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John Frankenheimer
Born John Michael Frankenheimer
February 19, 1930(1930-02-19)
New York City, New York, USA
Died July 6, 2002 (aged 72)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Years active 1948-2002
Spouse(s) Carolyn Miller (1954-1962)
Evans Evans (1963-2002)

John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film director. Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1044 - The Battle of Ménfő takes place 1189 - Richard the Lionheart is crowned King of England See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A film director, or filmmaker, is a person who directs the making of a Film.

Contents

Biography

Frankenheimer was born in New York, the son of a German-born Jewish father and an Irish-American Roman Catholic mother. The City of New York Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Irish Americans (Gael-Mheiriceánach are citizens of the United States who can claim ancestry originating in Ireland. He was graduated from Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1951. Williams College is a highly selective private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Williamstown is a town in Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts. He became a film maker while serving as a U. S. Air Force lieutenant during the Korean War, directing service films for the Air Force and became interested in directing after his military service. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the

Career

Frankenheimer began his directing career in live television shortly after the service. He recalled after being discharged, he had an interview with CBS and had a conversation with the hiring manager. The manager had also been a member of the armed forces and told Frankenheimer that while they had no openings at the time, he would call when needed. According to the director in an interview with The Directors Series, he had spent two weeks in his hotel room waiting for a phone call as the hotel didn't provide a messaging service. At the end of this period, Frankenheimer did receive a phone call and was put to work as a live television director. Throughout the 1950s he directed over 140 episodes of shows like Playhouse 90, Climax, and Danger, including The Comedian, written by Rod Serling and starring Mickey Rooney as a ragingly vicious television comedian. Playhouse 90, a 90-minute dramatic television anthology series was telecast on CBS from 1956 to 1961 for a total of 133 episodes The Comedian is a 1957 live television drama written by Rod Serling from a novella by Ernest Lehman, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling ( December 25, 1924 &ndash June 28, 1975) was an American Screenwriter, best known Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose

His first theatrical film was 1957's The Young Stranger, starring James MacArthur as a rebellious teenager. Plot Outline Hal Ditmar is a clean-cut kid the son of a wealthy movie producer James Gordon MacArthur (born December 8, 1937 in Los Angeles California) is an American actor Frankenheimer helmed the production, based on a Climax episode called "Deal a Blow", at the age of 26.

He returned to television through the rest of the 1950s, only moving to film permanently in 1961 with The Young Savages, which teamed him for the first time with Burt Lancaster in a story of a young boy murdered by a New York gang. The Young Savages was a 1961 crime Drama film directed by John Frankenheimer, and screen written by Edward Anhalt. Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique

Birdman of Alcatraz

His next film, Birdman of Alcatraz, shot in 1961, came to him after production had already begun under another director (Charles Crichton). Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 film starring Burt Lancaster and directed by John Frankenheimer. Charles Crichton ( August 6, 1910 in Wallasey, Cheshire – September 14, 1999 in South Kensington, Burt Lancaster, who was producing, as well as starring, asked Frankenheimer to take over the film. Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique As Frankenheimer describes in Charles Champlin's interview book, he told Frankenheimer the script was too long, but was told he had to shoot everything that was written.

Sure enough, the first cut of the film was four and a half hours long, the length Frankenheimer had predicted. Moreover, as he had said at the beginning, the film was constructed so that it couldn't be cut and still be coherent. Frankenheimer said the film would have to be rewritten and partly reshot. Lancaster was committed to star in Judgment at Nuremberg, so he made that film while Frankenheimer prepared the reshoots. Judgment at Nuremberg (released in the UK as Judgement at Nuremberg) ( 1961) is a fictionalized film account of the post- World The finished film, released in 1962, was a huge success and was nominated for four Oscars, including one for Lancaster's performance.

