Jean Negulesco
Encyclopedia
Jean Negulesco was a Romanian-born
American film director
and screenwriter
.
Born in Craiova
, he attended Carol I High School. In 1915 he moved to Vienna
, in 1919 to Bucharest
, where he worked as a painter, before becoming a stage decorator in Paris. In 1927 he went to New York City for an exhibition
of his paintings, and settled there.
In 1934 he entered the film industry
, first as a sketch artist
, then as an assistant producer
, second unit
director and in the late 1930s he became a director and screenwriter. He made a reputation at Warner Brothers by directing short subjects, particularly a series of band shorts featuring unusual camera angles and dramatic use of shadows and silhouettes.
Negulesco's first feature film as director was Singapore Woman
(1941). In 1948 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing
for Johnny Belinda
. In 1955, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
for How to Marry a Millionaire
. His 1959 movie, The Best of Everything
, was on Entertainment Weekly
's "Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time" list.
From the late 1960s, he lived in Marbella
, Spain where he died there at age 93, of heart failure.
During his Hollywood career and in his 1984 autobiography, Negulesco claimed to have been born on 29 February 1900; he was apparently motivated to make this statement because birthdays on Leap Year Day are comparatively rare. In fact, 1900 was not a leap year
, so there was no 29 February in 1900. Negulesco's autobiography (in which this claim appears) is appropriately titled Things I Did and Things I Think I Did.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
American film 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 screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
.
Born in Craiova
Craiova
Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...
, he attended Carol I High School. In 1915 he moved to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in 1919 to Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, where he worked as a painter, before becoming a stage decorator in Paris. In 1927 he went to New York City for an exhibition
Art exhibition
Art exhibitions are traditionally the space in which art objects meet an audience. The exhibit is universally understood to be for some temporary period unless, as is rarely true, it is stated to be a "permanent exhibition". In American English, they may be called "exhibit", "exposition" or...
of his paintings, and settled there.
In 1934 he entered the film industry
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
, first as a sketch artist
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
, then as an assistant 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...
, second unit
Second unit
In film, the second unit is a team that shoots subsidiary footage for a motion picture. Its work is distinct from that of the first unit, which shoots all scenes involving principal actors...
director and in the late 1930s he became a director and screenwriter. He made a reputation at Warner Brothers by directing short subjects, particularly a series of band shorts featuring unusual camera angles and dramatic use of shadows and silhouettes.
Negulesco's first feature film as director was Singapore Woman
Singapore Woman
Singapore Woman is a 1941 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Brenda Marshall and David Bruce.-Cast:*Brenda Marshall as Vicki Moore*David Bruce as David Ritchie*Virginia Field as Claire Weston*Jerome Cowan as Jim North...
(1941). In 1948 he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing
Academy Award for Directing
The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
for Johnny Belinda
Johnny Belinda (1948 film)
Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
. In 1955, he won the BAFTA Award for Best Film
BAFTA Award for Best Film
This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...
for How to Marry a Millionaire
How to Marry a Millionaire
How to Marry a Millionaire is a 1953 romantic comedy film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Jean Negulesco and produced and written by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays The Greeks Had a Word for It by Zoe Akins and Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. The music score...
. His 1959 movie, The Best of Everything
The Best of Everything
The Best of Everything is the first novel by Rona Jaffe. It is the story of five young employees of a New York publishing company.-Adaptions:...
, was on Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
's "Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time" list.
From the late 1960s, he lived in Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Spain where he died there at age 93, of heart failure.
During his Hollywood career and in his 1984 autobiography, Negulesco claimed to have been born on 29 February 1900; he was apparently motivated to make this statement because birthdays on Leap Year Day are comparatively rare. In fact, 1900 was not a leap year
Leap year
A leap year is a year containing one extra day in order to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year...
, so there was no 29 February in 1900. Negulesco's autobiography (in which this claim appears) is appropriately titled Things I Did and Things I Think I Did.
Filmography
- Singapore WomanSingapore WomanSingapore Woman is a 1941 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Brenda Marshall and David Bruce.-Cast:*Brenda Marshall as Vicki Moore*David Bruce as David Ritchie*Virginia Field as Claire Weston*Jerome Cowan as Jim North...
