mann returned to his TV roots throughout the rest of his career. His last effort came in 1994.
Some of Delbert Mann's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: Middle of the Night, Quick Before It Melts, The Outsider, Fitzwilly, The Pink Jungle, Kidnapped and Birch Interval.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
#15 - Francis Ford Coppola - 56/14/12
Most notable films: The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather, Part II (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Godfather, Part III (1990)
Although he will always be best known for his direction of the 'Godfather' films, Francis Ford Coppola has excelled as a writer and producer, in addition to his accomplishments behind the camera. He became the first major American film director to emerge from a university degree program in filmmaking.
With 56 nominations and 14 Oscars, covering 12 films, Francis Ford Coppola is ranked #15 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 7, 1939, his father Carmine was 'first flautist' for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. When Francis was two years old, Carmine accepted a similar position with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York. The family moved to Long Island, where Francis spent the rest of his childhood. At the age of nine, he contracted polio, and was bedridden for long stretches of time. His active imagination led him into homemade puppet theater productions, and eventually he began using his father's 8mm movie camera, making home movies at the age of 10. Inheriting his father's musical inclination, young Francis was a talented tuba player, and earned a scholarship to the New York Military Academy when he was 15. After a year and a half, he left the academy, but he eventually earned a scholarship to Hofstra University, where he majored in theater arts. He became president of both the drama group and the musical comedy club, and merged them into The Spectrum Players. His writing ability and leadership resulted in new productions being staged each week. Coppola graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959, and enrolled in the UCLA film school in 1960. He began an apprenticeship with 'B'-movie impressarioRoger Corman in 1962, working as an all-purpose assistant, a dialogue director, and sound man. Corman had purchased the rights to a 1959 Russian space movie, called Nebo Zovyot, and had Coppola shoot new footage, while editing out some of the original footage, converting the 'space film' into a 'space horror film', called Battle Beyond the Sun. Coppola also directed a pair of titillation films that were barely noticed, before helming Dementia 13 in 1963, with a budget of $20,000. He continued his studies at UCLA through all this, while working on screenplays for This Property is Condemned and Is Paris Burning?
In 1966, Coppola directed his second film, an off-beat comedy called You're a Big Boy Now. Geraldine Page received an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress, becoming the first of a dozen actors to receive recognition for their performances in a Francis Ford Coppola-directed film. Two of those performers won the coveted Oscar: Marlon Brando (Best Actor in The Godfather) and Robert DeNiro (Supporting Actor in The Godfather, Part II). Both actors played the role of Vito Corleone. Here is a list of Coppola's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
You're a Big Boy Now (1966) 1/-
Finian's Rainbow (1968) 2/-
The Godfather (1972) 11/3
The Conversation (1974) 3/-
The Godfather, Part II (1974) 11/6
Apocalypse Now (1979) 8/2
One From the Heart (1982) 1/-
The Cotton Club (1984) 2/-
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) 3/-
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) 3/-
The Godfather, Part III (1990) 7/-
Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' (1992) 4/3
After submitting You're a Big Boy Now to the UCLA Film School, Coppola earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinema in 1968. The late '60's were a busy time for Coppola, directing two films (Finian's Rainbow and The Rain People), co-writing the story and screenplay for Patton (which won him an Oscar in 1970), and co-founding (with George Lucas) the American Zoetrope production organization, in order to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood studio system. He produced, with Lucas directing, THX1138, a sci-fi film that failed financially. All of this was just a lead in to bigger and better things to come in 1972.
Paramount Pictures was looking for a director of Italian heritage to film its adaptation of The Godfather, a novel they helped develop with author Mario Puzo. After being rejected by Sergio Leone (among others), they approached Francis Ford Coppola. Needing a paycheck after the failure of THX1138, he agreed to direct the film, with the stipulation that the movie would stress the importance of the family's growth throughout the years, and downplay being a showcase for Italian organized crime. The combination of near-perfect casting, a riveting screenplay, haunting music, and brilliant direction, led the production to become one of filmdom's classic movie experiences. The Godfather was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture of 1972, and its sequel, The Godfather, Part II, was awarded the same honor in 1974. Coppola was awarded the Best Director award for the sequel. The same year, Coppola had the rare distinction of directing a second film nominated for Best Picture, The Conversation. During this span of time, Coppola also found time to produce George Lucas' second film, American Graffiti, which received a Best Picture nomination in 1973. In his career, Coppola would be nominated four times as Best Director, winning for The Godfather, Part II, and losing for The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, Part III.