Frankenheimer was next hired by producer John Houseman to direct All Fall Down, a family drama starring Eva Marie Saint and Warren Beatty. John Houseman ( September 22, 1902 — October 31, 1988) was an Oscar -winning American Actor All Fall Down is a 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer. The melodrama produced by John Houseman, was adapted by playwright Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an Academy Award -winning American actress. Warren Beatty (born Henry Warren Beaty; March 30 1937 is an American Academy Award - and Golden Globe -winning Actor, producer Because of the production difficulties with Birdman of Alcatraz, All Fall Down was actually released before that film. Robert Franklin Stroud ( January 28, 1890 &ndash November 21, 1963) known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, was a Prisoner in All Fall Down is a 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer. The melodrama produced by John Houseman, was adapted by playwright

The Manchurian Candidate

He followed this with his most iconic film, The Manchurian Candidate. For the novel by Richard Condon, see The Manchurian Candidate. Frankenheimer and producer George Axelrod bought Richard Condon's 1959 novel after it had already been turned down by many Hollywood studios. George Axelrod ( June 9, 1922 - June 21, 2003) was an American Screenwriter, producer, Playwright Richard Thomas Condon (born March 18, 1915 in New York New York; died April 9, 1996 in Dallas Texas) was a Satirical The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. After getting Frank Sinatra to commit to the film, they secured backing from United Artists and shot the film in 1962. Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra (December 12 1915 &ndash May 14 1998 was an American singer and actor

The story of a Korean War vet, brainwashed by the Communist Chinese to assassinate the candidate for President co-starred Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh. Laurence Harvey ( October 1, 1928 – November 25, 1973) was an Academy Award -nominated Lithuanian born actor who achieved Janet Leigh (born Jeanette Helen Morrison; July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004) was an American actress. The film also starred Angela Lansbury as Harvey's evil mother. Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born October 16, 1925) is an English Golden Globe Award and Tony Award winning Actress Frankenheimer had to fight to cast the actress, who had worked with him on All Fall Down, and was just two years older than Harvey. All Fall Down is a 1962 film directed by John Frankenheimer. The melodrama produced by John Houseman, was adapted by playwright Sinatra's choice had been Lucille Ball. Lucille Ball (August 6 1911 – April 26 1989 was an American comedienne, film television stage and radio Actress, model, film The film was nominated for two Oscars, including one for Lansbury.

The film was unseen for many years. Urban legend has it that the film was pulled from circulation due to the similarity of its plot to the death of President Kennedy the following year, but Frankenheimer states in the Champlin book that it was pulled because of a legal battle between producer Sinatra and the studio over Sinatra's share of the profits. In any event, it was re-released to great acclaim in 1988.

On the Set of Seven Days in May: Directing Fredric March.
On the Set of Seven Days in May: Directing Fredric March. Seven Days in May is a political thriller Novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W Fredric March ( August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American two-time Academy Award and Tony Award -winning

Seven Days in May

He followed this up with another hugely successful political thriller, Seven Days in May (1964). Seven Days in May is a political thriller Novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W He again bought the rights to a bestselling book, this time by Charles Bailey II and Fletcher Knebel, and again produced the film with his star, this time Kirk Douglas. Fletcher Knebel ( October 1, 1911 – February 26, 1993) was an American Author of several popular works of political fiction Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9,

Douglas intended to play the role of the General who attempts to lead a coup against the President, who is about to sign a disarmament treaty with the Soviets. Douglas then decided he wanted to work with Burt Lancaster, with whom he had just costarred in another film. To entice Lancaster, Douglas agreed to let him play the General, while Douglas took the less showy lead role of the General's aide, who turns against him and helps the President.

The film, written by Rod Serling, and costarring Frederic March as the President and Ava Gardner was a great success and was nominated for two Oscars. Rodman Edward "Rod" Serling ( December 25, 1924 &ndash June 28, 1975) was an American Screenwriter, best known Fredric March ( August 31, 1897 – April 14, 1975) was an American two-time Academy Award and Tony Award -winning Ava Lavinia Gardner ( December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an Academy Award -nominated American actress

The Train

Frankenheimer's next film was again taken over from another director (Arthur Penn). Arthur Hiller Penn (born September 27, 1922, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a Film director and producer. The Train had already begun shooting in France when star Burt Lancaster had the original director fired and called in Frankenheimer to save the film. The Train is a 1964 War movie written by Franklin Coen and Frank Davis and directed by John Frankenheimer. Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique As he recounts in the Champlin book, Frankenheimer used the production's desperation to his advantage in negotiations. He demanded and got the following: his name was made part of the title, "John Frankenheimer's The Train"; the French co-director, demanded by French tax laws, was not allowed to ever set foot on set; he was given total final cut; and a Ferrari.

