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 Sidney Lumet was a master of cinema, best known for his technical knowledge and his skill at getting first-rate performances from his actors -- and for shooting most of his films in his beloved New York. He made over 40 movies, often complex and emotional, but seldom overly sentimental. Although his politics were somewhat left-leaning and he often treated socially relevant themes in his films, Lumet didn't want to make political movies in the first place. Born on June 25, 1924, in Philadelphia, the son of actor Baruch Lumet and dancer Eugenia Wermus Lumet, he made his stage debut at age four at the Yiddish Art Theater in New York. He played many roles on Broadway in the 1930s and also in the film ...One Third of a Nation... (1939). After starting an off-Broadway acting troupe in the late 1940s, he became the director of many television shows in the 1950s. Lumet made his feature film directing debut with 12 Angry Men (1957), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and earned three Academy Award nominations. The courtroom drama, which takes place almost entirely in a jury room, is justly regarded as one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in film history. Lumet got the chance to direct Marlon Brando in The Fugitive Kind (1960), an imperfect, but powerful adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending". The first half of the 1960s was one of Lumet's most artistically successful periods. Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), a masterful, brilliantly photographed adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play, is one of several Lumet films about families. It earned Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Dean Stockwell and Jason Robards deserved acting awards in Cannes and Hepburn an Oscar nomination. The alarming Cold War thriller Fail Safe (1964) unfairly suffered from comparison to Stanley Kubrick's equally great satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), which was released shortly before. The Pawnbroker (1964), arguably the most outstanding of the great movies Lumet made in this phase, tells the story of a Holocaust survivor who lives in New York and can't overcome his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. Rod Steiger's unforgettable performance in the title role earned an Academy Award nomination. Lumet's intense character study The Hill (1965) about inhumanity in a military prison camp was the first of five films he did with Sean Connery. After the overly talky but rewarding drama The Group (1966) about young upper-class women in the 1930s, and the stylish spy thriller The Deadly Affair (1967), the late 1960s turned out to be a lesser phase in Lumet's career. He had a strong comeback with the box-office hit The Anderson Tapes (1971). The Offence (1973) was commercially less successful, but artistically brilliant - with Connery in one of his most impressive performances. The terrific cop thriller Serpico (1973), the first of his films about police corruption in New York City, became one of his biggest critical and financial successes. Al Pacino's fascinating portrayal of the real-life cop Frank Serpico earned a Golden Globe and the movie earned two Academy Award nominations (it is worth noting that Lumet's feature films of the 1970s alone earned 30 Oscar nominations, winning six times). The love triangle Lovin' Molly (1974) was not always convincing in its atmospheric details, but Lumet's fine sense of emotional truth and a good Blythe Danner keep it interesting. The adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974), an exquisitely photographed murder mystery with an all-star cast, was a big success again. Lumet's complex crime thriller Dog Day Afternoon (1975), which Pauline Kael called "one of the best "New York" movies ever made", gave Al Pacino the opportunity for a breathtaking, three-dimensional portrayal of a bisexual man who tries to rob a bank to finance his lover's sex-change operation. Lumet's next masterpiece, Network (1976), was a prophetic satire on media and society. The film version of Peter Shaffer's stage play Equus (1977) about a doctor and his mentally confused patient was also powerful, not least because of the energetic acting by Richard Burton and Peter Firth. After the enjoyable musical The Wiz (1978) and the interesting but not easily accessible comedy Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), Sidney Lumet won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for his outstanding direction of Prince of the City (1981), one of his best and most typical films. It's about police corruption, but hardly a remake of Serpico (1973). Starring a powerful Treat Williams, it's an extraordinarily multi-layered film. In his highly informative book "Making Movies" (1995), Lumet describes the film in the following way: "When we try to control everything, everything winds up controlling us. Nothing is what it seems." It's also a movie about values, friendship and drug addiction and, like "Serpico", is based on a true story. In Deathtrap (1982), Lumet successfully blended