Apocalypse Now, released in 1979, was plagued with problems. Poor weather conditions, monetary difficulties, health problems, a 16-month shoot, and nearly three years in the editing, but Coppola pulled it all together and had another major hit. After that, he concentrated on smaller films throughout the '80's, such as The Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Tucker: A Man and His Dream.
In 1990, Coppola revisited his biggest triumph, directing the long-awaited Godfather, Part III. Much was expected, but a confusing script, some ineffective casting, and too lengthy a gap since the previous segments made for lackluster box office, and mixed reviews. Although nominated for seven Oscars, it would win none. Coppola continued directing in the '90's, but has never regained the stature and success he enjoyed decades earlier.
Some of Francis Ford Coppola's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: The Rain People, The Outsiders, Rumblefish, Gardens of Stone, Jack, and The Rain Maker.
Fans of Coppola will not have long to wait for the director's next film. Scheduled to be released in December of this year, Youth Without Youth will be eagerly anticipated, and, perhaps, if successful, will help him move upward on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Although he will always be best known for his direction of the 'Godfather' films, Francis Ford Coppola has excelled as a writer and producer, in addition to his accomplishments behind the camera. He became the first major American film director to emerge from a university degree program in filmmaking.
With 56 nominations and 14 Oscars, covering 12 films, Francis Ford Coppola is ranked #15 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, on April 7, 1939, his father Carmine was 'first flautist' for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. When Francis was two years old, Carmine accepted a similar position with the NBC Symphony Orchestra in New York. The family moved to Long Island, where Francis spent the rest of his childhood. At the age of nine, he contracted polio, and was bedridden for long stretches of time. His active imagination led him into homemade puppet theater productions, and eventually he began using his father's 8mm movie camera, making home movies at the age of 10. Inheriting his father's musical inclination, young Francis was a talented tuba player, and earned a scholarship to the New York Military Academy when he was 15. After a year and a half, he left the academy, but he eventually earned a scholarship to Hofstra University, where he majored in theater arts. He became president of both the drama group and the musical comedy club, and merged them into The Spectrum Players. His writing ability and leadership resulted in new productions being staged each week. Coppola graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1959, and enrolled in the UCLA film school in 1960. He began an apprenticeship with 'B'-movie impressarioRoger Corman in 1962, working as an all-purpose assistant, a dialogue director, and sound man. Corman had purchased the rights to a 1959 Russian space movie, called Nebo Zovyot, and had Coppola shoot new footage, while editing out some of the original footage, converting the 'space film' into a 'space horror film', called Battle Beyond the Sun. Coppola also directed a pair of titillation films that were barely noticed, before helming Dementia 13 in 1963, with a budget of $20,000. He continued his studies at UCLA through all this, while working on screenplays for This Property is Condemned and Is Paris Burning?
In 1966, Coppola directed his second film, an off-beat comedy called You're a Big Boy Now. Geraldine Page received an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress, becoming the first of a dozen actors to receive recognition for their performances in a Francis Ford Coppola-directed film. Two of those performers won the coveted Oscar: Marlon Brando (Best Actor in The Godfather) and Robert DeNiro (Supporting Actor in The Godfather, Part II). Both actors played the role of Vito Corleone. Here is a list of Coppola's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
You're a Big Boy Now (1966) 1/-
Finian's Rainbow (1968) 2/-
The Godfather (1972) 11/3
The Conversation (1974) 3/-
The Godfather, Part II (1974) 11/6
Apocalypse Now (1979) 8/2
One From the Heart (1982) 1/-
The Cotton Club (1984) 2/-
Peggy Sue Got Married (1986) 3/-
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) 3/-
The Godfather, Part III (1990) 7/-
Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' (1992) 4/3
After submitting You're a Big Boy Now to the UCLA Film School, Coppola earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in Cinema in 1968. The late '60's were a busy time for Coppola, directing two films (Finian's Rainbow and The Rain People), co-writing the story and screenplay for Patton (which won him an Oscar in 1970), and co-founding (with George Lucas) the American Zoetrope production organization, in order to create a liberating environment for filmmakers to direct outside the perceived oppressive control of the Hollywood studio system. He produced, with Lucas directing, THX1138, a sci-fi film that failed financially. All of this was just a lead in to bigger and better things to come in 1972.