Again saddled with an unfilmably long script, Frankenheimer threw it out and took the locations and actors left from the previous film and began filming, with writers working in Paris as the production shot in Normandy. Although the poorly chosen locations caused endless weather delays, the finished film was an enormous success and the script was nominated for an Oscar.

Seconds

Seconds (1966), starring Rock Hudson as an elderly man given the body of a young man through experimental surgery, was poorly received on its release, but has come to be one of the director's most respected and popular films in the decades since. Seconds is a 1966 American film starring Rock Hudson. Characterized sometimes as a Science fiction thriller, but with elements Rock Hudson (November 17 1925 &ndash October 2 1985 was an American Film and Television Actor, recognised as a romantic leading man during The film is an expressionistic, part-horror, part-thriller, part-science fiction film about the obsession with eternal youth and misplaced faith in the ability of medical science to achieve it.

Grand Prix

He followed this with his most spectacular production, 1966's Grand Prix. Grand Prix is an action film released in 1966. It was directed by John Frankenheimer with music by Maurice Jarre. Shot on location at the Grand Prix races throughout Europe, on 65mm Cinerama cameras, the film starred James Garner and Eva Marie Saint. James Garner (born April 7 1928 is an American Film and Emmy -award winning Television Actor. Eva Marie Saint (born July 4, 1924) is an Academy Award -winning American actress. The making was a race itself, as John Sturges and Steve McQueen planned to make a similar movie titled Day of the Champion[1]. John Eliot Sturges ( 3 January 1911 &ndash 18 August 1992) was an American film director Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen (March 24 1930 – November 7 1980 was an American movie Actor, nicknamed "The King of Cool" Due to their contract with the German Nürburgring, Frankenheimer had to turn over 27 reels shot there to Sturges. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany. Frankenheimer was ahead in schedule anyway, and the McQueen/Sturges project was called off, while the German race track was only mentioned briefly in Grand Prix. Introducing methods of photographing high-speed auto racing that had never been seen before, mounting cameras on the cars, at full speed and putting the stars in the actual cars, instead of against rear-projections, the film was an international success and won three Oscars, for editing, sound and sound effects.

1960s and 1970s

His next film, 1967's all-star anti-war comedy The Extraordinary Seaman starred David Niven, Faye Dunaway, Alan Alda and Mickey Rooney. James David Graham Niven (1 March 1910 – 29 July 1983 was an English Academy Award -winning Actor probably best known for his role as the punctuality-obsessed Dorothy Faye Dunaway (born January 14, 1941) known as Faye Dunaway, is an American actress. Alan Alda (born January 28 1936 is an American Actor. He is well known for his role as " Hawkeye Pierce " in the Television series Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr; September 23, 1920) is an American Film Actor and Entertainer whose The film was a failure at the box office and critically, and Frankenheimer calls it in the Champlin book, "the only movie I've made which I would say was a total disaster. "

1968's The Fixer, about a Jew in Tsarist Russia, was shot in Communist Hungary. Fixer is the eighth studio LP by the electronic group Download. The film, starring Alan Bates, was not a major success, but Bates was nominated for an Oscar. Sir Alan Arthur Bates CBE (17 February 1934 – 27 December 2003 was a British Actor. Frankenheimer was a close friend of Senator Robert Kennedy and in fact drove him to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles the night he was assassinated in June 1968. Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy (November 20 1925 – June 6 1968 also called RFK, was the United States Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and a Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Immediately after this, he filmed The Gypsy Moths, a romantic drama about a troupe of barnstorming skydivers and the impact they have on a small midwestern town. The Gypsy Moths is a 1969 American film starring Burt Lancaster, based on the novel of the same name by James Drought. The celebration of Americana starred Frankenheimer regular Burt Lancaster, reuniting him with From Here to Eternity co-star Deborah Kerr, and also featured Gene Hackman. Burton Stephen "Burt" Lancaster ( 2 November &ndash 20 October) was an American film Actor and star noted for his athletic physique From Here to Eternity is a 1953 Drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer, CBE (30 September 1921 &ndash 16 October 2007 was a Scottish stage television and film actress The film failed to find an audience, but Frankenheimer always stated that it was one of his personal favorites.

