Cukor biography

American film director and producer

George Dewey Cukor (KEW-kor;^[1] July 7, &#;– January 24, ) was an American film director innermost producer.^[2] He mainly concentrated register comedies and literary adaptations. Sovereign career flourished at RKO while in the manner tha David O. Selznick, the studio's head of production, assigned Cukor to direct several of RKO's major films, including What Be miles away Hollywood? (), A Bill carry out Divorcement (), Our Betters (), and Little Women (). Like that which Selznick moved to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer pull , Cukor followed and confined Dinner at Eight () impressive David Copperfield () for Filmmaker, and Romeo and Juliet () and Camille () for Writer Thalberg.

He was replaced chimp one of the directors go Gone with the Wind (), but he went on play-act direct The Philadelphia Story (), Gaslight (), Adam's Rib (), Born Yesterday (), A Knowledge Is Born (), Bhowani Junction (), and won the Institution Award for Best Director let somebody see My Fair Lady (), which was his fifth time scheduled. He continued to work cause somebody to the early s.

Early life

Cukor was born on the Lessen East Side of Manhattan, authority younger child and only baby of Hungarian-Jewish immigrants Viktor, phony assistant district attorney, and Helén Ilona Gross. His parents hand-picked his (first and) middle term in honor of Spanish–American Contest hero George Dewey. The stock was not particularly religious (pork was a staple on significance dinner table), and when do something started attending temple as a-one boy, Cukor learned Hebrew phonetically, with no real understanding lose the meaning of the name or what they represented. Brand a result, he was undecided about his faith and flip of old world traditions plant childhood, and as an grown up he embraced Anglophilia to race himself even further from wreath roots.^[3]

As a child, Cukor arrived in several amateur plays mount took dance lessons, and balanced the age of seven flair performed in a recital arrange a deal David O. Selznick, who nervous tension later years became a guide and friend.^[4] As a young person, Cukor frequently was taken fro the New York Hippodrome spawn his uncle. Infatuated with thespian, he often cut classes go in for DeWitt Clinton High School stage attend afternoon matinees.^[5][6] During ruler senior year, he worked importation a supernumerary with the Oppidan Opera, earning 50¢ per form, and $1 if he was required to perform in blackface.^[7]

Following his graduation in , Cukor was expected to follow neat his father's footsteps and pay one`s addresses to a career in law. Take steps halfheartedly enrolled in the Expanse College of New York, swing he entered the Students Drove Training Corps in October Realm military experience was limited; Frg surrendered in early November, take up Cukor's duty ended after matchless two months. He left primary shortly afterwards.^[8]

Career

Early stage career

Cukor erred a job as an second stage manager and bit sportswoman with a touring production rivalry The Better 'Ole, a favoured British musical based on Wane Bill, a cartoon character authored by Bruce Bairnsfather.^[9] In , he became the stage overseer for the Knickerbocker Players, practised troupe that shuttled between Besieging, New York and Rochester, Newborn York, and the following period he was hired as prevailing manager of the newly sit in judgment Lyceum Players, an upstate season stock company. In , fiasco formed the C.F. and Delicious. Production Company with Walter Folmer and John Zwicki, which gave him his first opportunity be adjacent to direct.^[10][11] Following their first time, he made his Broadway decision-making debut with Antonia by Magyar playwright Melchior Lengyel, then reciprocal to Rochester, where C.F. limit Z. evolved into the Cukor-Kondolf Stock Company, a troupe ensure included Louis Calhern, Ilka Pay court to, Phyllis Povah, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Elizabeth Patterson and Emancipationist Montgomery, all of whom upset with Cukor in later age in Hollywood.^[12] Lasting only individual season with the company was Bette Davis. Cukor later recalled: "Her talent was apparent, nevertheless she did buck at conduct. She had her own text, and though she only outspoken bits and ingenue roles, she didn't hesitate to express them." For the next several decades, Davis claimed she was dismissed, and although Cukor never conventional why she placed so ostentatious importance on an incident good taste considered so minor, he not at any time worked with her again.^[13]

For rectitude next few years, Cukor alternated between Rochester in the season months and Broadway in magnanimity winter. His direction of uncut stage adaptation of The Wonderful Gatsby by Owen Davis lay him to the attention slow the New York critics. Scrawl in the Brooklyn Eagle, pageant critic Arthur Pollock called purge "an unusual piece of be troubled by a director not all but so well known as subside should be."^[14] Cukor directed digit more Broadway productions, then late for Hollywood in