suspense and black humor. The Verdict (1982) was voted the fourth greatest courtroom drama of all time by the American Film Institute in 2008. A few minor inaccuracies in legal details do not mar this study of an alcoholic lawyer (superbly embodied by Paul Newman) aiming to regain his self-respect through a malpractice case. The expertly directed movie received five Academy Award nominations. Lumet's controversial drama Daniel (1983) with Timothy Hutton, an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's "The Book of Daniel" about two young people whose parents were executed during the McCarthy Red Scare hysteria in the 1950s for alleged espionage, is one of his underrated achievements. His later masterpiece Running on Empty (1988) has a similar theme, portraying a family which has been on the run from the FBI since the parents (played by Christine Lahti and Judd Hirsch) committed a bomb attack on a napalm laboratory in 1971 to protest the war in Vietnam. The son (played by River Phoenix in an extraordinarily moving, Oscar-nominated performance) falls in love with a girl and wishes to stay with her and study music. Naomi Foner's screenplay won the Golden Globe. Other Lumet movies of the 1980s are the melancholic comedy drama Garbo Talks (1984); the occasionally clich��d Power (1986) about election campaigns; the all too slow thriller The Morning After (1986) and the amusing gangster comedy Family Business (1989). With Q&A (1990) Lumet returned to the genre of the New York cop thriller. Nick Nolte shines in the role of a corrupt and racist detective in this multi-layered, strangely underrated film. Sadly, with the exception of Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), an imperfect but fascinating crime drama in the tradition of his own previous genre works, almost none of Lumet's works of the 1990s did quite get the attention they deserved. The crime drama A Stranger Among Us (1992) blended genres in a way that did not seem to match most viewers' expectations, but its contemplations about life arouse interest. The intelligent hospital satire Critical Care (1997) was unfairly neglected as well. The courtroom thriller Guilty as Sin (1993) was cold but intriguing. Lumet's Gloria (1999) remake seemed unnecessary, but he returned impressively with the underestimated courtroom comedy Find Me Guilty (2006) and the justly acclaimed crime thriller Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). In 2005, Sidney Lumet received a well-deserved honorary Academy Award for his outstanding contribution to filmmaking. Sidney Lumet tragically died of cancer in 2011.
Bio:
Sidney Lumet was a master of cinema, best known for his technical knowledge and his skill at getting first-rate performances from his actors -- and for shooting most of his films in his beloved New York. He made over 40 movies, often complex and emotional, but seldom overly sentimental. Although his politics were somewhat left-leaning and he often treated socially relevant themes in his films, Lumet didn't want to make political movies in the first place. Born on June 25, 1924, in Philadelphia, the son of actor Baruch Lumet and dancer Eugenia Wermus Lumet, he made his stage debut at age four at the Yiddish Art Theater in New York. He played many roles on Broadway in the 1930s and also in the film ...One Third of a Nation... (1939). After starting an off-Broadway acting troupe in the late 1940s, he became the director of many television shows in the 1950s. Lumet made his feature film directing debut with 12 Angry Men (1957), which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and earned three Academy Award nominations. The courtroom drama, which takes place almost entirely in a jury room, is justly regarded as one of the most auspicious directorial debuts in film history. Lumet got the chance to direct Marlon Brando in The Fugitive Kind (1960), an imperfect, but powerful adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "Orpheus Descending". The first half of the 1960s was one of Lumet's most artistically successful periods. Long Day's Journey Into Night (1962), a masterful, brilliantly photographed adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play, is one of several Lumet films about families. It earned Katharine Hepburn, Ralph Richardson, Dean Stockwell and Jason Robards deserved acting awards in Cannes and Hepburn an Oscar nomination. The alarming Cold War thriller Fail Safe (1964) unfairly suffered from comparison to Stanley Kubrick's equally great satire Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), which was released shortly before. The Pawnbroker (1964), arguably the most outstanding of the great movies Lumet made in this phase, tells the story of a Holocaust survivor who lives in New York and can't overcome his experiences in the Nazi concentration camps. Rod Steiger's unforgettable performance in the title role earned an Academy Award nomination. Lumet's intense character study The Hill (1965) about inhumanity in a military prison camp was the first of five films he did with Sean Connery. After the overly talky but rewarding drama The Group (1966) about young upper-class