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Frank Borzage

Known For
Directing

Known Credits
67

Gender
Male

Birthday
April 23, 1894 (132 years old)

Place of Birth
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Frank Borzage

Biography

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Frank Borzage (April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), Bad Girl (1931), A Farewell to Arms (1932), Man's Castle (1933), History Is Made at Night (1937), The Mortal Storm (1940) and Moonrise (1948).

In 1912 Borzage found employment as an actor in Hollywood; he continued to work as an actor until 1917. His directorial debut came in 1915 with the film The Pitch o' Chance.

He was a successful director throughout the 1920s, but reached his peak in the late silent and early sound era. Absorbing visual influences from the German director F.W. Murnau, who was also resident at Fox at this time, Borzage developed his own style of lushly visual romanticism in a hugely successful series of films starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, including 7th Heaven (1927), for which he won the first Academy Award for Best Director, Street Angel (1928) and Lucky Star (1929). He won a second Oscar for 1931's Bad Girl.

He directed 14 films between 1917 and 1919 alone. His greatest success in the silent era was with Humoresque, a box office winner starring Vera Gordon.

Borzage's trademark was intense identification with the feelings of young lovers in the face of adversity, with love in his films triumphing over such trials as World War I (7th Heaven and A Farewell to Arms), disability (Lucky Star), the Depression (Man's Castle), a thinly disguised version of the Titanic disaster in History Is Made at Night, and the rise of Nazism, a theme which Borzage had virtually to himself among Hollywood filmmakers from Little Man, What Now? (1933) to Three Comrades (1938) and The Mortal Storm (1940).

His work took a spiritual turn in such films as Green Light (1937), Strange Cargo (1940) and The Big Fisherman (1959). Of his later work only the film noir Moonrise (1948) has enjoyed much critical acclaim. After 1948, Borzage's output was sporadic.

In 1955 and 1957, he was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

Frank Borzage died of cancer in 1962, aged 68.

Known For

Directing

1961Journey Beneath the Desert...Co-Director
1959The Big Fisherman...Director
1958China Doll...Director
1956The Day I Met Caruso...Director
1956A Ticket for Thaddeus...Director
1955Day is Done...Director
1948Moonrise...Director
1947That's My Man...Director
1946Magnificent Doll...Director
1946I've Always Loved You...Director
1945The Spanish Main...Director
1944Till We Meet Again...Director
1943His Butler's Sister...Director
1943Stage Door Canteen...Director
1942Seven Sweethearts...Director
1942The Vanishing Virginian...Director
1941Smilin' Through...Director
1941Billy the Kid...Co-Director
1940Flight Command...Director
1940The Mortal Storm...Director
1940Strange Cargo...Director
1940I Take This Woman...Co-Director
1939Disputed Passage...Director
1938The Shining Hour...Director
1938Three Comrades...Director
1938Mannequin...Director
1937Big City...Director
1937History Is Made at Night...Director
1937Green Light...Director
1936Hearts Divided...Director
1936Desire...Director
1935Shipmates Forever...Director
1935Stranded...Director
1935Living on Velvet...Director
1934Flirtation Walk...Director
1934Little Man, What Now?...Director
1934No Greater Glory...Director
1933Man's Castle...Director
1933Secrets...Director
1932A Farewell to Arms...Director
1932Young America...Director
1932After Tomorrow...Director
1931Bad Girl...Director
1931Young as You Feel...Director
1931Doctors' Wives...Director
1930Liliom...Director
1930Song o' My Heart...Director
1929The River...Director
1929They Had to See Paris...Director
1929Lucky Star...Director
1928Street Angel...Director
19277th Heaven...Director
1926Marriage License?...Director
1926Early to Wed...Director
1926The Dixie Merchant...Director
1926The First Year...Director
1925Wages for Wives...Director
1925Lazybones...Director
1925The Circle...Director
1925Daddy's Gone A-Hunting...Director
1925The Lady...Director
1924Secrets...Director
1923The Age of Desire...Director
1923Children of Dust...Director
1923The Nth Commandment...Director
1922The Pride of Palomar...Director
1922The Valley of Silent Men...Director
1922The Good Provider...Director
1922Billy Jim...Director
1922Back Pay...Director
1921Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford...Director
1921The Duke of Chimney Butte...Director
1920Humoresque...Director
1919Prudence on Broadway...Director
1919Whom the Gods Would Destroy...Director
1919Toton...Director
1918The Atom...Director
1918The Ghost Flower...Director
1918Who Is to Blame?...Director
1918An Honest Man...Director
1918Society for Sale...Director
1918Innocent's Progress...Director
1918The Shoes That Danced...Director
1918The Curse of Iku...Director
1918The Gun Woman...Director
1917Until They Get Me...Director
1917Flying Colors...Director
1916Immediate Lee...Director
1916Land O' Lizards...Director
1916Matchin' Jim...Director
1916The Forgotten Prayer...Director
1916Nell Dale's Men Folks...Director
1916The Courtin' of Calliope Clew...Director
1916That Gal of Burke's...Director
1916Nugget Jim's Pardner...Director
1916The Quicksands of Deceit...Director
1916The Demon of Fear...Director
1916The Pilgrim...Director
1916Jack...Director
1916Unlucky Luke...Director
1916A Flickering Light...Director
1916Two Bits...Director
1916The Code of Honor...Director
1916The Silken Spider...Director
1916Life's Harmony...Director
1915The Pitch o' Chance...Director
The Pride and the Man...Director
Dollars of Dross...Director