Paramount Pictures was looking for a director of Italian heritage to film its adaptation of The Godfather, a novel they helped develop with author Mario Puzo. After being rejected by Sergio Leone (among others), they approached Francis Ford Coppola. Needing a paycheck after the failure of THX1138, he agreed to direct the film, with the stipulation that the movie would stress the importance of the family's growth throughout the years, and downplay being a showcase for Italian organized crime. The combination of near-perfect casting, a riveting screenplay, haunting music, and brilliant direction, led the production to become one of filmdom's classic movie experiences. The Godfather was awarded the Oscar for Best Picture of 1972, and its sequel, The Godfather, Part II, was awarded the same honor in 1974. Coppola was awarded the Best Director award for the sequel. The same year, Coppola had the rare distinction of directing a second film nominated for Best Picture, The Conversation. During this span of time, Coppola also found time to produce George Lucas' second film, American Graffiti, which received a Best Picture nomination in 1973. In his career, Coppola would be nominated four times as Best Director, winning for The Godfather, Part II, and losing for The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and The Godfather, Part III.
Apocalypse Now, released in 1979, was plagued with problems. Poor weather conditions, monetary difficulties, health problems, a 16-month shoot, and nearly three years in the editing, but Coppola pulled it all together and had another major hit. After that, he concentrated on smaller films throughout the '80's, such as The Cotton Club, Peggy Sue Got Married, and Tucker: A Man and His Dream.
In 1990, Coppola revisited his biggest triumph, directing the long-awaited Godfather, Part III. Much was expected, but a confusing script, some ineffective casting, and too lengthy a gap since the previous segments made for lackluster box office, and mixed reviews. Although nominated for seven Oscars, it would win none. Coppola continued directing in the '90's, but has never regained the stature and success he enjoyed decades earlier.
Some of Francis Ford Coppola's films that did not receive Oscar consideration: The Rain People, The Outsiders, Rumblefish, Gardens of Stone, Jack, and The Rain Maker.
Fans of Coppola will not have long to wait for the director's next film. Scheduled to be released in December of this year, Youth Without Youth will be eagerly anticipated, and, perhaps, if successful, will help him move upward on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
End of Summer musings
I've been extremely lax in my duties here on the 'Oscar Director-y'. It's been nearly six weeks since my last posting, so it's time to get back into the swing of things. There were three deaths of Oscar-nominated directors since my last article. Two of them were among the best known foreign film directors, the third an American whose films delighted audiences in the '50's and '60's.
Ingmar Bergman - 21/7/8
Check my posting from 5/20/07, "Fellini & Bergman - the best of the foreign directors". Bergman died on July 30th, in Sweden. He was 89 years old. His most notable films: Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Virgin Spring (1961), Cries and Whispers (1973), Fanny and Alexander (1983).
Michelangelo Antonioni - 2/0/1
Most notable films: L'Avventura (1960), The Red Desert (1964), Blow-Up (1966), Zabriskie Point (1970), The Passenger (1975).
A force in Italian cinema, he directed films for almost 60 years, remaining active until 2004, directing a segment of Eros. Although his films were largely overlooked by Academy Award voters, he received an honarary Oscar in 1995. The only film for which he achieved academy consideration was Blow-Up, for which he was nominated for Best Director, and shared Best Writing - Story & Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, with Tonino Guerra and Edward Bond.
Antonioni died on July 30th, in Rome, the same day as Ingmar Bergman. He was 94 years old.
Melville Shavelson - 11/0/6
Most notable films: Houseboat (1958), The Five Pennies (1959), A New Kind of Love (1963), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968).
Primarily known as a top comedy writer, he worked on films featuring Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Phil Silvers, Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, Lucille Ball, Martin & Lewis and Cary Grant. He received a pair of Screenwriting Oscar nominations, for The Seven Little Foys and Houseboat. Here is the list of Shavelson's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
The Seven Little Foys (1955) 1/-
Houseboat (1958) 2/-
The Five Pennies (1959) 4/-
It Started in Naples (1960) 1/-
The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962) 1/-
A New Kind of Love (1963) 2/-
Shavelson died on August 8th, in Studio City, California, of natural causes. He was 90 years old.
Ingmar Bergman - 21/7/8
Check my posting from 5/20/07, "Fellini & Bergman - the best of the foreign directors". Bergman died on July 30th, in Sweden. He was 89 years old. His most notable films: Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), The Seventh Seal (1957), The Virgin Spring (1961), Cries and Whispers (1973), Fanny and Alexander (1983).
Michelangelo Antonioni - 2/0/1
Most notable films: L'Avventura (1960), The Red Desert (1964), Blow-Up (1966), Zabriskie Point (1970), The Passenger (1975).
