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 Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger, who was born in London, on February 16, 1926, was the eldest child in a solidly middle-class Jewish family. Berbard Schlesinger, his father, was a pediatrician, and his mother, Winifred, was a musician. He served in the Army in the Far East during World War II. While attending Balliol College at Oxford, Schlesinger was involved with the Undergraduate Dramatic Society and developed an interest in photography. While at Oxford, he made his first short film, "Black Legend," in 1948. He took his degree in 1950 after reading English literature and then went into television. From 1958 through 1961, he made documentaries for the British Broadcasting Corp.His 1960 documentary, Terminus (1961), which was sponsored by British-Transport, won him a British Academy Award and the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He made the transition to feature films in 1962, with the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving (1962), which got him noticed on both sides of the Atlantic. His next film, the Northern comedy Billy Liar (1963), was a success and began his association with actress Julie Christie, who had a memorable turn in the film. Christie won the Best Actress Academy Award and international superstardom and Schlesinger his first Oscar nomination as Best Director with his next film, the watershed Darling (1965), which dissected Swinging London. Subsequently, Schlesinger and Christie collaborated on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, in 1967. The movie was not a success with critics or at the box office at the time, though its stature has grown over time. His next film, Midnight Cowboy (1969), earned him a place in cinema history, as it was not only a huge box office hit but also widely acclaimed as a contemporary classic. It won the Oscar for Best Picture and garnered Schlesinger an Oscar for Best Director.Schlesinger earned his third, and last, Oscar nomination for the highly acclaimed Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). He continued to operate at a high state of aesthetic and critical achievement with The Day of the Locust (1975), Marathon Man (1976) and Yanks (1979), but his 1981 comedy, Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), was one of the notable flops of its time, bringing in only $2 million on a $24-million budget when breakeven was calculated as three times negative cost. Although Schlesinger continued to work steadily as a director in movies and TV, he never again tasted the sweet fruits of success that he had for more than a decade, beginning in the mid-'60s.Schlesinger's artistic fulfillment increasingly came from directing for the stage and, specifically, opera. He directed William Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1964, and after his movie career faded, he directed plays, musicals, and opera productions. After Laurence Olivier was eased out of the National Theatre in 1973, Schlesinger was named an associate director of the NT under Olivier's successor, Sir Peter Hall of the RSC.Schlesinger suffered a stroke in December 2000. His life partner, Michael Childers, took him off life support, and he died the following day, July 24, 2003, in Palm Springs, Claifornia. He was 77 years old.Born in Hampstead, London to Winifred and Bernard Schessinger, he has a brother Roger and a a sister Hilary. After education at Uppingham Public School he joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper and took part in an Army Review show as 'Cardino' a magician. On demob he went to Oxford where he made a 16mm film 'Black Legend' in which he had a part and which starred Robert Hardy, causing him to become an actor. He also acted in The Festival of Britain Touring Company which went to New Zealand.and on it's return co stared in the television series as Alan a'Dale. He then joined the BBC working on 'Monitor'. He turned to films making his directorial debut with 'A Kind of Loving', which was Alan Bates'first major role. Later came Midnight Cowboy which earned him his first Oscar. Whilst been known for his film work he's also involved in the theatre being an Associate Director of the National Theatre.