women in the 1930s, and the stylish spy thriller The Deadly Affair (1967), the late 1960s turned out to be a lesser phase in Lumet's career. He had a strong comeback with the box-office hit The Anderson Tapes (1971). The Offence (1973) was commercially less successful, but artistically brilliant - with Connery in one of his most impressive performances. The terrific cop thriller Serpico (1973), the first of his films about police corruption in New York City, became one of his biggest critical and financial successes. Al Pacino's fascinating portrayal of the real-life cop Frank Serpico earned a Golden Globe and the movie earned two Academy Award nominations (it is worth noting that Lumet's feature films of the 1970s alone earned 30 Oscar nominations, winning six times). The love triangle Lovin' Molly (1974) was not always convincing in its atmospheric details, but Lumet's fine sense of emotional truth and a good Blythe Danner keep it interesting. The adaptation of Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1974), an exquisitely photographed murder mystery with an all-star cast, was a big success again. Lumet's complex crime thriller Dog Day Afternoon (1975), which Pauline Kael called "one of the best "New York" movies ever made", gave Al Pacino the opportunity for a breathtaking, three-dimensional portrayal of a bisexual man who tries to rob a bank to finance his lover's sex-change operation. Lumet's next masterpiece, Network (1976), was a prophetic satire on media and society. The film version of Peter Shaffer's stage play Equus (1977) about a doctor and his mentally confused patient was also powerful, not least because of the energetic acting by Richard Burton and Peter Firth. After the enjoyable musical The Wiz (1978) and the interesting but not easily accessible comedy Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), Sidney Lumet won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for his outstanding direction of Prince of the City (1981), one of his best and most typical films. It's about police corruption, but hardly a remake of Serpico (1973). Starring a powerful Treat Williams, it's an extraordinarily multi-layered film. In his highly informative book "Making Movies" (1995), Lumet describes the film in the following way: "When we try to control everything, everything winds up controlling us. Nothing is what it seems." It's also a movie about values, friendship and drug addiction and, like "Serpico", is based on a true story. In Deathtrap (1982), Lumet successfully blended suspense and black humor. The Verdict (1982) was voted the fourth greatest courtroom drama of all time by the American Film Institute in 2008. A few minor inaccuracies in legal details do not mar this study of an alcoholic lawyer (superbly embodied by Paul Newman) aiming to regain his self-respect through a malpractice case. The expertly directed movie received five Academy Award nominations. Lumet's controversial drama Daniel (1983) with Timothy Hutton, an adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's "The Book of Daniel" about two young people whose parents were executed during the McCarthy Red Scare hysteria in the 1950s for alleged espionage, is one of his underrated achievements. His later masterpiece Running on Empty (1988) has a similar theme, portraying a family which has been on the run from the FBI since the parents (played by Christine Lahti and Judd Hirsch) committed a bomb attack on a napalm laboratory in 1971 to protest the war in Vietnam. The son (played by River Phoenix in an extraordinarily moving, Oscar-nominated performance) falls in love with a girl and wishes to stay with her and study music. Naomi Foner's screenplay won the Golden Globe. Other Lumet movies of the 1980s are the melancholic comedy drama Garbo Talks (1984); the occasionally clich��d Power (1986) about election campaigns; the all too slow thriller The Morning After (1986) and the amusing gangster comedy Family Business (1989). With Q&A (1990) Lumet returned to the genre of the New York cop thriller. Nick Nolte shines in the role of a corrupt and racist detective in this multi-layered, strangely underrated film. Sadly, with the exception of Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), an imperfect but fascinating crime drama in the tradition of his own previous genre works, almost none of Lumet's works of the 1990s did quite get the attention they deserved. The crime drama A Stranger Among Us (1992) blended genres in a way that did not seem to match most viewers' expectations, but its contemplations about life arouse interest. The intelligent hospital satire Critical Care (1997) was unfairly neglected as well. The courtroom thriller Guilty as Sin (1993) was cold but intriguing. Lumet's Gloria (1999) remake seemed unnecessary, but he returned impressively with the underestimated courtroom comedy Find Me Guilty (2006) and the justly acclaimed crime thriller Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). In 2005, Sidney Lumet received a well-deserved honorary Academy Award for his outstanding contribution to filmmaking. Sidney Lumet tragically died of cancer in 2011.
