Jack Clayton

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Jack Clayton (born March 1, 1921 in Brighton , East Sussex , † February 26, 1995 in Slough , Berkshire ) was a British film director and film producer . The member of the British New Wave became known as a specialist in literary adaptations and the producer of three John Huston films.

Movie

Already fourteen Clayton began as an assistant to Alexander Korda in film studio London film before he was drafted, and as commander of a flyer unit documentaries in the Royal Air Force turned. He returned to Korda after the war, eventually becoming a production manager and co-producer.

His first directorial work was The Custom-Made Coat in 1955, based on a story by Nikolai Gogol . The film won the Oscar for best short film of the year. Three years later turned Clayton his first feature film, The Way Up ( Room at the Top ), of the British New Wave heralded the time realistically emphasizes socially critical films from England. The film was a huge financial and artistic success and received six Academy Award nominations, including one for Clayton for Best Director (Oscars went to the screenwriters and Simone Signoret for Best Actress).

Because he was afraid of being committed, Clayton turned down the adaptation of Alan Sillitoe's novel Saturday Night and Sunday Morning , which Karel Reisz took over. Clayton's next film, which Henry James film version The Innocents ( The Innocents ), now considered a classic of the horror film genre. Again, as in most of Clayton's films, a woman is the focus of the film.

Clayton repeatedly took longer breaks between productions and repeatedly failed to satisfy the taste of the audience and the critics. It was founded in 1974 as a director of the American prestige project The Great Gatsby ( The Great Gatsby selected), but the F. Scott Fitzgerald -Adaption was a spectacular flop. It took thirteen years to Clayton made a film again, who arrived with critics and audiences: The great desire of Judith Hearne ( The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne ) with Maggie Smith . Again with Smith, Clayton made his last film for the BBC in 1991 : Memento Mori after Muriel Spark .

As a producer, Clayton was involved in the John Huston films Moulin Rouge , Chess the Devil ( Beat the Devil ) and Moby Dick .

Awards

  • 1955 The made-to-measure coat : Best short film at the Venice Film Festival
  • 1959 The Way Up ( Room at the Top ): Competition film at the Cannes Film Festival , Oscar nomination
  • 1961 Schloß des Schreckens ( The Innocents ): Competition film at the Cannes Film Festival, DGA Award nomination, NBR Award
  • 1964 The Pumpkin Eater: Competition film at the Cannes Film Festival
  • 1967 Every night at nine ( Our Mother's House ): Competition film at the Venice Film Festival
  • 1983 Something Wicked This Way Comes ( Something Wicked This Way Comes ): Competition film on the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
  • 1991 Memento ( Memento Mori ): BAFTA Award nomination, Writers Guild of Great Britain Award nomination for screenwriter

Filmography

Director
  • 1944: Naples is a Battlefield
  • 1955: The made-to-measure coat
  • 1959: The Way Up ( Room at the Top )
  • 1961: Castle of Secrets ( The Innocents )
  • 1964: Bedroom dispute ( The Pumpkin Eater )
  • 1967: Every night at nine ( Our Mother's House )
  • 1974: The Great Gatsby ( The Great Gatsby )
  • 1983: Something Wicked This Way Comes ( Something Wicked This Way Comes )
  • 1987: The great desire of Judith Hearne ( The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne )
  • 1991: Memento Mori
producer
  • 1949: Pique Dame ( The Queen of Spades )
  • 1951: Flesh and Blood
  • 1952: Moulin Rouge
  • 1953: Chess the Devil ( Beat the Devil )
  • 1954: Four fall by the wayside ( The Good Die Young )
  • 1955: I Am a Camera
  • 1956: Sailor Beware
  • 1956: Moby Dick
  • 1956: The made-to-measure coat
  • 1956: Dry red
  • 1956: Three Men in a Boat ( Three Men in a Boat )
  • 1957: Esther Costello ( The Story of Esther Costello )
  • 1958: Midnight visit ( The Whole Truth )
  • 1961: Castle of Secrets ( The Innocents )
  • 1967: Every night at nine ( Our Mother's House )

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Clayton, Jack
BRIEF DESCRIPTION British film producer and director
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Brighton , East Sussex , England
DATE OF DEATH February 26, 1995
Place of death Slough , Berkshire , England