John M. Stahl

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John M. Stahl

John Malcolm Stahl (actually Jacob Morris Strelitsky; born January 21, 1886 in Baku , Azerbaijan , † January 12, 1950 in Hollywood , Los Angeles , California ) was an American film director and film producer .

Life

Stahl was born under the name Jacob Morris Strelitsky to Russian-Jewish parents in Baku and moved with his family to New York City in the USA when he was a child. It was here that Stahl came into contact with the film business, his first directorial work was in 1914. In the early 1920s, Stahl moved to the production company Louis B. Mayer Pictures in Hollywood , which was merged into MGM in 1924 . In 1927 Stahl was one of the 36 founding members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences .

Now under contract for Universal Pictures , he began to develop into a well-known director for sophisticated melodramas . In addition to Seed, one of the first films to deal with the issue of birth control, Stahl shot Back Street , the film adaptation of the novel by Fannie Hurst . The film with Irene Dunne was so successful that Universal directed it two more times. The following year, Stahl was responsible for Margaret Sullavan's screen debut in Only Yesterday , a story about a single mother. Imitation of Life, with Claudette Colbert in the lead role, was a remarkable example of trusting interracial relationships and a powerful appeal to reason, in the spirit of the New Deal . The following year he staged Magnificent Obsession again with Irene Dunne and the young Robert Taylor .

After Stahl's career stalled a bit, he got a new shine at 20th Century Fox through two very successful films, albeit very different in terms of subject matter: Keys to Heaven was an intelligent film about an idealistic priest who had many trials on the way must exist for true faith. Gregory Peck became a star with the film. In 1945 Stahl with Mortal Sin staged one of the best film noir films ever, even though the film was only recorded in an almost garish Technicolor . The film proved very popular at the box office. Gene Tierney received an Oscar nomination for best actress for her portrayal of a psychopathic murderess, but lost to Joan Crawford , who won the trophy for her role in Solange a Heart Beats . Towards the end of the decade, Stahl's career again turned into mediocre films.

Stahl died of a heart attack in January 1950 at the age of 63. He left behind his third wife, the actress Roxana McGowan (1897-1976), with whom he was married since 1931. In 1960 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his film work .

Filmography (selection)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ La Liberation - Culture, September 24, 1999.
personal data
SURNAME Stahl, John M.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Stahl, John Malcolm (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American film director and film producer
DATE OF BIRTH January 21, 1886
PLACE OF BIRTH New York City
DATE OF DEATH January 12, 1950
Place of death Hollywood , Los Angeles , California