Harry Horner (July 24, 1910 - December 5, 1994) was an
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n
art directorThe term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games.-General role:...
who made a successful career in Hollywood. He was born in the town of Holitz, which now belongs to the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
, to parents of the
German speaking minorityFrom 1918 to 1938, after the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, more than 3 million ethnic Germans were living in what became the Czech lands of the newly created state of Czechoslovakia. Ethnic Germans had lived in Bohemia, a part of the Holy Roman Empire, since the 14th century , mostly in...
in
Austria-HungaryAustria–Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the k.u.k. Monarchy, or Dual State, was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe...
s
crown landCrown land is a designated area belonging to the Crown, the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
.
He began his career working with
Max ReinhardtMax Reinhardt was an Austrian theatre and film director and actor.-Biography:...
in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
. When Reinhardt moved to the United States in the early 30s, Horner went along with him.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as production designer and set designer for the U.S.
Harry Horner (July 24, 1910 - December 5, 1994) was an
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
n
art directorThe term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games.-General role:...
who made a successful career in Hollywood. He was born in the town of Holitz, which now belongs to the
Czech RepublicThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
, to parents of the
German speaking minorityFrom 1918 to 1938, after the break up of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, more than 3 million ethnic Germans were living in what became the Czech lands of the newly created state of Czechoslovakia. Ethnic Germans had lived in Bohemia, a part of the Holy Roman Empire, since the 14th century , mostly in...
in
Austria-HungaryAustria–Hungary, also known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the k.u.k. Monarchy, or Dual State, was a monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe...
s
crown landCrown land is a designated area belonging to the Crown, the equivalent of an entailed estate that passed with the monarchy and could not be alienated from it....
BohemiaBohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Czech Republic...
.
He began his career working with
Max ReinhardtMax Reinhardt was an Austrian theatre and film director and actor.-Biography:...
in
ViennaVienna is the capital of the Republic of Austria and also one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.7 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre. It is the 10th largest city by...
. When Reinhardt moved to the United States in the early 30s, Horner went along with him.
During
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served as production designer and set designer for the U.S. Army Air Forces show
Winged VictoryWinged Victory is a play and, later, a film by Moss Hart, originally created and produced by the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II as a morale booster and as a fundraiser for the Army Emergency Relief Fund. Upon recommendation of Lt. Col. Dudley S. Dean, who had been approached with the...
.
He won an
OscarThe Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented is...
in
1949The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :source: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1949.shtml- Awards :Academy Awards:*Adam's Rib*The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr...
for his work on
William WylerWilliam Wyler was a motion picture director.-Early life:Wyler was born Wilhelm Weiller to a Swiss father and a German mother, in Mulhouse in the French region of Alsace...
's
The HeiressThe Heiress is a 1949 drama film by Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted from their 1947 play of the same title that was based on the 1880 novel Washington Square by Henry James. The film was directed by William Wyler with Olivia de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, Montgomery Clift as Morris Townsend,...
and another in
1961The year 1961 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue
source: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1961.shtml- Awards :Academy Awards:*Bridge to the Sun...
for
Robert RossenRobert Rossen was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer. Initially writing and directing for the stage, Rossen moved to Hollywood in 1937. His film career spanned almost three decades...
's drama
The HustlerThe Hustler is a 1961 American drama film. It tells the story of small-time pool hustler "Fast Eddie" Felson and his desire to prove himself the best player in the country by beating legendary pool player "Minnesota Fats." After initially losing to Fats and getting involved with unscrupulous...
.
One of his first notable successes was
George CukorGeorge Cukor was an American film director who mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO and later MGM, where he directed a string of impressive films including What Price Hollywood? , A Bill of Divorcement , Dinner at Eight , Little Women , David...
's
A Double LifeA Double Life is a 1947 film noir which tells the story of an actor whose mind becomes affected by the character he portrays. The movie starred Ronald Colman and Signe Hasso...
