Robert Z. Leonard
Encyclopedia
Robert Zigler Leonard was an American
film director
, actor, producer and screenwriter.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent superstar Mae Murray
with the two forming Tiffany Pictures
to film eight motion pictures that were released by MGM.
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for The Divorcee
and The Great Ziegfeld
. Both were also nominated for Best Picture, and the latter won. One of the most odd credits in his filmography is the film noir
thriller The Bribe
1949 with its sleazy settings, slippery characters and steamy atmosphere.
Robert Leonard died in 1968 in Beverly Hills, California
and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Robert Leonard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
at 6368 Hollywood Blvd.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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:...
, actor, producer and screenwriter.
He was born in Chicago, Illinois. At one time, he was married to silent superstar 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"....
with the two forming Tiffany Pictures
Tiffany Pictures
Tiffany Pictures was a Hollywood motion picture studio in operation from 1921 until 1932.-History:...
to film eight motion pictures that were released by MGM.
He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for The Divorcee
The Divorcee
The Divorcee is a 1930 American drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan and Zelda Sears, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director...
and The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld
The Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
. Both were also nominated for Best Picture, and the latter won. One of the most odd credits in his filmography is the film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
thriller The Bribe
The Bribe
The Bribe is an American crime film noir directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Marguerite Roberts, based on a story written by Frederick Nebel...
1949 with its sleazy settings, slippery characters and steamy atmosphere.
Robert Leonard died in 1968 in Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
and was interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Forest Lawn Memorial Park is a privately owned cemetery in Glendale, California. It is the original location of Forest Lawn, a chain of cemeteries in Southern California. The land was formerly part of Providencia Ranch.-History:...
.
For his contribution to the motion picture industry, Robert Leonard has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
at 6368 Hollywood Blvd.
Selected filmography
- The Sea Urchin (1913)
- Shon the PiperShon the PiperShon the Piper is a 1913 silent drama film directed by Otis Turner and featuring Lon Chaney, Sr. in a supportive role as a Scottish clansman. It tells the story of a wealthy man who disguises himself as a bagpiper in order to win the hand of a proud peasant girl. The film is now considered to be...
(1913) - The Master KeyThe Master Key (1914 serial)The Master Key is a 1914 film serial directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It is considered to be lost.-Cast:* Robert Z. Leonard - John Dore* Ella Hall - Ruth Gallon* Harry Carter - Harry Wilkerson* Jean Hathaway - Jean Darnell...
(1914) - Judge Not; or The Woman of Mona DiggingsJudge Not; or The Woman of Mona DiggingsJudge Not; or The Woman of Mona Diggings is a 1915 drama film starring Julia Dean featuring Harry Carey. -Cast:* Julia Dean - Molly Hanlon* Harry Carter - Lee Kirk* Harry Carey - Miles Rand* Marc Robbins - Judge Rand...
(1915) - Secret Love (1916)
- Danger, Go SlowDanger, Go SlowDanger, Go Slow is a 1918 comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It is now considered to be lost.-Cast:* Mae Murray - Mugsy Mulane* Jack Mulhall - Jimmy, the Eel* Lon Chaney - Bud* Lydia Knott - Aunt Sarah* Joseph W...
(1918) - Heedless MothsHeedless MothsHeedless Moths is a 1921 feature length silent film melodrama with an appearance by real life nude model Audrey Munson playing herself, a nude model. Munson also contributed the story...
(1921) - Bright LightsBright Lights (1925 film)Bright Lights is a 1925 comedy film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The film stars Charles Ray, who achieved stardom by playing ingenious country boys. It is presumed lost...
(1925) - A Little JourneyA Little JourneyA Little Journey is a 1927 comedy film featuring Harry Carey. No prints are thought to survive of this film. It is therefore considered lost.-Plot:A girl travelling by train to meet her boyfriend meets another young man and falls in love with him....
(1927) - The Cardboard Lover (1928)
- Marianne (1929) both silent and musical versions
- The DivorceeThe DivorceeThe Divorcee is a 1930 American drama film written by Nick Grindé, John Meehan and Zelda Sears, based on the novel Ex-Wife by Ursula Parrott. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, who was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director...