Tivia:
According to Roger Ebert, Lumet had a theory about why Marlon Brando's performances were so uneven. In a review of a bad film starring Brando, Ebert outlined this idea in detail: Lumet said that on the first scene he filmed for any director, Brando would do exactly two takes. In one of the takes, Brando would be putting technical skill and background research into his reading, and in the other he would simply recite his lines as blandly as possible. If the director used the bland take, Brando would proceed to sleepwalk though his performance for the entirety of filming.After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 he caused some controversy by continuing to shoot his New York based series 100 Centre Street (2001) for the remainder of the day. Lumet said he told the crew that they could leave if they wanted but that no one did.Directed 17 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Katharine Hepburn, Rod Steiger, Al Pacino, Ingrid Bergman, Albert Finney, Chris Sarandon, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Beatrice Straight, William Holden, Ned Beatty, Peter Firth, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, James Mason, Jane Fonda and River Phoenix. Bergman, Dunaway, Finch and Straight won oscars for their performances in one of Lumets movies.It was Lumet's idea to make the characters Cuban and to include the 1980 Mariel harbor boat lift in the story in Scarface (1983).Had a reputation of bringing in films under budget and ahead of schedule.Claimed that one of his habits to maintain energy on-set was to catch a nap at lunch. He would go to his trailer, quickly consume a small sandwich wrap in one bite, and lie down to sleep for the remainder of the break. He further claimed that his discipline over the years was such that he never had to set an alarm.Roger Ebert says of Lumet's book "Making Movies" that it "has more common sense in it about how movies are actually made than any other I have read".Given a lifetime achievement award by the Savannah College of Art and Design at the 2005 Savannah Film Festival. The same award was later found hidden in a patch of shrubbery at a three-point intersection in Brooklyn.Lumet is often a favorite director for actors, encouraging the creative collaboration of his stars.Three of his films are listed on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Serpico (1973) at #84, The Verdict (1982) at #75, and 12 Angry Men (1957) at #42.Former son-in-law of Lena Horne; was married to her daughter, the journalist and author Gail Lumet Buckley (nee Gail Jones).He served the United States Army as a radar technician in the Far East during World War II.He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982) but never won the award.He directed Sean Connery in five films: The Hill (1965), The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Offence (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Family Business (1989).Directed two of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Movies: Network (1976) at #64 and 12 Angry Men (1957) at #87.Wanted to direct Death Wish (1974) with Jack Lemmon in the leading role.Son of Baruch Lumet and Eugenia Wermus, both actors in the Yiddish Theatre. The family moved to New York City when he was a baby where they joined the Yiddish Art Theatre.In the early 1970's, Lumet was offered the directing job for a new version of the best-selling novel "Marjorie Morningstar" and went to meet with the studio because he found the novel's take on the Jewish American experience fascinating. However, Lumet was disgusted when the studio executives made it clear they wanted him to "de-ethnic" the film and not cast any Jewish actors in the main roles. Lumet recounted in his book "Making Movies" that he was sarcastic about this plan and actually got fired from the project (which ended up never being made) less than an hour into the only meeting he attended.Was voted the 42nd Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.According to Lumet, he was inspired by the work of Carl Dreyer, Jean Vigo, Jean Renoir, and Robert Bresson in particular.Studied acting with Sanford Meisner.He directed four members of the Redgrave family in his films: Michael Redgrave in The Hill (1965), his son Corin Redgrave in The Deadly Affair (1967), his daughter Lynn Redgrave in The Deadly Affair (1967) and The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) and his daughter Vanessa Redgrave in The Sea Gull (1968) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).Was the original director of Funny Girl (1968), but left the picture over differences with producer Ray Stark and star Barbra Streisand. He was replaced by William Wyler.He directed his then son-in-law Bobby Cannavale in two films: Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) and Gloria (1999).He has directed five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Pawnbroker (1964), King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1969), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Network (1976).Children: sound editor Amy Lumet and actress Jenny Lumet.Ex-father-in-law of Bobby Cannavale and P.J. O'Rourke.He directed his father Baruch Lumet in two films: The Pawnbroker (1964) and The Group (1966).His final resting place is New Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale, New York.Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1982.Sidney Lumet adapted two novels written by Robert Daley, "Prince of the City" and "Tainted Evidence", into the films Prince of the City (1981) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), respectively.Four of the films that he directed were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982). None of the films won the award, losing to The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976) and Gandhi (1982) respectively.He directed Martin Balsam in three films: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Anderson Tapes (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).He directed James Mason in four films: The Deadly Affair (1967), The Sea Gull (1968), Child's Play (1972) and The Verdict (1982).He lived in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island, New York.He directed his daughter Jenny Lumet in three films: Deathtrap (1982), Running on Empty (1988) and Q&A (1990).One of the original Sidney Kingsley's "Dead End" kids, on Broadway. The play was later adapted as Dead End (1937) by William Wyler.He is survived by his wife, Mary Gimbel of New York City; stepdaughter, Leslie Gimbel; two daughters, Amy Lumet and Jenny Lumet, from his marriage to Gail Lumet Buckley; stepson, Bailey Gimbel; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandson.Two of his films, 12 Angry Men (1957) and The Fugitive Kind (1960), are in the Criterion Collection.He directed Alan King in four films: Bye Bye Braverman (1968), The Anderson Tapes (1971), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and Prince of the City (1981).He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Prince of the City (1981).Interviewed in Peter Bogdanovich's "Who the Devil Made It: Conversations With Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Chuck Jones, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel, Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, Raoul Walsh." NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.Lumet was an assistant director or director on some 250 live TV programs.He was a Democrat.Associated with New York based and themed films.Directed four Oscar Best Picture nominees: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982).He directed Henry Fonda in three films: 12 Angry Men (1957), Stage Struck (1958) and Fail Safe (1964).He directed Edward Binns in four films: 12 Angry Men (1957), Fail Safe (1964), Lovin' Molly (1974) and The Verdict (1982).He directed Beau Bridges in Child's Play (1972) and Lovin' Molly (1974) and his younger brother Jeff Bridges in The Morning After (1986).He directed Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men (1957), Stage Struck (1958) and Fail Safe (1964) and his daughter Jane Fonda in The Morning After (1986). |
| Name: |
Sidney Lumet |
Type: |
Director,Producer,Writer (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
|
Business scope: |
Director,Producer,Writer |
| Products for sale: |
Director,Producer,Writer |
| Model rank: |
57 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:16:11 |
| Height: |
5' 5' (1.65 m) |
| Biography: |
Sidney Lumet was a master of cinema, best known for his technical knowledge and his skill at getting first-rate performances from his actors -- and for shooting most of his films in his beloved New York. He made over 40 movies, often complex and emot |
| Trivia: |