(
1947The year 1947 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 22 - Great Expectations is premiered in New York.*November 24 : The United States House of Representatives of the 80th Congress voted 346 to 17 to approve citations for contempt of Congress against the "Hollywood Ten."*November 25...
) and he soon found himself up on the Oscar podium in
1949The year 1949 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :source: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1949.shtml- Awards :Academy Awards:*Adam's Rib*The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr...
for his work on
William WylerWilliam Wyler was a motion picture director.-Early life:Wyler was born Wilhelm Weiller to a Swiss father and a German mother, in Mulhouse in the French region of Alsace...
's
The HeiressThe Heiress is a 1949 drama film by Ruth and Augustus Goetz adapted from their 1947 play of the same title that was based on the 1880 novel Washington Square by Henry James. The film was directed by William Wyler with Olivia de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, Montgomery Clift as Morris Townsend,...
. He worked with Cukor again in
1950The year 1950 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* February 15 - Walt Disney Studios' animated film Cinderella debuts.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue
...
on
Born YesterdayBorn Yesterday is a 1950 film based on the play of the same name by Garson Kanin and directed by George Cukor. The screenplay was written by Albert Mannheimer with uncredited contributions from Kanin....
and then tried his hand at directing on several TV series, including
GunsmokeGunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman MacDonnell and writer John Meston. The stories take place in and around Dodge City, Kansas, during the settlement of the American West....
. He was nominated for a third time in
1969The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue
source: http://www.boxofficereport.com/database/1969.shtml- Awards :Academy Awards:*Anne of the Thousand Days...
for
Sydney PollackSydney Irwin Pollack was an American film director, producer and actor. Born in Lafayette, Indiana to Russian Jewish immigrants, Pollack studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City, where he later taught acting...
's 30s drama
They Shoot Horses, Don't They?.
Horner directed a few films beginning with
Red Planet MarsRed Planet Mars is a 1952 science fiction film released by United Artists based on a 1932 play Red Planet written by John L. Balderston. It starred Peter Graves and Andrea King.-Plot:...
and
Beware, My LovelyBeware, My Lovely is a suspense film produced by Collier Young/Ida Lupino's production company The Filmakers.- Plot :The film is set in 1918 in an unnamed small town. A widow impulsively hires handyman to look after her house...
both in 1952.
He retired after completing the
Neil DiamondNeil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter. Diamond is one of pop music's most enduring and successful singer-songwriters. As a successful pop music performer, Diamond scored a number of hits worldwide in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
remakeA remake is a piece of media based primarily on an earlier work of the same medium.-Film:The term "remake" is generally used in reference to a movie which uses an earlier movie as the main source material, rather than in reference to a second, later movie based on the same source...
of
The Jazz SingerThe Jazz Singer is a 1980 musical remake of the 1927 classic The Jazz Singer. It starred Neil Diamond, Lucie Arnaz and Sir Laurence Olivier, and was co-directed by Richard Fleischer and Sidney J. Furie....
in
1980The year 1980 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 21 - The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year just as its precessdor, Star Wars did three years before....
. He died of
pneumoniaPneumonia is an inflammatory illness of the lung. Frequently, it is described as lung parenchyma/alveolar inflammation and abnormal alveolar filling with fluid ....
in 1994 in Pacific Palisades,
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
. His son is the Oscar-winning
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
James HornerJames Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
. His other son,
Christopher HornerChristopher Horner may refer to:*Christopher Horner *Christopher C. Horner, U.S. attorney and author*Christian Horner, Formula 1 manager*Chris Horner, bicycle racer...
, is also working in several positions in the film business.
Interview
- Harry Horner: "Das Herz rutschte mir in die Hose, als ich nach Ellis Island gebracht wurde". In: Christian Cargnelli, Michael Omasta (eds.): Aufbruch ins Ungewisse. Österreichische Filmschaffende in der Emigration vor 1945. Vienna, Wespennest: 1993