About

Known credits:
152
Birthday:
1894-04-23
Place of birth:
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Website:
N/A

Frank Borzage

Overview

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

Acting
2008 Murnau, Borzage and Fox Actor Self (archive footage) (uncredited) 59
Average
1957 Jeanne Eagels Actor Self (uncredited) 59
Average
1918 The Atom Actor N/A
N/A
1917 Fear Not Actor Franklin Shirley N/A
N/A
1917 Wee Lady Betty Actor Roger O'Reilly N/A
N/A
1917 A Mormon Maid Actor Tom Rigdon 58
Average
1916 Land O' Lizards Actor The Stranger N/A
N/A
1916 Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages Actor Extra (uncredited) 63
Fair
1916 The Courtin' of Calliope Clew Actor Calliope Clew N/A
N/A
1916 Nugget Jim's Pardner Actor Hal 58
Average
1916 The Pilgrim Actor The Pilgrim 58
Average
1916 A Flickering Light Actor Jim N/A
N/A
1915 The Pitch o' Chance Actor Rocky Scott 58
Average
1915 Knight of the Trail Actor Bill Carey 58
Average
1915 The Secret of Lost River Actor Tom Hornby - Prospector N/A
N/A
1915 The Tavern Keeper's Son Actor Juan Capella N/A
N/A
1915 The Cup of Life Actor Dick Ralston N/A
N/A
1915 In the Switch Tower Actor Joel Wharton N/A
N/A
1915 In the Land of the Otter Actor Joe Eagle N/A
N/A
1914 The Panther Actor David Brandt N/A
N/A
1914 The Typhoon Actor Renard Bernisky N/A
N/A
1914 The Wrath of the Gods Actor Tom Wilson 59
Average
1914 Love's Western Flight Actor N/A
N/A
1914 Samson Actor Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited) 59
Average
1914 A Flash in the Dark Actor N/A
N/A
1914 The Wheel of Life Actor N/A
N/A
1914 In the Sage Brush Country Actor N/A
N/A
1913 A Hopi Legend Actor N/A
N/A
1913 A Cracksman Santa Claus Actor N/A
N/A
1913 Retribution Actor N/A
N/A
1913 Loaded Dice Actor N/A
N/A
1913 Silent Heroes Actor 58
Average
1913 The Gratitude of Wanda Actor N/A
N/A
1913 The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine Actor N/A
N/A
1913 Granddad Actor Mildred's Father 58
Average
1913 The Drummer of the 8th Actor Jack Durand 59
Average
1912 On Secret Service Actor 59
Average