A force in Italian cinema, he directed films for almost 60 years, remaining active until 2004, directing a segment of Eros. Although his films were largely overlooked by Academy Award voters, he received an honarary Oscar in 1995. The only film for which he achieved academy consideration was Blow-Up, for which he was nominated for Best Director, and shared Best Writing - Story & Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, with Tonino Guerra and Edward Bond.
Antonioni died on July 30th, in Rome, the same day as Ingmar Bergman. He was 94 years old.
Melville Shavelson - 11/0/6
Most notable films: Houseboat (1958), The Five Pennies (1959), A New Kind of Love (1963), Cast a Giant Shadow (1966), Yours, Mine and Ours (1968).
Primarily known as a top comedy writer, he worked on films featuring Bob Hope, Danny Kaye, Phil Silvers, Milton Berle, Groucho Marx, Lucille Ball, Martin & Lewis and Cary Grant. He received a pair of Screenwriting Oscar nominations, for The Seven Little Foys and Houseboat. Here is the list of Shavelson's nominated films, with the number of nominations, and Oscars won:
The Seven Little Foys (1955) 1/-
Houseboat (1958) 2/-
The Five Pennies (1959) 4/-
It Started in Naples (1960) 1/-
The Pigeon That Took Rome (1962) 1/-
A New Kind of Love (1963) 2/-
Shavelson died on August 8th, in Studio City, California, of natural causes. He was 90 years old.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
#14 - David Lean - 58/27/11
Most notable films: Brief Encounter (1945), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), A Passage to India (1984).
Whether he was directing sophisticated British comedies, or dramas of epic proportion, David Lean was one of the best known English directors for over 40 years.
With 58 nominations and 27 wins over 11 films, David Lean is ranked #14 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born March 25, 1908, in Croyden, Surrey, England, into a strict Quaker family, young David was not allowed to attend a movie until he was 12 years old and away at school. His love of films was formed by conversations with the family charwoman. She would describe her trips to the cinema in great detail, filling the youngster's head with images of Charlie Chaplin, whose comic walk she would mimic for him. Educated at Leighton Park, a Quaker school in Reading, he developed an interest in photography and film. After graduation, Lean worked for a year in his father's accounting firm, but, after encouragement from an aunt, he applied to the Gaumont British Picture Corporation, saying, "I'll do anything - carry tea, anything". He was hired, on a trial basis, as a tea boy, then progressed to a clapper boy, messenger, and newsreel cutter. He moved up to an assistant director, and then began editing films in 1930. His first credit was The Night Porter, a comedy. He developed a solid reputation, working with top directors Anthony Asquith and Michael Powell. In 1942, renowned playwright Noel Coward, never having directed a film, asked Lean to collaborate with him on In Which We Serve. The film received two Oscar nominations, for Best Picture and Original Screenplay. It was Lean's first directing credit. He worked on three more film adaptations of Coward plays over the next few years: This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounter. The latter film earned Lean his first Best Director nomination, and Celia Johnson became the first of 11 performers nominated in Lean-helmed films. Three took home the golden statue: Alec Guinness (The Bridge on the River Kwai), John Mills (Ryan's Daughter) and Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India). Here is a list of Lean's nominated films, with the number of nominations and Oscars won:
In Which We Serve (1942) 2/-
Blithe Spirit (1945) 1/1
Brief Encounter (1945) 3/-
Great Expectations (1947) 5/2
Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952) 2/1
Summertime (1955) 2/-
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 8/7
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 10/7
Doctor Zhivago (1965) 10/5
Ryan's Daughter (1970) 4/2
A Passage to India (1984) 11/2
David Lean's next two films were adaptations of Charles Dickens novels, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Although respected for his extreme perfectionism, his autocratic behavior could sometimes alienate his cast and crew. He continued directing modestly budgeted films until 1957, when The Bridge on the River Kwai would elevate him to the top of the filmmaking community. A major success, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Lean received his first Best Director Oscar. He would win another in 1962, with his next blockbuster epic, Lawrence of Arabia, also a Best Picture winner. In all, Lean was nominated seven times for Best Director (Brief Encounter, Great Expectations, Summertime, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India were his others). His third successive large-scope drama was made in 1965, when Lean shifted his cameras from Arabia's sandy vistas to the snowy expanses of Russia, in Doctor Zhivago. His films show a meticulous attention to detail in the careful composition of each frame, in the precise and expressive use of sound and music, the stunning photography and dynamic performances of his actors.