(1941) - The Mask of DimitriosThe Mask of DimitriosThe Mask of Dimitrios is an American film noir directed by Jean Negulesco and written by Frank Gruber, based on the 1939 novel of the same name written by Eric Ambler . Ambler is known as a major influence on writers and an inventor of the modern thriller genre...
(1944) - The ConspiratorsThe ConspiratorsThe Conspirators is a 1944 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Hedy Lamarr and Paul Henreid.-Cast:*Hedy Lamarr as Irene Von Mohr*Paul Henreid as Vincent Van Der Lyn*Sydney Greenstreet as Ricardo Quintanilla*Peter Lorre as Jan Bernazsky...
(1944) - Three StrangersThree StrangersThree Strangers is a Warner Bros. crime drama, starring Peter Lorre, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Sydney Greenstreet, featuring Joan Lorring and Alan Napier. It was directed by Jean Negulesco from a script by John Huston and Howard Koch.-Plot:...
(1946) - Nobody Lives ForeverNobody Lives Forever (1946 film)Nobody Lives Forever is a 1946 black-and-white crime film based on the novel I Wasn't Born Yesterday by W.R. Burnett. It starred John Garfield and Geraldine Fitzgerald.-Plot:...
(1946) - HumoresqueHumoresque (film)Humoresque is a 1946 Warner Bros. feature film starring Joan Crawford and John Garfield in an older woman/younger man tale about a violinist and his patroness. The screenplay by Clifford Odets and Zachary Gold was based upon a novel by Fannie Hurst...
(1946) - Deep ValleyDeep ValleyDeep Valley is a 1947 drama film starring Ida Lupino and Dane Clark. A young woman lives unhappily with her embittered parents in an isolated rural home until an escaped convict changes her dreary existence...
(1947) - Road HouseRoad House (1948 film)For the 1989 film, see Road House .Road House is a film noir drama directed by Jean Negulesco, with cinematography by Joseph LaShelle. The picture features Ida Lupino, Cornel Wilde, Celeste Holm, Richard Widmark, among others....
(1948) - Johnny BelindaJohnny Belinda (1948 film)Johnny Belinda is a 1948 American drama film based on the play of the same name by Elmer Blaney Harris. The movie was adapted to the screen by Allen Vincent and Irma von Cube, and directed by Jean Negulesco....
(1948) - The Forbidden Street (1949)
- Under My SkinUnder My Skin (film)Under My Skin is a 1950 American film directed by Jean Negulesco, starring John Garfield and Micheline Presle. It is based on the short story "My Old Man", by Ernest Hemingway, about a jockey being threatened by a mobster after winning a race he had agreed to throw.The Hemingway story was later...
(1950) - Three Came HomeThree Came HomeThree Came Home is a post-war film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, based on the memoirs of the same name by writer Agnes Newton Keith. It depicts Keith's life in North Borneo in the period immediately before the Japanese invasion in 1942, and her subsequent internment and suffering, separated from...
(1950) - Take Care of My Little GirlTake Care of My Little GirlTake Care of My Little Girl is a 1951 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1950 novel of the same name written by Peggy Goodin.-Plot:...
(1951) - The MudlarkThe MudlarkThe Mudlark is a 1950 film made in Britain by 20th Century Fox, is a fictionalized account of how Queen Victoria was eventually brought out of her mourning for her dead husband, Prince Albert...
(1951) - Lydia BaileyLydia BaileyLydia Bailey is a 1952 film directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the historical novel by Kenneth Roberts. It stars Dale Robertson and Anne Francis.-Plot:...
(1952) - Lure of the WildernessLure of the WildernessLure of the Wilderness is a 1952 romantic adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco. The film, which was shot in Technicolor, is based on the 1941 novel Swamp Water by Vereen Bell, and is a remake of the Jean Renoir's 1941 adaption of the novel featuring Walter Brennan in a smaller version of his...
(1952) - Phone Call from a StrangerPhone Call from a StrangerPhone Call from a Stranger is a 1952 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, who was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. The screenplay by Nunnally Johnson and I.A.R...
(1952) - Scandal at ScourieScandal at ScourieScandal at Scourie is an American drama movie released in 1953 and starring Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon "above the title", and co-starring Donna Corcoran.- Plot :...
(1953) - TitanicTitanic (1953 film)Titanic is a 1953 American drama film directed by Jean Negulesco. Its plot centers on an estranged couple sailing on the maiden voyage of the , which took place in April 1912.-Plot:...