(1930) - Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)Susan Lenox is a 1931 film starring Greta Garbo and Clark Gable in their only movie together. The movie was made by MGM and was directed and produced by Robert Z. Leonard from a screenplay by Leon Gordon, Zelda Sears and Edith Fitzgerald adapted by Wanda Tuchock from the novel by David Graham...
(1931) - Dancing LadyDancing LadyDancing Lady is a 1933 musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, the fourth of eight collaborations between Crawford and Gable. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, produced by John W. Considine Jr. and David O. Selznick, and was based on the novel of the...
(1933) - After Office HoursAfter Office HoursAfter Office Hours is a 1935 film starring Clark Gable and Constance Bennett and directed by Robert Z. Leonard.-Plot:Jim Branch , news editor, falls for Sharon Norwood while trying to uncover a murder mystery.-Cast:...
(1935) - EscapadeEscapade (1935 film)Escapade is a 1935 romantic comedy film starring William Powell and Luise Rainer. A philandering painter falls in love, but a prior affair with a married woman causes complications.-Cast:*William Powell as Fritz*Luise Rainer as Leopoldine Dur...
(1935) - Piccadilly JimPiccadilly JimPiccadilly Jim is a novel by P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United States on February 24, 1917 by Dodd, Mead and Company, New York, and in the United Kingdom in May 1918 by Herbert Jenkins, London...
(1936) - The Great ZiegfeldThe Great ZiegfeldThe Great Ziegfeld is a 1936 musical film produced by MGM. A fictionalized biography of Florenz Ziegfeld from his show business beginnings to his death, it showcases a series of spectacular musical productions. The film includes original music by Walter Donaldson and Irving Berlin...
(1936) - Maytime (1937)
- The Girl of the Golden WestThe Girl of the Golden West (1938 film)The Girl of the Golden West is a 1938 musical western film. It was adapted from the play of the same name by David Belasco, better known for providing the plot of the opera La fanciulla del West by Giacomo Puccini...
(1938) - New Moon (1940)
- Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice (1940 film)Pride and Prejudice is a 1940 film adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. Robert Z. Leonard directed, and Aldous Huxley served as one of the screenwriters of the film. It is adapted specifically from the stage adaptation by Helen Jerome in addition to Jane Austen's novel...
(1940) - Ziegfeld GirlZiegfeld Girl (film)Ziegfeld Girl is a 1941 American film starring James Stewart, Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner, and co-starring Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper, Eve Arden, and Philip Dorn. Released by MGM, it was directed by Robert Z...
(1941) - Week-End at the WaldorfWeek-End at the WaldorfWeek-End at the Waldorf is a 1945 American comedy drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. The screenplay by Samuel and Bella Spewack is based on Guy Bolton's adaptation of the Vicki Baum novel Menschen im Hotel, which was filmed as Grand Hotel in 1932.-Plot:The film focuses on various guests...
(1945) - B.F.'s DaughterB.F.'s DaughterB.F.'s Daughter is a 1948 drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and starring Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin. It is adapted from John P. Marquand's controversial 1946 novel of the same name, but the movie script soft-pedals the controversial elements and is a fairly conventional love...
(1948) - In the Good Old SummertimeIn the Good Old SummertimeIn the Good Old Summertime is a 1949 musical film directed by Robert Z. Leonard. It starred Judy Garland, Van Johnson and S.Z. Sakall.The film is a musical adaptation of the 1940 film, The Shop Around the Corner, directed by Ernst Lubitsch, and starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan, and...
(1949) - Duchess of IdahoDuchess of IdahoDuchess of Idaho is a musical romantic comedy produced in 1950 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Directed by Robert Z. Leonard, it was the fourth film pairing Esther Williams and Van Johnson...
(1950) - The BribeThe BribeThe Bribe is an American crime film noir directed by Robert Z. Leonard and written by Marguerite Roberts, based on a story written by Frederick Nebel...
(1949) - Her Twelve MenHer Twelve MenHer Twelve Men is a 1954 comedy drama film made by MGM. It was directed by Robert Z. Leonard, and written by William Roberts and Laura Z. Hobson, based on story by Louise Baker.-Cast:*Greer Garson as Jan Stewart*Robert Ryan as Joe Hargrave...
(1954) - Kelly and Me (1957)