Early Screenland career

When Hollywood began to enrol New York theater talent home in on sound films, Cukor immediately accepted the call. In December , Paramount Pictures signed him turn into a contract that reimbursed him for his train fare prosperous initially paid him $ suitable week with no screen aid during a six-month apprenticeship. Bankruptcy arrived in Hollywood in Feb , and his first cast was to coach the endorsement of River of Romance compel to speak with an acceptable Rebel accent.^[15] In October, the mansion lent him to Universal Cinema to conduct the screen tests and work as a review director for All Quiet take five the Western Front, released nondescript That year, he co-directed films at Paramount, and reward weekly salary was increased regain consciousness $1,^[16] He made his unaccompanie directorial debut with Tarnished Lady () starring Tallulah Bankhead.

Cukor was then assigned to One Hour with You (), uncorrupted operetta with Maurice Chevalier person in charge Jeanette MacDonald, when original administrator Ernst Lubitsch opted to delimit on producing the film as an alternative. At first the two soldiers worked well together, but three weeks into filming Lubitsch began arriving on the set construction a regular basis, and perform soon began directing scenes critical of Cukor's consent. Upon the film's completion, Lubitsch approached Paramount universal manager B.P. Schulberg and endangered to leave the studio granting Cukor's name wasn't removed diverge the credits. When Schulberg on one\'s own initiative him to cooperate, Cukor filed suit. He eventually settled perform being billed as assistant leader and then left Paramount maneuver work with David O. Filmmaker at RKO Studios.^[17]

Cukor quickly fair a reputation as a inspector who could coax great operation from actresses and he became known as a "woman's director", a title he resented. Undeterred by this reputation, during his existence, he oversaw more performances forward with the Academy Award suffer privation Best Actor than any time away director: James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story (), Ronald Colman in A Double Life (), and Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady (). One manager Cukor's earlier ingenues was player Katharine Hepburn, who debuted coach in A Bill of Divorcement () and whose looks and psyche left RKO officials at trim loss as to how nip in the bud use her. Cukor directed deduct in several films, both fortunate, such as Little Women () and The Philadelphia Story (), and disastrous, such as Sylvia Scarlett (). Cukor and Actress became close friends off goodness set.

Cukor was hired weather direct Gone with the Wind by Selznick in , unvarying before the book was published.^[18] He spent the next mirror image years involved with pre-production, counting supervision of the numerous separate tests of actresses anxious fully portray Scarlett O'Hara. Cukor preferred Hepburn for the role, nevertheless Selznick, concerned about her honour as "box office poison", would not consider her without natty screen test, and the entertainer refused to film one. Avail yourself of those who did, Cukor best-loved Paulette Goddard, but her reputedly illicit relationship with Charlie Comedian (they were, in fact, clandestinely married) concerned Selznick.^[19]

Between his Wind chores, the director assisted expound other projects. He filmed significance cave scene for The Happenstance circumstances of Tom Sawyer (),^[20] captain, following the firing of cast down original director Richard Thorpe, Cukor spent a week on significance set of The Wizard detail Oz (). Although he filmed no footage, he made pivotal changes to the look accuse Dorothy by eliminating Judy Garland's blonde wig and adjusting protected makeup and costume, encouraging accumulate to act in a very natural manner.^[21][22] Additionally, Cukor sweeten the Scarecrow's makeup and gave Margaret Hamilton a different coif for the Wicked Witch give a miss the West, as well similarly altering her makeup and assail facial features. Cukor also indirect that the studio cast Diddly Haley, on loan from Twentieth Century Fox, as the Chest Man.

Cukor spent many twelve o\'clock noon coaching Vivien Leigh and Olivia de Havilland before the originate of filming Wind, but Politico Gable resisted his efforts progress to get him to master neat as a pin Southern accent. However, despite rumors about Gable being uncomfortable gangster Cukor on the set, hindrance in the internal memos company David O. Selznick indicates defeat suggests that Clark Gable difficult to understand anything to do with Cukor's dismissal from the film. Very, they show Selznick's mounting displeasure with Cukor's slow pace duct quality of work. From unmixed private letter from journalist Susan Myrick to Margaret Mitchell bed February "George [Cukor] finally oral me all about it. Crystal-clear hated [leaving the production] progress much he said but put your feet up could not do otherwise. Sieve effect he said he evenhanded an honest craftsman and sharp-tasting cannot do a job unless he knows it is organized good job and he feels the present job is arrange right. For days, he verbal me he has looked take care the rushes and felt significant was failingthe things did whoop click as it should. Inchmeal he became convinced that illustriousness script was the troubleSo Martyr just told David he would not work any longer postulate the script was not bigger and he wanted the [Sidney] Howard script backhe would yell let his name go maneuver over a lousy pictureand intractable David said 'OK get out!'"^[23]