According to Roger Ebert, Lumet had a theory about why Marlon Brando's performances were so uneven. In a review of a bad film starring Brando, Ebert outlined this idea in detail: Lumet said that on the first scene he filmed for any director, Brando would do exactly two takes. In one of the takes, Brando would be putting technical skill and background research into his reading, and in the other he would simply recite his lines as blandly as possible. If the director used the bland take, Brando would proceed to sleepwalk though his performance for the entirety of filming.After the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001 he caused some controversy by continuing to shoot his New York based series 100 Centre Street (2001) for the remainder of the day. Lumet said he told the crew that they could leave if they wanted but that no one did.Directed 17 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Katharine Hepburn, Rod Steiger, Al Pacino, Ingrid Bergman, Albert Finney, Chris Sarandon, Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, Beatrice Straight, William Holden, Ned Beatty, Peter Firth, Richard Burton, Paul Newman, James Mason, Jane Fonda and River Phoenix. Bergman, Dunaway, Finch and Straight won oscars for their performances in one of Lumets movies.It was Lumet's idea to make the characters Cuban and to include the 1980 Mariel harbor boat lift in the story in Scarface (1983).Had a reputation of bringing in films under budget and ahead of schedule.Claimed that one of his habits to maintain energy on-set was to catch a nap at lunch. He would go to his trailer, quickly consume a small sandwich wrap in one bite, and lie down to sleep for the remainder of the break. He further claimed that his discipline over the years was such that he never had to set an alarm.Roger Ebert says of Lumet's book "Making Movies" that it "has more common sense in it about how movies are actually made than any other I have read".Given a lifetime achievement award by the Savannah College of Art and Design at the 2005 Savannah Film Festival. The same award was later found hidden in a patch of shrubbery at a three-point intersection in Brooklyn.Lumet is often a favorite director for actors, encouraging the creative collaboration of his stars.Three of his films are listed on the American Film Institute's 100 Most Inspiring Movies of All Time. They are: Serpico (1973) at #84, The Verdict (1982) at #75, and 12 Angry Men (1957) at #42.Former son-in-law of Lena Horne; was married to her daughter, the journalist and author Gail Lumet Buckley (nee Gail Jones).He served the United States Army as a radar technician in the Far East during World War II.He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982) but never won the award.He directed Sean Connery in five films: The Hill (1965), The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Offence (1973), Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Family Business (1989).Directed two of the American Film Institute's 100 Greatest Movies: Network (1976) at #64 and 12 Angry Men (1957) at #87.Wanted to direct Death Wish (1974) with Jack Lemmon in the leading role.Son of Baruch Lumet and Eugenia Wermus, both actors in the Yiddish Theatre. The family moved to New York City when he was a baby where they joined the Yiddish Art Theatre.In the early 1970's, Lumet was offered the directing job for a new version of the best-selling novel "Marjorie Morningstar" and went to meet with the studio because he found the novel's take on the Jewish American experience fascinating. However, Lumet was disgusted when the studio executives made it clear they wanted him to "de-ethnic" the film and not cast any Jewish actors in the main roles. Lumet recounted in his book "Making Movies" that he was sarcastic about this plan and actually got fired from the project (which ended up never being made) less than an hour into the only meeting he attended.Was voted the 42nd Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.According to Lumet, he was inspired by the work of Carl Dreyer, Jean Vigo, Jean Renoir, and Robert Bresson in particular.Studied acting with Sanford Meisner.He directed four members of the Redgrave family in his films: Michael Redgrave in The Hill (1965), his son Corin Redgrave in The Deadly Affair (1967), his daughter Lynn Redgrave in The Deadly Affair (1967) and The Last of the Mobile Hot Shots (1970) and his daughter Vanessa Redgrave in The Sea Gull (1968) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).Was the original director of Funny Girl (1968), but left the picture over differences with producer Ray Stark and star Barbra Streisand. He was replaced by William Wyler.He directed his then son-in-law Bobby Cannavale in two films: Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) and Gloria (1999).He has directed five films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Pawnbroker (1964), King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis (1969), Dog Day Afternoon (1975) and Network (1976).Children: sound editor Amy Lumet and actress Jenny Lumet.Ex-father-in-law of Bobby Cannavale and P.J. O'Rourke.He directed his father Baruch Lumet in two films: The Pawnbroker (1964) and The Group (1966).His final resting place is New Mount Carmel Cemetery in Glendale, New York.Member of the jury at the Cannes Film Festival