Irving Lerner

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Irving Lerner (born March 7, 1909 in New York City , † December 25, 1976 in Los Angeles ) was an American director .

Life

Irving Lerner, son of a Russian family, studied anthropology at Columbia University , for which he also made his first films. There he was a lecturer for the Encyclopedia of Social Sciences. There he also met Margaret Mead , who had a great influence on his politically rather socialist attitude. As a member of the Workers Film and Photo League from 1932 to 1934, he came to filming through still photography. He gained his first experience by photographing political activities such as May Day . He also made several short documentaries on 35mm film . During this time he began to write film reviews for communist newspapers under the pseudonym Peter Ellis , which dealt with the social aspect of the films. From 1933 to 1934 he was a teacher at the Harry Alan Potamkin Film School. He then made films for the Rockefeller Foundation and other non-profit institutions. During the Second World War he made films with his own film team for the United States Office of War Information .

In 1944 he came under suspicion of espionage when he tried to make recordings of the cyclotron at the University of California, Berkeley , probably on behalf of Arthur Adams . The cyclotron was one of the components of the Manhattan Project . He was discovered and arrested. However, there was insufficient evidence to convict him. However, Lerner resigned from his position.

After the war he became director of the film institute at New York University . Then he broke away from the documentary and began making experimental films. He also tried a number of B-films , especially in the field of crime films .

One of his best-known films is Death Comes on Quiet (1958), a film noir with Vince Edwards , best known for its frequent mentions by Martin Scorsese and the blogosphere . Two films directed by Lerner received Oscar nominations: the 1942 documentary A Place to Live and 1944 Swedes in America , which he directed with Ingrid Bergman in the lead role. However, according to the Oscar regulations, the nominations were given to the film producers. Lerner's last film was No Requiem for San Bastardo in 1971 , which he directed with Robert Parrish . However, it is not mentioned in the credits.

Filmography (selection)

  • 1941: A Place to Live
  • 1943: Swedes in America
  • 1947: To Hear Your Banjo Play
  • 1948: Muscle Beach
  • 1958: Death comes quietly (Murder by Contract)
  • 1959: City of Fear
  • 1960: No star is lost (Studs Lonigan)
  • 1961–1965: Ben Casey (TV series)
  • 1963: Ball dance at midnight (Cry of Battle)
  • 1964: The Royal Hunt of the Sun
  • 1971: No Requiem for San Bastardo (A Town Called Hell)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Nicole Huffman: New Frontiers in American Documentary Film. American Studies Program at the University of Virginia, 2001, accessed January 11, 2013 .
  2. ↑ Thomas J. Brandon: Irving Lerner: A Filmography and Bibliography . In: Cinema Journal . 18th year, no. 1 . University of Texas Press, 1978, pp. 53-60 .
  3. ^ Ekkehard Knörer: Irving Lerner (I): Linke Filmgeschichte. Cargo Film / Media / Culture, January 17, 2010, accessed January 11, 2013 .
  4. ^ John Earl Haynes, Harvey Klehr: Venona: Decoding Soviet Espionage in America . Yale University Press, Yale 1999, ISBN 978-0-300-07771-1 , pp. 325 .
  5. ↑ a b Morlockjeff: The Underexposed Cinema of Irving Lerner - Part One. MovieMorlocks.com, August 4, 2007, accessed January 11, 2013 .
  6. ↑ a b Morlockjeff: The Underexposed Cinema of Irving Lerner - Part One. MovieMorlocks.com, August 11, 2007; accessed January 11, 2013 .
personal data
SURNAME Lerner, Irving
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American director
DATE OF BIRTH March 7, 1909
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH December 25, 1976
Place of death los Angeles