Curtis Harrington

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Curtis Harrington (born September 17, 1926 in Los Angeles , California , USA; † May 6, 2007 in Hollywood Hills , ibid) was an American film director who became famous primarily for his numerous horror films. He is regarded as one of the most renowned B-movie directors of this genre, who later also staged melodramatic and fairytale variants.

life and work

Harrington, who was born in Los Angeles, grew up in rural Beaumont , where he gained his first experience as an amateur filmmaker on 16mm at the age of 14. After attending Occidental College , he studied at UCLA and the University of Southern California , which he graduated in 1947 with a degree in film studies. Harrington began his career as the author of a monograph on Josef von Sternberg published by the British Film Institute , followed by various activities in experimental American cinema in the late 1940s. He worked u. a. for film productions by Kenneth Anger as cameraman and actor, as well as for James Whale and from the mid-1950s as production assistant to Jerry Walds for 20th Century Fox .

After Harrington made several avant-garde short films , he made his first full-length feature film, Nighttide , in 1960 , starring Dennis Hopper . He then filmed Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965) under the pseudonym John Sebastian, and a year later Queen of Blood (1966) with Basil Rathbone in the lead role , using Planet der Stürme together with the film producer Roger Corman . Other film productions followed, including with well-known actors like the French Simone Signoret , when he had to be content with television productions as he got older. In addition to television films, at the end of his career he also directed episodes of series such as The Denver Clan , Wonder Woman and Charlie's Angels . At the end of the 1980s, the filmmaker withdrew to his old age and lived a secluded life when he made a comeback in 2002 with the short film Usher , which he directed in his garden and received several awards for it.

Curtis Harrington died on May 6, 2007 at his California home.

Filmography (selection)

  • 1966: Queen of Blood
  • 1966: Satanic Games ( Games )
  • 1971: What's the matter with Helen? ( What's the matter with Helen? )
  • 1972: Who set Aunt Ruth on fire? ( Whoever slew Auntie Roo? )
  • 1973: The cat goddess ( The Cat Creature )
  • 1973: From murderous kind ( The child killing )
  • 1975: The dead do not die ( The Dead do not die )
  • 1977: Ruby
  • 1978: The Hellhound ( Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell )
  • 1984: Mata Hari

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Harrington, Curtis
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Harrington, Gene Curtis (full name); John Sebastian (pseudonym)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film director
DATE OF BIRTH September 17, 1926
PLACE OF BIRTH Los Angeles , California , USA
DATE OF DEATH May 6, 2007
Place of death Hollywood Hills , Los Angeles , California , USA