Bio:
Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger, who was born in London, on February 16, 1926, was the eldest child in a solidly middle-class Jewish family. Berbard Schlesinger, his father, was a pediatrician, and his mother, Winifred, was a musician. He served in the Army in the Far East during World War II. While attending Balliol College at Oxford, Schlesinger was involved with the Undergraduate Dramatic Society and developed an interest in photography. While at Oxford, he made his first short film, "Black Legend," in 1948. He took his degree in 1950 after reading English literature and then went into television. From 1958 through 1961, he made documentaries for the British Broadcasting Corp.His 1960 documentary, Terminus (1961), which was sponsored by British-Transport, won him a British Academy Award and the Gold Lion at the Venice Film Festival. He made the transition to feature films in 1962, with the "kitchen sink" drama A Kind of Loving (1962), which got him noticed on both sides of the Atlantic. His next film, the Northern comedy Billy Liar (1963), was a success and began his association with actress Julie Christie, who had a memorable turn in the film. Christie won the Best Actress Academy Award and international superstardom and Schlesinger his first Oscar nomination as Best Director with his next film, the watershed Darling (1965), which dissected Swinging London. Subsequently, Schlesinger and Christie collaborated on Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), an adaptation of Thomas Hardy's classic novel, in 1967. The movie was not a success with critics or at the box office at the time, though its stature has grown over time. His next film, Midnight Cowboy (1969), earned him a place in cinema history, as it was not only a huge box office hit but also widely acclaimed as a contemporary classic. It won the Oscar for Best Picture and garnered Schlesinger an Oscar for Best Director.Schlesinger earned his third, and last, Oscar nomination for the highly acclaimed Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971). He continued to operate at a high state of aesthetic and critical achievement with The Day of the Locust (1975), Marathon Man (1976) and Yanks (1979), but his 1981 comedy, Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), was one of the notable flops of its time, bringing in only $2 million on a $24-million budget when breakeven was calculated as three times negative cost. Although Schlesinger continued to work steadily as a director in movies and TV, he never again tasted the sweet fruits of success that he had for more than a decade, beginning in the mid-'60s.Schlesinger's artistic fulfillment increasingly came from directing for the stage and, specifically, opera. He directed William Shakespeare's "Timon of Athens" for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in 1964, and after his movie career faded, he directed plays, musicals, and opera productions. After Laurence Olivier was eased out of the National Theatre in 1973, Schlesinger was named an associate director of the NT under Olivier's successor, Sir Peter Hall of the RSC.Schlesinger suffered a stroke in December 2000. His life partner, Michael Childers, took him off life support, and he died the following day, July 24, 2003, in Palm Springs, Claifornia. He was 77 years old.
Born in Hampstead, London to Winifred and Bernard Schessinger, he has a brother Roger and a a sister Hilary. After education at Uppingham Public School he joined the Royal Engineers as a sapper and took part in an Army Review show as 'Cardino' a magician. On demob he went to Oxford where he made a 16mm film 'Black Legend' in which he had a part and which starred Robert Hardy, causing him to become an actor. He also acted in The Festival of Britain Touring Company which went to New Zealand.and on it's return co stared in the television series as Alan a'Dale. He then joined the BBC working on 'Monitor'. He turned to films making his directorial debut with 'A Kind of Loving', which was Alan Bates'first major role. Later came Midnight Cowboy which earned him his first Oscar. Whilst been known for his film work he's also involved in the theatre being an Associate Director of the National Theatre.
Tivia:
Schlesinger envisioned a cast of Al Pacino, Julie Christie and Laurence Olivier for Marathon Man (1976). Pacino has said that the only actress he had ever wanted to work with was Christie, who he claimed was "the most poetic of actresses". Producer Robert Evans, who disparaged the vertically challenged Pacino as The Midget when Francis Ford Coppola wanted him for The Godfather (1972) and had thought of firing him during the early shooting of the now-classic film, vetoed Pacino for the lead. Instead, Evans insisted on the casting of the even-shorter Dustin Hoffman! On her part, Christie -- who was notoriously finicky about accepting parts, even in prestigious, sure-fire material -- turned down the female lead, which was then taken by Marthe Keller (who, ironically, became Pacino's lover after co-starring with him in Bobby Deerfield (1977)). Of his dream cast, Schlesinger only got Olivier, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. "Marathon Man" was his last unqualified hit as a film director.Directed eight different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Burgess Meredith and Laurence Olivier. Christie won an Oscar for Darling (1965).While shooting Marathon Man (1976), Schlesinger realized he had no idea of how to stage a fight, so he watched other films to see how it was done.He has directed one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Midnight Cowboy (1969).His brother, the publisher and literary agent Roger Schlesinger married into Peggy Ashcroft's family and had an actress daughter Katharine Schlesinger.Seeing the film Darling (1965) inspired Madonna to pick John Schlesinger to direct her in the film The Next Best Thing (2000).He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to film.He was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on January 10, 2003.Attended Oxford University.In 1961 won first prize at Venice Film Festival for Terminus (1961), a documentary about Waterloo Station.Parents are Bernard Edward and Winnifred Henrietta Schlesinger.Older brother of Susan Maryott.Was a member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1985.Profiled in "Conversations with Directors: An Anthology of Interviews from Literature/Film Quarterly", E.M. Walker, D.T. Johnson, eds. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.His debut feature, A Kind of Loving (1962) won first prize at the Berlin Film Festival.Made several amateur films and from 1956 directed 26 documentaries for the BBC's Monitor and Tonight programmes.Played character parts in British plays and films.He entertained the troops during WWII with a magic act.Joined Colchester Repertory Theatre.In the Army Entertainment Unit in Singapore during WW!! with Kenneth Williams, Peter Nichols, Peter Vaughn and Stanley Baxter. |
| Name: |
John Schlesinger |
Type: |
Actor,Director,Second Unit Director or Assistant Director (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Actor,Director,Second Unit Director or Assistant Director |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Director,Second Unit Director or Assistant Director |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 05:02:57 |
| Biography: |
Oscar-winning director John Schlesinger, who was born in London, on February 16, 1926, was the eldest child in a solidly middle-class Jewish family. Berbard Schlesinger, his father, was a pediatrician, and his mother, Winifred, was a musician. He ser |
| Trivia: |
Schlesinger envisioned a cast of Al Pacino, Julie Christie and Laurence Olivier for Marathon Man (1976). Pacino has said that the only actress he had ever wanted to work with was Christie, who he claimed was "the most poetic of actresses". Producer Robert Evans, who disparaged the vertically challenged Pacino as The Midget when Francis Ford Coppola wanted him for The Godfather (1972) and had thought of firing him during the early shooting of the now-classic film, vetoed Pacino for the lead. Instead, Evans insisted on the casting of the even-shorter Dustin Hoffman! On her part, Christie -- who was notoriously finicky about accepting parts, even in prestigious, sure-fire material -- turned down the female lead, which was then taken by Marthe Keller (who, ironically, became Pacino's lover after co-starring with him in Bobby Deerfield (1977)). Of his dream cast, Schlesinger only got Olivier, who was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. "Marathon Man" was his last unqualified hit as a film director.Directed eight different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Julie Christie, Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Burgess Meredith and Laurence Olivier. Christie won an Oscar for Darling (1965).While shooting Marathon Man (1976), Schlesinger realized he had no idea of how to stage a fight, so he watched other films to see how it was done.He has directed one film that has been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: Midnight Cowboy (1969).His brother, the publisher and literary agent Roger Schlesinger married into Peggy Ashcroft's family and had an actress daughter Katharine Schlesinger.Seeing the film Darling (1965) inspired Madonna to pick John Schlesinger to direct her in the film The Next Best Thing (2000).He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1970 Queen's Birthday Honours List for his services to film.He was awarded a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on January 10, 2003.Attended Oxford University.In 1961 won first prize at Venice Film Festival for Terminus (1961), a documentary about Waterloo Station.Parents are Bernard Edward and Winnifred Henrietta Schlesinger.Older brother of Susan Maryott.Was a member of the jury at the Venice Film Festival in 1985.Profiled in "Conversations with Directors: An Anthology of Interviews from Literature/Film Quarterly", E.M. Walker, D.T. Johnson, eds. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2008.His debut feature, A Kind of Loving (1962) won first prize at the Berlin Film Festival.Made several amateur films and from 1956 directed 26 documentaries for the BBC's Monitor and Tonight programmes.Played character parts in British plays and films.He entertained the troops during WWII with a magic act.Joined Colchester Repertory Theatre.In the Army Entertainment Unit in Singapore during WW!! with Kenneth Williams, Peter Nichols, Peter Vaughn and Stanley Baxter. |
| Quotes: |
Making a film is like going down a mine--once you've started you bid a metaphorical goodbye to the daylight and the outside world for the duration.
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What I tend to go for, and what interests me, is not the hero but the coward . . . not the success, but the failure.
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[on his acting days] I wasn't a very good actor. I wouldn't have cast myself if I'd come to see myself.
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A lot of claptrap is talked about The Method as though the British actor didn't have one. It's just that we tend to be quieter about it.
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The days of dealing with one despot are over. Now it's clearly with a whole group of frightened committee people. |
| Salaries: |
A Kind of Loving (1962) - ��4,000
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<hr>
Colonel March of Scotland Yard (1955) - 15 pounds / day |
| Job title: |
Actor,Director,Second Unit Director or Assistant Director |
| Others works: |
(1992) Directed party election broadcast for the Conservative Party.
(1955) He acted in Eugene O'Neill's play, "Mourning Becomes Electra", at the Arts Theatre Club in London, England with Mary Ellis, Mary Morris, Joseph O'Conor, |
| Children: |
No Children |
| Parents: |
Bernard Schlesinger
Winifred Schlesinger |
| Relatives: |
Susan Maryott (Sibling)
Roger Schlesinger (Sibling) |
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