In 1970, Lean tried again to depict another epic struggle, this time in Ireland, during the First World War. Ryan's Daughter was filmed in harsh conditions with award-winning cinematography, but critics did not respond warmly to the movie. Embittered, Lean would not return to directing until 1984, when his final film, A Passage to India was released. Hailed by many as a return to good form by its director, it received 11 Oscar nominations, including Picture and Director. It allowed David Lean to end his career on a positive note.
Some of David Lean's films that did not recieve Oscar consideration: This Happy Breed, Oliver Twist, Madeleine, Hobson's Choice and The Passionate Friends.
David Lean died on April 16, 1991, in London, England, of throat cancer. He was 83 years old. On the recent American Film Institute ranking of The 100 Greatest Movies, Lawrence of Arabia ranked #7, while The Bridge on the River Kwai ranked #36.
Whether he was directing sophisticated British comedies, or dramas of epic proportion, David Lean was one of the best known English directors for over 40 years.
With 58 nominations and 27 wins over 11 films, David Lean is ranked #14 on the 'Oscar Director-y'.
Born March 25, 1908, in Croyden, Surrey, England, into a strict Quaker family, young David was not allowed to attend a movie until he was 12 years old and away at school. His love of films was formed by conversations with the family charwoman. She would describe her trips to the cinema in great detail, filling the youngster's head with images of Charlie Chaplin, whose comic walk she would mimic for him. Educated at Leighton Park, a Quaker school in Reading, he developed an interest in photography and film. After graduation, Lean worked for a year in his father's accounting firm, but, after encouragement from an aunt, he applied to the Gaumont British Picture Corporation, saying, "I'll do anything - carry tea, anything". He was hired, on a trial basis, as a tea boy, then progressed to a clapper boy, messenger, and newsreel cutter. He moved up to an assistant director, and then began editing films in 1930. His first credit was The Night Porter, a comedy. He developed a solid reputation, working with top directors Anthony Asquith and Michael Powell. In 1942, renowned playwright Noel Coward, never having directed a film, asked Lean to collaborate with him on In Which We Serve. The film received two Oscar nominations, for Best Picture and Original Screenplay. It was Lean's first directing credit. He worked on three more film adaptations of Coward plays over the next few years: This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounter. The latter film earned Lean his first Best Director nomination, and Celia Johnson became the first of 11 performers nominated in Lean-helmed films. Three took home the golden statue: Alec Guinness (The Bridge on the River Kwai), John Mills (Ryan's Daughter) and Peggy Ashcroft (A Passage to India). Here is a list of Lean's nominated films, with the number of nominations and Oscars won:
In Which We Serve (1942) 2/-
Blithe Spirit (1945) 1/1
Brief Encounter (1945) 3/-
Great Expectations (1947) 5/2
Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952) 2/1
Summertime (1955) 2/-
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 8/7
Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 10/7
Doctor Zhivago (1965) 10/5
Ryan's Daughter (1970) 4/2
A Passage to India (1984) 11/2
David Lean's next two films were adaptations of Charles Dickens novels, Great Expectations and Oliver Twist. Although respected for his extreme perfectionism, his autocratic behavior could sometimes alienate his cast and crew. He continued directing modestly budgeted films until 1957, when The Bridge on the River Kwai would elevate him to the top of the filmmaking community. A major success, the film won the Academy Award for Best Picture, and Lean received his first Best Director Oscar. He would win another in 1962, with his next blockbuster epic, Lawrence of Arabia, also a Best Picture winner. In all, Lean was nominated seven times for Best Director (Brief Encounter, Great Expectations, Summertime, Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India were his others). His third successive large-scope drama was made in 1965, when Lean shifted his cameras from Arabia's sandy vistas to the snowy expanses of Russia, in Doctor Zhivago. His films show a meticulous attention to detail in the careful composition of each frame, in the precise and expressive use of sound and music, the stunning photography and dynamic performances of his actors.
In 1970, Lean tried again to depict another epic struggle, this time in Ireland, during the First World War. Ryan's Daughter was filmed in harsh conditions with award-winning cinematography, but critics did not respond warmly to the movie. Embittered, Lean would not return to directing until 1984, when his final film, A Passage to India was released. Hailed by many as a return to good form by its director, it received 11 Oscar nominations, including Picture and Director. It allowed David Lean to end his career on a positive note.
Some of David Lean's films that did not recieve Oscar consideration: This Happy Breed, Oliver Twist, Madeleine, Hobson's Choice and The Passionate Friends.
David Lean died on April 16, 1991, in London, England, of throat cancer. He was 83 years old. On the recent American Film Institute ranking of The 100 Greatest Movies, Lawrence of Arabia ranked #7, while The Bridge on the River Kwai ranked #36.
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