(1953) - How to Marry a MillionaireHow to Marry a MillionaireHow to Marry a Millionaire is a 1953 romantic comedy film made by 20th Century Fox, directed by Jean Negulesco and produced and written by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays The Greeks Had a Word for It by Zoe Akins and Loco by Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. The music score...
(1953) - Three Coins in the FountainThree Coins in the Fountain (1954 film)Three Coins in the Fountain is the 1954 film that introduced the song of the same name, which became an enduring standard. It tells the story of three American girls looking for romance in Rome while employed at the American Embassy...
(1954) - Woman's WorldWoman's World (film)Woman's World, also known as A Woman's World, is a 1954 drama film about corporate America. Three men compete for the top job at a large company.-Plot:...
(1954) - The Rains of RanchipurThe Rains of RanchipurThe Rains of Ranchipur is a 1955 film drama made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Frank Ross from a screenplay by Merle Miller, based on the novel The Rains Came by Louis Bromfield. The music score was by Hugo Friedhofer and the cinematography by Milton R...
(1955) - Daddy Long LegsDaddy Long Legs (film)Daddy Long Legs is a Hollywood musical comedy film set in France, New York City, and the fictional college town of "Walston" in Massachusetts. The film was directed by Jean Negulesco, and stars Fred Astaire, Leslie Caron, Terry Moore, Fred Clark, and Thelma Ritter, with music and lyrics by Johnny...
(1955) - The Dark WaveThe Dark WaveThe Dark Wave is a 1956 short documentary film directed by Jean Negulesco. It was nominated for two Academy Awards, one for Best Documentary Short and the other for Best Two-Reel Short....
(1956) - Boy on a DolphinBoy on a DolphinBoy on a Dolphin is a 1957 20th Century Fox romantic film set in Greece and made in CinemaScope. It was directed by Jean Negulesco and produced by Samuel G. Engel from a screenplay by Ivan Moffat and Dwight Taylor, based on the novel by David Divine....
(1957) - A Certain SmileA Certain Smile (film)A Certain Smile is a 1958 drama film directed by Jean Negulesco, based on the book of the same name.-Cast:* Rossano Brazzi as Luc Ferrand* Joan Fontaine as Françoise Ferrand* Bradford Dillman as Bertrand Griot* Christine Carère as Dominique Vallon...
(1958) - The Gift of LoveThe Gift of LoveThe Gift of Love is a 1958 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Lauren Bacall and Robert Stack.-Cast:*Lauren Bacall as Julie Beck*Robert Stack as William Bill Beck*Evelyn Rudie as Hitty*Lorne Greene as Grant Allan*Anne Seymour as Miss McMasters...
(1958) - Count Your BlessingsCount Your Blessings (film)Count Your Blessings is a 1959 drama film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Jean Negulesco, written and produced by Karl Tunberg, based on the 1951 novel The Blessing by Nancy Mitford. The music score was by Franz Waxman and the cinematography by George J. Folsey and Milton R. Krasner...
(1959) - The Best of EverythingThe Best of Everything (1959 film)The Best of Everything is a 20th Century-Fox film starring Hope Lange, Diane Baker, Suzy Parker, Stephen Boyd, Louis Jourdan, Robert Evans, and Joan Crawford...
(1959) - JessicaJessica (film)Jessica is a 1962 film directed by Jean Negulesco. It stars Maurice Chevalier and Angie Dickinson.-Cast:*Maurice Chevalier as Father Antonio*Angie Dickinson as Jessica*Noël-Noël as Old Crupi*Gabriele Ferzetti as Edmondo Raumo...
(1962) - The Pleasure SeekersThe Pleasure SeekersThe Pleasure Seekers is a 1964 20th Century Fox motion picture starring Ann-Margret, Anthony Franciosa, and Carol Lynley, with Gardner McKay, Pamela Tiffin, Brian Keith, and Gene Tierney....
(1964) - Hello-GoodbyeHello-GoodbyeHello-Goodbye 1970 is a light comedy where one of the funny moments occurs where the film's main character, a drunk Harry England drives a prize vintage car into a swimming pool.- Plot :...
(1970) - The Invincible SixThe Invincible SixThe Invincible Six is a 1970 American-Iranian adventure film directed by Jean Negulesco and starring Stuart Whitman, Elke Sommer, Curd Jürgens and Ian Ogilvy...
(1970)