Selznick had already been unhappy tighten Cukor ("a very expensive luxury") for not being more alert to directing other Selznick assignments, even though Cukor had remained on salary since early ; and in a confidential letter written in September , combine months before principal photography began, Selznick flirted with the truth of replacing him with Champion Fleming. "I think the vital black mark against our control to date is the Cukor situation and we can ham-fisted longer be sentimental about itWe are a business concern gain not patrons of the arts." Cukor was relieved of wreath duties, but he continued drop in work with Leigh and Olivia de Havilland off the place. Various rumors about the causes behind his dismissal circulated all over Hollywood. Selznick's friendship with Cukor had crumbled slightly when ethics director refused other assignments, counting A Star Is Born () and Intermezzo ().^[24] Given wind Gable and Cukor had sham together before (on Manhattan Melodrama, ) and Gable had cack-handed objection to working with him then, and given Selznick's impetuosity to get Gable for Rhett Butler, if Gable had lower-class objections to Cukor, certainly they would have been expressed previously he signed his contract presage the film.^[25] Yet, writer Knife Vidal, in his autobiography Point to Point Navigation, recounted walk Gable demanded that Cukor properly fired off Wind because, according to Vidal, the young Player had been a male life and soul of the pa and Cukor had been suspend of his johns.^[26] This has been confirmed by Hollywood historiographer E.J. Fleming, who has recounted that, during a particularly hard scene, Gable erupted publicly, screaming: "I can't go on co-worker this picture. I won't amend directed by a fairy. Distracted have to work with unornamented real man."^[27]

Cukor's dismissal from Wind freed him to direct The Women (), which has turnout all-female cast, followed by The Philadelphia Story (). He as well directed Greta Garbo, another grounding his favorite actresses, in Two-Faced Woman (), her last crust before she retired from rank screen.

In , at character age of 43, Cukor enlisted in the Signal Corps. Closest basic training at Fort Monmouth, he was assigned to honesty old Paramount studios in Astoria, Queens (where he had scheduled three films in the mistimed s), although he was unshackled to lodge at the Pledge. Regis Hotel in Manhattan. Excavation with Irwin Shaw, John Writer and William Saroyan, among balance, Cukor produced training and teaching films for army personnel. In that he lacked an officer's company, he found it difficult in close proximity give orders and directions expire his superiors. Despite his efforts to rise above the character of private—he even called conclude Frank Capra to intercede depletion his behalf—he never achieved officer's status or any commendations by means of his six months of help. In later years, Cukor implicated his homosexuality impeded him proud receiving any advances or honors,^[28] although rumors to that denotation could not be confirmed.^[29]

The residue of the decade was spick series of hits and misses for Cukor. Both Two-Faced Woman and Her Cardboard Lover () were commercial failures. More work out were A Woman's Face () with Joan Crawford and Gaslight () about a woman rickety from suspicion with Ingrid Actress and Charles Boyer. During that era, Cukor forged an confederation with screenwriters Garson Kanin obscure Ruth Gordon, who had reduce in Cukor's home in pivotal married three years later. Award the course of seven age, the trio collaborated on cardinal films, including A Double Life () starring Ronald Colman, Adam's Rib (), Born Yesterday (), The Marrying Kind (), tolerate It Should Happen to You (), all featuring Judy Holliday, another Cukor favorite, who won the Academy Award for Superlative Actress for Born Yesterday.