Production

1958China Doll...Producer
1947That's My Man...Producer
1946I've Always Loved You...Producer
1945The Spanish Main...Producer
1943Stage Door Canteen...Producer
1942Seven Sweethearts...Producer
1941Smilin' Through...Producer
1940The Mortal Storm...Producer
1940Strange Cargo...Producer
1938The Shining Hour...Producer
1938Mannequin...Producer
1937Green Light...Producer
1936Hearts Divided...Producer
1936Desire...Producer
1935Stranded...Producer
1935Living on Velvet...Producer
1934Flirtation Walk...Producer
1934No Greater Glory...Producer
1933Man's Castle...Producer
1932A Farewell to Arms...Producer
1930Song o' My Heart...Producer
1925Lazybones...Producer
1923The Age of Desire...Producer
1923The Nth Commandment...Producer

Writing

1938Mannequin...Screenplay
1916Matchin' Jim...Writer
1916Nell Dale's Men Folks...Writer
1916Enchantment...Writer
1916Nugget Jim's Pardner...Writer
1916The Demon of Fear...Writer
1916Unlucky Luke...Writer
The Pride and the Man...Writer
Dollars of Dross...Writer

Acting

2008Murnau, Borzage and Foxas Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
1957Jeanne Eagelsas Self (uncredited)
1955Hollywood Previewas Self
1953The Oscarsas
1952This Is Your Lifeas Self
1918The Atomas
1918The Curse of Ikuas Allan Carroll / Allan Carroll III
1917Fear Notas Franklin Shirley
1917Wee Lady Bettyas Roger O'Reilly
1917A Mormon Maidas Tom Rigdon
1917A School for Husbandsas Hugh Aslam
1916Immediate Leeas Immediate Lee
1916Land O' Lizardsas The Stranger
1916Matchin' Jimas Matchin' Jim
1916Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Agesas Extra (uncredited)
1916The Forgotten Prayeras Dan Page
1916Nell Dale's Men Folksas Zeb Dale
1916The Courtin' of Calliope Clewas Calliope Clew
1916That Gal of Burke'sas Charles Percival
1916Nugget Jim's Pardneras Hal
1916The Demon of Fearas Thomas Marsh
1916The Pilgrimas The Pilgrim
1916Jackas Jack
1916Unlucky Lukeas Luke Drummond
1916Realizationas
1916A Flickering Lightas Jim
1916Two Bitsas James Hardeman
1916The Code of Honoras Lt. Bob Chase
1915The Cactus Blossomas Dave Foster
1915The Pitch o' Chanceas Rocky Scott
1915The Clean-Upas George Prescott
1915Aloha Oeas Dr. John Hawley
1915Knight of the Trailas Bill Carey
1915The Hammeras Donald Barstow
1915The Secret of Lost Riveras Tom Hornby - Prospector
1915The Tavern Keeper's Sonas Juan Capella
1915The Cup of Lifeas Dick Ralston
1915Molly of the Mountainsas John Harlow
1915In the Switch Toweras Joel Wharton
1915The Mill by the Zuyder Zeeas Dirk Brandt
1915The Girl Who Might Have Beenas George Fowler
1915In the Land of the Otteras Joe Eagle
1914The Pantheras David Brandt
1914A Crook's Sweetheartas The 'Dip'
1914The Desperadoas
1914The Typhoonas Renard Bernisky
1914Parson Larkin's Wifeas Parson James Larkin
1914The Wrath of the Godsas Tom Wilson
1914Love's Western Flightas
1914Samsonas Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited)
1914A Flash in the Darkas
1914The Wheel of Lifeas
1914In the Sage Brush Countryas
1913A Hopi Legendas
1913A Cracksman Santa Clausas
1913Retributionas
1913The Days of '49as Ben
1913Loaded Diceas
1913Silent Heroesas
1913In the Toilsas
1913The Gratitude of Wandaas
1913The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mineas
1913Granddadas Mildred's Father
1913The Crimson Stainas
1913The Drummer of the 8thas Jack Durand
1912When Lee Surrendersas
1912On Secret Serviceas