Directing
1961 Journey Beneath the Desert Directing Co-Director 58
Average
1959 The Big Fisherman Directing Director 58
Average
1958 China Doll Directing Director 59
Average
1956 Screen Directors Playhouse: The Day I Met Caruso Directing Director N/A
N/A
1956 The Day I Met Caruso Directing Director N/A
N/A
1956 Screen Directors Playhouse: A Ticket for Thaddeus Directing Director N/A
N/A
1956 A Ticket for Thaddeus Directing Director N/A
N/A
1955 Screen Directors Playhouse: Day is Done Directing Director N/A
N/A
1955 Day is Done Directing Director N/A
N/A
1948 Moonrise Directing Director 59
Average
1947 That's My Man Directing Director 59
Average
1946 Magnificent Doll Directing Director 59
Average
1946 I've Always Loved You Directing Director 58
Average
1945 The Spanish Main Directing Director 59
Average
1944 Till We Meet Again Directing Director 59
Average
1943 His Butler's Sister Directing Director 59
Average
1943 Stage Door Canteen Directing Director 58
Average
1942 Seven Sweethearts Directing Director 59
Average
1942 The Vanishing Virginian Directing Director 59
Average
1941 Smilin' Through Directing Director 59
Average
1941 Billy the Kid Directing Co-Director 58
Average
1940 Flight Command Directing Director 58
Average
1940 The Mortal Storm Directing Director 60
Fair
1940 Strange Cargo Directing Director 59
Average
1940 I Take This Woman Directing Co-Director 59
Average
1939 Disputed Passage Directing Director 59
Average
1938 The Shining Hour Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Three Comrades Directing Director 59
Average
1938 Mannequin Directing Director 59
Average
1937 Big City Directing Director 59
Average
1937 History Is Made at Night Directing Director 59
Average
1937 Green Light Directing Director 59
Average
1936 Hearts Divided Directing Director 58
Average
1936 Desire Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Shipmates Forever Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Stranded Directing Director 59
Average
1935 Living on Velvet Directing Director 59
Average
1934 Flirtation Walk Directing Director 58
Average
1934 Little Man, What Now? Directing Director 58
Average
1934 No Greater Glory Directing Director 59
Average
1933 Man's Castle Directing Director 59
Average
1933 Secrets Directing Director 58
Average
1932 A Farewell to Arms Directing Director 59
Average
1932 Young America Directing Director 58
Average
1932 After Tomorrow Directing Director 59
Average
1931 Bad Girl Directing Director 58
Average
1931 Young as You Feel Directing Director N/A
N/A
1931 Doctors' Wives Directing Director N/A
N/A
1930 Liliom Directing Director 59
Average
1930 Song o' My Heart Directing Director 58
Average
1929 The River Directing Director 59
Average
1929 They Had to See Paris Directing Director 58
Average
1929 Lucky Star Directing Director 60
Fair
1928 Street Angel Directing Director 60
Fair
1927 7th Heaven Directing Director 61
Fair
1926 Marriage License? Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The Dixie Merchant Directing Director N/A
N/A
1926 The First Year Directing Director N/A
N/A
1925 Lazybones Directing Director 59
Average
1925 The Circle Directing Director 58
Average
1925 Daddy's Gone A-Hunting Directing Director 58
Average
1925 The Lady Directing Director 58
Average
1924 Secrets Directing Director 59
Average
1923 The Age of Desire Directing Director N/A
N/A
1923 Children of Dust Directing Director N/A
N/A
1923 The Nth Commandment Directing Director 58
Average
1922 The Pride of Palomar Directing Director 59
Average
1922 The Valley of Silent Men Directing Director 59
Average
1922 The Good Provider Directing Director N/A
N/A
1922 Billy Jim Directing Director N/A
N/A
1922 Back Pay Directing Director 59
Average
1921 Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford Directing Director N/A
N/A
1920 Humoresque Directing Director 59
Average
1919 Prudence on Broadway Directing Director N/A
N/A
1919 Whom the Gods Would Destroy Directing Director N/A
N/A
1919 Toton Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 The Atom Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 The Ghost Flower Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 Society for Sale Directing Director N/A
N/A
1918 The Gun Woman Directing Director N/A
N/A
1917 Until They Get Me Directing Director 58
Average
1917 Flying Colors Directing Director N/A
N/A
1916 Land O' Lizards Directing Director N/A
N/A
1916 The Courtin' of Calliope Clew Directing Director N/A
N/A
1916 Nugget Jim's Pardner Directing Director 58
Average
1916 The Pilgrim Directing Director 58
Average
1916 A Flickering Light Directing Director N/A
N/A
1916 The Silken Spider Directing Director N/A
N/A
1916 Life's Harmony Directing Director N/A
N/A
1915 The Pitch o' Chance Directing Director 58
Average

Writing
1938 Mannequin Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1916 Nugget Jim's Pardner Writing Writer 58
Average

Production
1958 China Doll Production Producer 59
Average
1947 That's My Man Production Producer 59
Average
1946 I've Always Loved You Production Producer 58
Average
1945 The Spanish Main Production Producer 59
Average
1943 Stage Door Canteen Production Producer 58
Average
1942 Seven Sweethearts Production Producer 59
Average
1941 Smilin' Through Production Producer 59
Average
1940 The Mortal Storm Production Producer 60
Fair
1940 Strange Cargo Production Producer 59
Average
1938 The Shining Hour Production Producer 59
Average
1938 Mannequin Production Producer 59
Average
1937 Green Light Production Producer 59
Average
1936 Hearts Divided Production Producer 58
Average
1936 Desire Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Stranded Production Producer 59
Average
1935 Living on Velvet Production Producer 59
Average
1934 Flirtation Walk Production Producer 58
Average
1934 No Greater Glory Production Producer 59
Average
1933 Man's Castle Production Producer 59
Average
1932 A Farewell to Arms Production Producer 59
Average
1930 Song o' My Heart Production Producer 58
Average
1925 Lazybones Production Producer 59
Average
1923 The Nth Commandment Production Producer 58
Average