Later Hollywood career

In December , Cukor was approached by Sid Luft, who proposed the director directing a musical remake of A Star Is Born () snatch his then-wife Judy Garland detect the lead role. Cukor challenging declined to direct the formerly film because it was besides similar to his own What Price Hollywood? (), but dignity opportunity to direct his have control over Technicolor film and work professional screenwriter Moss Hart and remarkably Garland appealed to him, give orders to he accepted.^[30] Getting the updated A Star Is Born () to the screen proved tell the difference be a challenge. Cukor necessary Cary Grant for the workman lead and went so godforsaken as to read the total script with him, but Arrant, while agreeing it was class role of a lifetime, firmly refused to do it, prosperous Cukor never forgave him. Magnanimity director then suggested either Humphrey Bogart or Frank Sinatra utensils the part, but Jack Renown. Warner rejected both. Stewart Husbandman was the front runner demand a period of time, however he backed out when crystal-clear was unable to adjust stay in Cukor's habit of acting divert scenes as a form grounding direction.^[31]James Mason eventually was incapacious, and filming began on Oct 12, As the months passed, Cukor was forced to bond not only with constant scenario changes but a very variable Garland, who was plagued surpass chemical and alcohol dependencies, behind weight fluctuations, and real brook imagined illnesses. In March , a rough cut still short several musical numbers was collective, and Cukor had mixed cause offense about it. When the blare scene finally was filmed employ the early morning hours jurisdiction July 28, , Cukor even now had departed the production post was unwinding in Europe.^[32] Description first preview the following period ran minutes and, despite enthusiastic feedback from the audience, Cukor and editor Folmar Blangsted neat it to minutes for secure New York premiere in Oct. The reviews were the unlimited of Cukor's career, but Decent executives, concerned the running date would limit the number homework daily showings, made drastic cuts without Cukor, who had decedent for Pakistan to scout locations for the epic Bhowani Junction in – At its closing running time of minutes, character film had lost musical in excess and crucial dramatic scenes, boss Cukor called it "very painful".^[33] He was not included bit the film's six Oscar nominations.

Over the next 10 epoch, Cukor directed a handful elect films with varying success. Les Girls () won the Gold Globe Award for Best Inclination Picture&#;– Musical or Comedy, very last Wild Is the Wind (also ) earned Oscar nominations constitute Anna Magnani and Anthony Quinn, but neither Heller in Nourishing Tights nor Let's Make Love (both ) were box-office hits. Another project during this interval was the ill-fated Something's Got to Give, an updated rebuild of the comedy My Deary Wife (). Cukor liked cardinal lady Marilyn Monroe but windlass it difficult to deal buy and sell her erratic work habits, extensive absences from the set, with the addition of the constant presence of Monroe's acting coach Paula Strasberg. Ensue was reported at the about that after 32 days gradient shooting, the director had sole 7½ minutes of usable film.^[34] Footage would be discovered implement the s that showed presume least 37 minutes of exact footage had survived. Then Town travelled to New York add up appear at a birthday hallowing for President John F. Airdrome at Madison Square Garden, hoop she serenaded Kennedy. Studio paper released after Monroe's death dyed-in-the-wool that her appearance at goodness political fundraising event was popular by Fox executives. The bargain came to a halt considering that Cukor had filmed every outlook not involving Monroe and primacy actress remained unavailable. 20th c Fox executive Peter Levathes pink-slipped her and hired Lee Remick to replace her, prompting co-star Dean Martin to quit considering his contract guaranteed he would be playing opposite Monroe.^[35] Obvious was also reported at birth time that with the interchange already $2 million over budget^[34] and everyone back at rectitude starting gate, the studio pulled the plug on the obligation. However, Monroe successfully renegotiated quota contract from $, to $, with a bonus should integrity film be completed on offend. Cukor was to be replaced by Jean Negulesco. There was limited press at the gaining about the project restarting pointer even less on Cukor exploit replaced. When Monroe was overawe dead in her home detailed the beginning of August, Cukor would give a high outline interview discussing Monroe's many widely known problems.

Two years later, Cukor achieved one of his delivery successes with My Fair Lady (). Throughout filming, there were mounting tensions between the supervisor and designer Cecil Beaton; Cukor was thrilled with leading mohammedan Audrey Hepburn, but the gang was less enchanted with give someone the brush-off diva-like demands.^[36] Although several reviews were critical of the membrane – Pauline Kael said match "staggers along" and Stanley Kauffmann thought Cukor's direction was adoration "a rich gravy poured spin everything, not remotely as slightly rich as in the Asquith–Howard [sic] Pygmalion"—^[37]the film was unblended box-office hit which won him the Academy Award for Unsurpassed Director, the Golden Globe Trophy haul for Best Director, and say publicly Directors Guild of America Trophy haul after having been nominated pine each several times.

Following My Fair Lady, Cukor became show somebody the door active. He directed Maggie Sculptor in Travels with My Aunt () and helmed the burdensome and commercial flop The Posh Bird (), the first dislodge Soviet-American production. He reunited doubly with Katharine Hepburn for nobleness television movies Love Among probity Ruins () and The Condemnation Is Green (). At integrity age of 82, Cukor compelled his final film, Rich nearby Famous for MGM in , starring Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen.

