George Stevens | |
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George Stevens with his Oscar for Giant
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Born |
George Cooper Stevens December 18, 1904 Oakland, California, United States |
Died | March 8, 1975 Lancaster, California, United States |
(aged 70)
Cause of death | Heart attack |
Occupation | director, cinematographer, actor, writer, producer |
Years active | 1915–1970 |
Spouse(s) |
Yvonne Howell (1930–1947) Joan McTavish (1968–1975) |
Children | George Stevens, Jr. |
Awards |
Academy Award for Best Director
Legion of Merit |
Academy Award for Best Director
Legion of Merit
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1954)
National Board of Review Award for Best Director
George Cooper Stevens (December 18, 1904 – March 8, 1975) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer.
Among his most notable films are A Place in the Sun (1951; winner of six Academy Awards including Best Director), Shane (1953; Oscar nominated), Giant (1956; Oscar for Best Director), and The Diary of Anne Frank (1959; nominated for Best Director).
He was born in Oakland, California, and his family included his father Landers Stevens and his mother Georgie Cooper, both stage actors. His uncle was drama critic Ashton Stevens. He also had two brothers, Jack and writer Aston Stevens. He learned about the stage from his parents and worked and toured with them on his path to filmmaking. He broke into the movie business as a cameraman, working on many Laurel and Hardy short films, such as Night Owls (1930). His first feature film was The Cohens and Kellys in Trouble in 1933.