He followed this film with I Walk the Line in 1970. For the 1964 album see I Walk the Line (album. For the 1970 soundtrack album see I Walk the Line (soundtrack album. The film, starring Gregory Peck and Tuesday Weld, about a Tennessee sheriff who falls in love with a moonshiner's daughter, was set to songs by Johnny Cash. Gregory Peck (April 5 1916 &ndash June 12 2003 was an Academy Award -winning and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American Film Tuesday Weld (born August 27, 1943) is an Emmy - and Academy Award -nominated Golden Globe -winning American film and television Johnny Cash (born J R Cash; February 26 1932 - September 12 2003 was a Grammy Award -winning American country Singer-songwriter. Frankenheimer's next project took him to Afghanistan. The Horsemen focused on the relationship between a father and son, played by Jack Palance and Omar Sharif. Jack Palance (born Volodymyr Palahniuk; February 18, 1919 – November 10, 2006) was an Oscar -winning American Omar Sharif ( عمر الشريف; born April 10, 1932) is a two-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning Egyptian Sharif's character, an expert horseman, played the Afghan national sport of buzkashi. Buzkashi, Kok-boru or Oglak Tartis ( Persian: بزکشی bozkæšī, Tajik: бузкашӣ buzkašī: "goat

His next film Impossible Object, also known as Story of a Love Story, suffered distribution difficulties, and was not widely released. Story of a Love Story, also know as Impossible Object, is a 1973 Drama Film starring Alan Bates and Dominique Story of a Love Story, also know as Impossible Object, is a 1973 Drama Film starring Alan Bates and Dominique He followed this in 1973 with a four-hour film of O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh, starring Lee Marvin and the San Francisco-set 99 and 44/100 Per Cent Dead a crime black comedy starring Richard Harris. The Iceman Cometh is a 1973 film directed by John Frankenheimer. Lee Marvin ( February 19, 1924 &ndash August 29, 1987) was an American Film actor Richard St John Harris ( October 1 1930 - October 25 2002) was a two-time Academy Award -nominated and Grammy Award

With his fluent French and knowledge of the culture, Frankenheimer was next asked to direct French Connection II, set entirely in Marseille. French Connection II is a 1975 crime Drama film starring Gene Hackman and directed by John Frankenheimer. Starring Gene Hackman, the film was a major success and got Frankenheimer his next job, Black Sunday in 1976. Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman (born January 30, 1930) is a two-time Academy Award -winning American actor and author Black Sunday is a 1977 American Thriller film based on the novel by Thomas Harris.

Black Sunday, author Thomas Harris's only non-Hannibal Lecter novel, involves an Israeli Mossad agent (Robert Shaw), chasing a Palestinian terrorist (Marthe Keller) and a disgruntled Vietnam vet (Bruce Dern) who plan to blow up the Goodyear blimp over the Super Bowl. Black Sunday is a 1975 Novel by Thomas Harris. It was the first novel by Harris who went on to write the Hannibal Lecter novels Thomas Harris (born April 11, 1940) is an American Author of crime Novels most notably The Silence Robert Archibald Shaw ( 9 August, 1927 &ndash 28 August, 1978) was an English stage and Film Actor Marthe Keller (born January 28, 1945, Basel, Switzerland) is a Swiss actress Bruce MacLeish Dern (born June 4, 1936) is an Academy Award -nominated American Screen Actor. It was shot on location at the actual Super Bowl X in January 1976 in Miami, with the use of a real Goodyear blimp. Super Bowl X was an American football game played on January 18, 1976 at the Orange Bowl in Miami Florida to decide the The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for Advertising purposes and for use as a The film tested very highly, and Paramount and Frankenheimer had high expectations for it. When it failed to become the hit that was expected, Frankenheimer has admitted he developed a serious problem with alcohol. Alcoholism is a term with multiple and sometimes conflicting definitions