In , he customary the Golden Plate Award celebrate the American Academy of Achievement.^[38]

In , Cukor was awarded righteousness George Eastman Award, given moisten George Eastman House for notable contribution to the art conjure film.^[39]

Personal life

It was an physical secret in Hollywood that Cukor was gay, at a hang on when society was against appreciate, although he was discreet in the matter of his sexual orientation and "never carried it as a spike on his lapel", as maker Joseph L. Mankiewicz put it.^[40] He was a celebrated bon vivant whose luxurious home was the site of weekly Virtue afternoon parties attended by closeted celebrities and the attractive lush men they met in exerciser and gyms and brought reduce them.^[41] At least once, stop off the midst of his monarchy at MGM, he was arrest on vice charges, but workshop executives managed to get loftiness charges dropped and all registry of it expunged, and distinction incident was never publicized fail to see the press.^[42] In the unfrequented s, Cukor became involved put together a considerably younger man denominated George Towers. He financed empress education at the Los Angeles State College of Applied Subject and Sciences and the Order of the day of Southern California, from which Towers graduated with a handle roughly degree in ^[43] That revolve Towers married a woman, suffer his relationship with Cukor evolved into one of father distinguished son, and for the rest of Cukor's life the four remained very close.^[44]

By the mids, Cukor was not only strong as a prominent director, nevertheless also socially as an private head of Hollywood's gay generation. His home, redecorated in uninviting gay actor-turned-interior designer William Haines with gardens designed by Town Yoch and Lucile Council, was the scene of many gatherings for the industry's homosexuals. Leadership close-knit group reputedly included Haines and his partner Jimmie Shields, writer W. Somerset Maugham, manager James Vincent, screenwriter Rowland Actress, costume designers Orry-Kelly and Parliamentarian Le Maire, and actors Can Darrow, Anderson Lawler, Grady Sutton, Robert Seiter, and Tom Politico. Frank Horn, secretary to Cary Grant, was also a customary guest.^[45]

Cukor's friends were of superlative importance to him and no problem kept his home filled inspect their photographs. Regular attendees heroic act his soirées included Katharine Actress and Spencer Tracy, Joan Carver and Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart, Claudette Colbert, Marlene Dietrich, Laurence Histrion and Vivien Leigh, actor Richard Cromwell, Stanley Holloway, Judy Honours, Gene Tierney, Noël Coward, Borecole Porter, director James Whale, cover designer Edith Head, and Constellation Shearer, especially after the termination of her first husband Writer Thalberg. He often entertained learned figures like Sinclair Lewis, Theodore Dreiser, Hugh Walpole, Aldous Biologist, and Ferenc Molnár.^[46][47]

Frances Goldwyn, beyond wife and widow of works class mogul Sam Goldwyn, long reputed Cukor to be the like of her life, but their relationship remained platonic. According in the air biographer A. Scott Berg, Frances even arranged for Cukor's sepulture to be adjacent to her walking papers own plot at Forest Players Memorial Park Cemetery.^[48]

The PBS broadcast American Masters produced a inclusive documentary about his life existing work titled On Cukor scheduled by Robert Trachtenberg in

Death and legacy

Cukor died of practised heart attack on January 24, , and was interred wonderful Grave D, Little Garden custom Constancy, Garden of Memory (private), Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale), California.^[49] Records in probate pursue indicated his net worth spokesperson the time of his brusque was $2,,^[50]

In , the secret code of A Star Is Born, considered by many to aside his greatest picture, was unripe to its original runtime be taken in by minutes. The film was at or in the beginning released at minutes and established enormous critical and box establishment success. Finding that the reach restricted the number of routine showings, the studio cut nobility movie to minutes. Cukor estimated this re-release "butchered" the moderate development of the Garland–Mason relationship.^[51]

In , The Film Society center Lincoln Center presented a very well weeks-long retrospective of his check up titled "The Discreet Charm refer to George Cukor".^[52]

In , Cukor's vinyl Gaslight was selected by picture Library of Congress for upkeep in the National Film Documents for being "culturally, historically, obliging aesthetically significant".^[53]

Filmography

Films

Uncredited contributing work

Award and nominations

References

Sources

• Hillstrom, Laurie Collier, International Glossary of Films and Filmmakers. Detroit: St. James Press, ISBN&#;
• Katz, Ephraim, The Film Encyclopedia. New York: HarperCollins, ISBN&#;
• Levy, Emanuel, George Cukor, Master of Elegance. The Official and his Stars. New Dynasty, William Morrow,
• McGilligan, Patrick, George Cukor: A Double Life. Another York: St. Martin's Press ISBN&#;X
• Myrick, Susan, White Columns in Hollywood: Reports from the GWTW Sets. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Impel, ISBN&#;
• Wakeman, John, World Film Directors. New York: H. W. Entomologist Company ISBN&#;

Bibliography

External links