in 1982.Sidney Lumet adapted two novels written by Robert Daley, "Prince of the City" and "Tainted Evidence", into the films Prince of the City (1981) and Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), respectively.Four of the films that he directed were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982). None of the films won the award, losing to The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976) and Gandhi (1982) respectively.He directed Martin Balsam in three films: 12 Angry Men (1957), The Anderson Tapes (1971) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).He directed James Mason in four films: The Deadly Affair (1967), The Sea Gull (1968), Child's Play (1972) and The Verdict (1982).He lived in New York City and East Hampton, Long Island, New York.He directed his daughter Jenny Lumet in three films: Deathtrap (1982), Running on Empty (1988) and Q&A (1990).One of the original Sidney Kingsley's "Dead End" kids, on Broadway. The play was later adapted as Dead End (1937) by William Wyler.He is survived by his wife, Mary Gimbel of New York City; stepdaughter, Leslie Gimbel; two daughters, Amy Lumet and Jenny Lumet, from his marriage to Gail Lumet Buckley; stepson, Bailey Gimbel; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandson.Two of his films, 12 Angry Men (1957) and The Fugitive Kind (1960), are in the Criterion Collection.He directed Alan King in four films: Bye Bye Braverman (1968), The Anderson Tapes (1971), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980) and Prince of the City (1981).He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium for Prince of the City (1981).Interviewed in Peter Bogdanovich's "Who the Devil Made It: Conversations With Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Chuck Jones, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel, Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, Raoul Walsh." NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.Lumet was an assistant director or director on some 250 live TV programs.He was a Democrat.Associated with New York based and themed films.Directed four Oscar Best Picture nominees: 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982).He directed Henry Fonda in three films: 12 Angry Men (1957), Stage Struck (1958) and Fail Safe (1964).He directed Edward Binns in four films: 12 Angry Men (1957), Fail Safe (1964), Lovin' Molly (1974) and The Verdict (1982).He directed Beau Bridges in Child's Play (1972) and Lovin' Molly (1974) and his younger brother Jeff Bridges in The Morning After (1986).He directed Henry Fonda in 12 Angry Men (1957), Stage Struck (1958) and Fail Safe (1964) and his daughter Jane Fonda in The Morning After (1986). |
| Trademarks: |
Highly dialogue driven films, with a lot of speeches and dramatic verbal duels.
On all his films he assembles the cast for a two week rehearsal in which they perform the script from beginning to end like a play. This cuts down on the need for repeated takes during filming.
Keeps a realistic atmosphere by using very little music
His characters are often persecuted men striving for justice
Films often take place over a short period of time |
| Quotes: |
There's no such thing as a small part. There are just small actors.
<br />
<hr>
If a director comes in from California and doesn't know the city at all, he picks the Empire State Building and all the postcard shots, and that, of course, isn't the city.
<br />
<hr>
All great work is preparing yourself for the accident to happen.
<br />
<hr>
[from 1973] All I want to do is get better and quantity can help me to solve my problems. I'm thrilled by the idea that I'm not even sure how many films I've done. If I don't have a script I adore, I do one I like. If I don't have one I like, I do one that has an actor I like or that presents some technical challenge.
<br />
<hr>
[October 2007] Melodrama is a much maligned genre. And I hope we can bring it back into fashion. I always think of melodrama as the thing we are all capable of that's swept under the rug. |
| Job title: |
Director,Producer,Writer |
| Others works: |
(2006) Wrote the foreword to the book "Huston, We Have a Problem", by Oswald Morris (Scarecrow Press)
(1935) Stage: Appeared (as "Small Boy") in "Dead End" on Broadway. Drama. Production Design by Norman Bel Geddes. Written |
| Spouse: |
Mary Gimbel (1980 - April 9, 2011) (his death)Gail Lumet Buckley (November 23, 1963 - 1978) (divorced, 2 children)Gloria Vanderbilt (August 27, 1956 - August 24, 1963) (divorced)Rita Gam (1949 - August |
| Children: |
Amy LumetJenny LumetLeslie GimbelBailey Gimbel |
| Parents: |
Baruch Lumet
Eugenia Wermus Lumet |
| Relatives: |
Jake Cannavale (Grandchild) |
|