He says in Charles Champlin's biography that his alcohol problem caused him to do work that was below his own standards on his next film, 1979's Prophecy, an ecological monster movie about a mutant grizzly bear terrorizing a forest in Maine. Prophecy is a 1979 horror film starring Robert Foxworth, Talia Shire and Armand Assante.

1980s

The director's output lessened considerably after this film. In the next fifteen years, he only directed seven films. He was even forced to direct a lowbrow cop film called Dead Bang in 1989 starring Don Johnson. Don Johnson (born Donnie Wayne Johnson, December 15 1949 Personal life Relationships and family At 22 Johnson began a four-year liaison In 1990, Frankenheimer returned to his forte of the cold war political thriller when he made The Fourth War. This film starred Roy Scheider as a loose cannon Army colonel drawn into a dangerous personal war with a Russian officer. Roy Richard Scheider (November 10 1932 – February 10 2008 was an Academy Award - and Golden Globe -nominated American Actor.

1990s

Frankenheimer was able to make a comeback in the 1990s by returning to television. He directed two films for HBO in 1994: Against the Wall and The Burning Season that won him several awards and renewed acclaim. The director also helmed two films for Turner Network Television in 1996 and 1997, Andersonville and George Wallace that were highly praised. Andersonville is a film directed by John Frankenheimer about a group of Union soldiers during the American Civil War who are captured by the George Wallace is a 1997 television film starring Gary Sinise as the infamous Alabama governor George Wallace. He even acted for the first time, playing a desperate U. S. General in The General's Daughter (1999) in a crucial cameo appearance. The General's Daughter is a 1999 Film starring John Travolta.

His 1996 film The Island of Dr. Moreau, which he took over a few weeks into production from Richard Stanley, was the cause of countless stories of production woes and personality clashes, and received scathing reviews. The Island of Doctor Moreau is an 1896 Science fiction Novel written by H Richard Stanley may refer to Richard Stanley (film director (born 1966 South African-born film director and screenwriter Richard Stanley It was said that the veteran director could not stand Val Kilmer, the young star of the film. Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American Actor. When Kilmer's last scene was completed it was reported that Frankenheimer said "Now get that bastard off my set". In an interview, Frankenheimer refused to discuss the film saying only that he had a miserable time making it. However, his next film, 1998's Ronin, starring Robert De Niro, was a return to form, featuring Frankenheimer's now trademark elaborate car chases woven into a labyrinthine espionage plot. Ronin is a 1998 action - Thriller film written by JD Zeik and David Mamet and directed by John Frankenheimer. Robert Mario De Niro Jr (born August 17 1943 is a two-time Academy Award -winning American Film Actor, director and producer

His last theatrical film, 2000's Reindeer Games, starring Ben Affleck, underperformed, but his final film, Path to War for HBO in 2002, brought him back to his strengths - political machinations, 1960s America and character-based drama, and was nominated for numerous awards. Reindeer Games (also known as Deception) is a 2000 movie directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise Ben Affleck (born Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt; August 15 1972 is an American Film Screenwriter, director, actor and older brother of Path to War is a 2002 TV movie produced by HBO that deals directly with the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of President Lyndon Johnson

He was scheduled to direct a prequel to The Exorcist but died suddenly in Los Angeles, California, from a stroke due to complications following spinal surgery at the age of 72, shortly before filming started. The Exorcist is a 1973 American Horror film, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty, Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

Despite the many celebrated films he directed, many of which won Academy Awards in various categories, Frankenheimer was never nominated for a Best Director Oscar. The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing (Best Director is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS to

Filmography

References

External links

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