George Fitzmaurice
Encyclopedia
George Fitzmaurice was a film
director
and producer
. Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914 until his death in 1940, he directed over 80 films, including several successful movies such as The Son of the Sheik, Raffles
, Mata Hari, and Suzy
.
At the beginning of his directorial career Fitzmaurice was astute at directing stage actresses in their initial films when the first wave of great Broadway stars migrated to motion pictures during World War I era, including Mae Murray
, Elsie Ferguson
, Fannie Ward
, Helene Chadwick
, Irene Fenwick
, Gail Kane
and Edna Goodrich
.
Son of the Sheik is his most famous extant silent film, no doubt aided by the sudden death of its star, Rudolph Valentino
. Lilac Time
is a classic war/romance film. Fitzmaurice however directed scores of silent films of which the majority of them are lost
to the ravages of decompostion. Recent discoveries in Gosfilmofond in Russia
include 1919's Witness for the Defense
with Elsie Ferguson and 1923's Kick In with Bert Lytell
. A restoration of his 1928 part talkie hybrid The Barker
is winning praise from many film buffs. Rumors of other Fitzmaurice films in Gosfilmofond include 1920's Idols of Clay
(with Mae Murray) and Three Live Ghosts with Norman Kerry
, Anna Q. Nilsson
Cyril Chadwick
and Edmund Goulding
.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914 until his death in 1940, he directed over 80 films, including several successful movies such as The Son of the Sheik, Raffles
Raffles (1930 film)
Raffles is a film starring Ronald Colman as the popular title character, a gentleman who is also secretly a notorious jewel thief. Kay Francis plays the woman who Raffles falls in love with. It is based on the 1906 play Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman by E. W...
, Mata Hari, and Suzy
Suzy (1936 film)
Suzy is a 1936 drama film starring Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone, and Cary Grant. The film was partially written by Dorothy Parker and directed by George Fitzmaurice, based on a novel by Herman Gorman...
.
At the beginning of his directorial career Fitzmaurice was astute at directing stage actresses in their initial films when the first wave of great Broadway stars migrated to motion pictures during World War I era, including Mae Murray
Mae Murray
Mae Murray was an American actress, dancer, film producer, and screenwriter. Murray rose to fame during the silent film era and was known as "The Girl with the Bee-Stung Lips" and "The Gardenia of the Screen"....
, Elsie Ferguson
Elsie Ferguson
Elsie Louise Ferguson was an American stage and film actress.-Early life:Born in New York City, Elsie Ferguson was the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Benson Ferguson, a successful attorney...
, Fannie Ward
Fannie Ward
Fannie Ward was an American actress of stage and screen, known for comedic roles as well as The Cheat, a sexually–charged 1915 silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille....
, Helene Chadwick
Helene Chadwick
Helene Chadwick was an American actress in silent motion pictures and in early sound films.-Early life and career:Chadwick was born in the small town of Chadwicks, New York, which was named for her grandfather...
, Irene Fenwick
Irene Fenwick
Irene Fenwick was a stage and silent film actress. She was married to Lionel Barrymore from 1924 until her death in 1936. She died of anorexia at age 49.-External links:*...
, Gail Kane
Gail Kane
Gail Kane was a stage and silent movie actress born as Abigail Kane in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.She stood 5'7" tall, weighed 142 pounds, and had dark brown hair and eyes. She attended a private school in Newburgh, New York, but eschewed additional education to become an actress...
and Edna Goodrich
Edna Goodrich
Edna Goodrich was an American Broadway actress, Florodora girl, author, and media sensation during the early 1900s. At one point, she was known as one of America's wealthiest and best dressed performers. She was married to Edwin Stacey of Cincinnati, Ohio, and later Nat C...
.
Son of the Sheik is his most famous extant silent film, no doubt aided by the sudden death of its star, Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino
Rudolph Valentino was an Italian actor, and early pop icon. A sex symbol of the 1920s, Valentino was known as the "Latin Lover". He starred in several well-known silent films including The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Sheik, Blood and Sand, The Eagle and Son of the Sheik...
