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Frank Borzage

Frank Borzage

Directing

April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962 (died at 68)
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Male
205 Movies
3 TV Shows

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.

The Wrath of the Gods
The Wrath of the Gods

The Wrath of the Gods

1914 6.2

as Tom Wilson

Age 20 (now 68)
A Mormon Maid
A Mormon Maid

A Mormon Maid

1917 5.0

as Tom Rigdon

Age 22 (now 68)
The Pilgrim
The Pilgrim

The Pilgrim

1916 5.2

as The Pilgrim

Age 22 (now 68)
The Drummer of the 8th
The Drummer of the 8th

The Drummer of the 8th

1913 5.8

as Jack Durand

Age 19 (now 68)
Granddad
Granddad

Granddad

1913 5.5

as Mildred's Father

Age 19 (now 68)
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages
Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

1916 7.1

as Extra (uncredited)

Age 22 (now 68)
Nugget Jim's Pardner
Nugget Jim's Pardner

Nugget Jim's Pardner

1916 4.5

as Hal

Age 22 (now 68)
The Pitch o' Chance
The Pitch o' Chance

The Pitch o' Chance

1915 4.5

as Rocky Scott

Age 21 (now 68)
On Secret Service
On Secret Service

On Secret Service

1912 7.0
Age 18 (now 68)
Knight of the Trail
Knight of the Trail

Knight of the Trail

1915 4.8

as Bill Carey

Age 21 (now 68)
7th Heaven
7th Heaven

7th Heaven

1927 7.4

Director

Age 33 (now 68)
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms

1932 6.2

Director

Age 38 (now 68)
A Farewell to Arms
A Farewell to Arms

A Farewell to Arms

1932 6.2

Producer

Age 38 (now 68)
The Mortal Storm
The Mortal Storm

The Mortal Storm

1940 7.3

Director

Age 46 (now 68)
The Mortal Storm
The Mortal Storm

The Mortal Storm

1940 7.3

Producer

Age 46 (now 68)
Moonrise
Moonrise

Moonrise

1948 6.3

Director

Age 54 (now 68)