. Lilac Time
Lilac Time (1928 film)
Lilac Time is a silent romantic war film directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper, produced by John McCormick , and distributed by First National Pictures....
is a classic war/romance film. Fitzmaurice however directed scores of silent films of which the majority of them are lost
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
to the ravages of decompostion. Recent discoveries in Gosfilmofond in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
include 1919's Witness for the Defense
The Witness for the Defense (1919 film)
The Witness for the Defense is a silent drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Warner Oland, and Wyndham Standing.-Production background:The film is based on a novel by A. E. W. Mason...
with Elsie Ferguson and 1923's Kick In with Bert Lytell
Bert Lytell
Bert Lytell , Born Bertram Lytell, he was a popular screen star of the silent film era who starred in romantic, melodrama and adventure films....
. A restoration of his 1928 part talkie hybrid The Barker
The Barker
The Barker is a 1928 romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who comes between a man and his estranged son. It stars Milton Sills, Dorothy Mackaill, Betty Compson, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and released by First National Pictures in December 1928...
is winning praise from many film buffs. Rumors of other Fitzmaurice films in Gosfilmofond include 1920's Idols of Clay
Idols of Clay (1920 film)
Idols of Clay is a 1920 silent drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Mae Murray and David Powell. A copy of the film survives in the Gosfilmofond Archive in Moscow.-Cast:* Mae Murray - Faith Merrill* David Powell - Dion Holme...
(with Mae Murray) and Three Live Ghosts with Norman Kerry
Norman Kerry
Norman Kerry was an American actor whose career spanned over twenty-five years in the motion picture industry beginning in the silent era at the end of World War I.-Biography:...
, Anna Q. Nilsson
Anna Q. Nilsson
Anna Quirentia Nilsson was a Swedish born American actress who achieved success in American silent movies.-Background:...
Cyril Chadwick
Cyril Chadwick
Cyril Chadwick was an English actor of the silent era. He appeared in 70 films between 1913 and 1938. He was born in Kensington, London.-Selected filmography:*Temple Tower * The Thirteenth Chair...
and Edmund Goulding
Edmund Goulding
Edmund Goulding was a British film writer and director. As an actor early in his career he was one of the 'Ghosts' in the 1922 British made Paramount silent Three Live Ghosts alongside Norman Kerry and Cyril Chadwick. Also in the early 20s he wrote several screenplays for star Mae Murray and...
.
Selected filmography
- Adventure in DiamondsAdventure in DiamondsAdventure in Diamonds is a 1940 American crime film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring George Brent, Isa Miranda, John Loder and Nigel Bruce...
(1940) - The Emperor's CandlesticksThe Emperor's Candlesticks (film)The Emperor's Candlesticks is a 1937 film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. It was directed by George Fitzmaurice.-Plot:...
(19371937 in filmThe year 1937 in film involved some significant events, including the Walt Disney production of the first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.- Events :*April 16 - Way Out West premieres in the US....
) - SuzySuzy (1936 film)Suzy is a 1936 drama film starring Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone, and Cary Grant. The film was partially written by Dorothy Parker and directed by George Fitzmaurice, based on a novel by Herman Gorman...
(19361936 in filmThe year 1936 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 29 - Fritz Lang's first Hollywood film Fury, starring Spencer Tracy and Bruce Cabot, is released.*November 6 - first Porky Pig animated cartoon...
) - As You Desire MeAs You Desire Me (film)As You Desire Me is a 1932 film adaptation of the play by Luigi Pirandello made by MGM. It was produced and directed by George Fitzmaurice with Irving Thalberg as co-producer. The adaptation was by Gene Markey, the cinematography byWilliam H...
(19321932 in film-Events:*Cary Grant's film career begins*Katharine Hepburn's film career begins*Shirley Temple's film career begins*Disney released Flowers and Trees, the first cartoon in three-strip Technicolor film.*Santa, first sound film made in Mexico released....
) - Mata Hari (19311931 in film-Top grossing films:-Academy Awards:*Best Picture: Cimarron - MGM*Best Actor: Lionel Barrymore - A Free Soul*Best Actor: Wallace Beery - The Champ*Best Actor: Fredric March - Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde...
) - The Unholy GardenThe Unholy Garden (1931 film)The Unholy Garden is a 1931 drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Ronald Colman. It was based on a story by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. -Plot:...
(1931) - The Devil to Pay! (19301930 in film-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
) - RafflesRaffles (1930 film)Raffles is a film starring Ronald Colman as the popular title character, a gentleman who is also secretly a notorious jewel thief. Kay Francis plays the woman who Raffles falls in love with. It is based on the 1906 play Raffles, the Amateur Cracksman by E. W...
(1930) - The Bad OneThe Bad OneThe Bad One is an American black-and-white musical film directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Dolores del Río and featuring Boris Karloff and is a romantic prison drama film...
(1930) - Lilac TimeLilac Time (1928 film)Lilac Time is a silent romantic war film directed by George Fitzmaurice, starring Colleen Moore and Gary Cooper, produced by John McCormick , and distributed by First National Pictures....
(1928) - The BarkerThe BarkerThe Barker is a 1928 romantic drama film which tells the story of a woman who comes between a man and his estranged son. It stars Milton Sills, Dorothy Mackaill, Betty Compson, and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and released by First National Pictures in December 1928...
(19281928 in film-Events:Although some movies released in 1928 had sound, most were still silent.* July 28 - Lights of New York is released by Warner Brothers. It is the first "100% Talkie" feature film, in that dialog is spoken throughout the film...
) - The Love MartThe Love MartThe Love Mart is a 1927 silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and featuring Boris Karloff. The film is lost.-Cast:* Billie Dove - Antoinette Frobelle* Gilbert Roland - Victor Jallot* Ray Turner - Poupet...
(19271927 in film-Events:*January 10 - Fritz Lang's science-fiction fantasy Metropolis premieres in Germany.*April 7 - Abel Gance's Napoleon often considered his best known and greatest masterpiece, premiers at the Paris Opéra and would demonstrate techniques and equipment that would not be used for years to...
) - Rose of the Golden West (1927)
- The Son of the Sheik (19261926 in film-Events:*August - Warner Brothers debuts the first Vitaphone film, Don Juan. The Vitaphone system used multiple 33⅓ rpm disc records developed by Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric to play back audio synchronized with film....
) - A Thief in ParadiseA Thief in ParadiseA Thief in Paradise is a 1925 silent film, written by Frances Marion and directed by George Fitzmaurice. It is an adaptation of Leonard Merrick's novel The Worldlings . It is a "lost film".-Plot:...
(19251925 in film-Events:*November 5: The Big Parade holds its Grand Premier*December 30: premier of Ben-Hur the most expensive silent film ever made costing 4-6 million dollars -Top grossing films :...
) - CythereaCytherea (1924 film)Cytherea is an American drama film which featured two dream sequences filmed in an early version of the Technicolor color film process.-Production background:...
(1924) - The Eternal CityThe Eternal City (1923 film)The Eternal City is a silent film directed by George Fitzmaurice, from a script by Ouida Bergère based on a Hall Caine novel, starring Barbara La Marr, Lionel Barrymore and Bert Lytell. The film was produced by the Samuel Goldwyn Company and distributed by First National Pictures. It was a remake...
(1923) - The Man From HomeThe Man from Home (1922 film)The Man From Home is a 1922 UK drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice. The story had been filmed before in 1914 by Cecil B. DeMille as The Man from Home. Alfred Hitchcock was credited as a title designer on the 1922 production. The film is now considered a lost film.-Cast:* James Kirkwood -...
(19221922 in film-Events:* June 11 - United States première of Robert J. Flaherty's Nanook of the North, the first commercially successful feature length documentary film....
) - Three Live Ghosts (1922)
- Kick In (1922)
- Forever (19211921 in film-Top grossing films :-Films released in 1921:U.S.A. unless stated*$10,000 Under a Pillow, silent film directed by Frank Moser*The Ace of Hearts, silent film directed by Wallace Worsley*Across the Divide, silent film directed by John Holloway...
)