Frank Borzage

Frank Borzage

  • Birthday: 1894-04-23
  • Deathday: 1962-06-19
  • Place of birth: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
  • Also know as: Mr. 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.

Filmography

The Pitch o' Chance

1915

As Rocky Scott

The Pilgrim

1916

As The Pilgrim

Land O' Lizards

1916

As The Stranger

The Tavern Keeper's Son

1915

As Juan Capella

The Secret of Lost River

1915

As Tom Hornby - Prospector

A Mormon Maid

1917

As Tom Rigdon

In the Switch Tower

1915

As Joel Wharton

Wee Lady Betty

1917

As Roger O'Reilly

The Panther

1914

As David Brandt

In the Land of the Otter

1915

As Joe Eagle

The Wrath of the Gods

1914

As Tom Wilson

Granddad

1913

As Mildred's Father

The Drummer of the 8th

1913

As Jack Durand

The Typhoon

1914

As Renard Bernisky

Knight of the Trail

1915

As Bill Carey

Loaded Dice

1913

As

Fear Not

1917

As Franklin Shirley

The Cup of Life

1915

As Dick Ralston

Retribution

1913

As

Samson

1914

As Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited)

Jeanne Eagels

1957

As Self (uncredited)

Murnau, Borzage and Fox

2008

As Himself (archival footage) (uncredited)

Production

The Mortal Storm

1940

As Director

A Farewell to Arms

1932

As Director

History is Made at Night

1937

As Director

Mannequin

1938

As Director

Street Angel

1928

As Director

Moonrise

1948

As Director

Lazybones

1925

As Director

His Butler's Sister

1943

As Director

Stage Door Canteen

1943

As Director

Strange Cargo

1940

As Director

Big City

1937

As Director

7th Heaven

1927

As Director

Flirtation Walk

1934

As Director

Bad Girl

1931

As Director

Desire

1936

As Director

Flight Command

1940

As Director

The Vanishing Virginian

1942

As Director

The Spanish Main

1945

As Director

Seven Sweethearts

1942

As Director

The Circle

1925

As Director

Secrets

1933

As Director

Lucky Star

1929

As Director

After Tomorrow

1932

As Director

Man's Castle

1933

As Director

Three Comrades

1938

As Director

The River

1929

As Director

The Shining Hour

1938

As Director

Liliom

1930

As Director

Smilin' Through

1941

As Director

Green Light

1937

As Director

Disputed Passage

1939

As Director

Till We Meet Again

1944

As Director

No Greater Glory

1934

As Director

I've Always Loved You

1946

As Director

Little Man, What Now?

1934

As Director

China Doll

1958

As Director

Doctors' Wives

1931

As Director

Nugget Jim's Pardner

1916

As Director

Song o' My Heart

1930

As Director

The Lady

1925

As Director

The Big Fisherman

1959

As Director

Stranded

1935

As Director

Secrets

1924

As Director

Hearts Divided

1936

As Director

Humoresque

1920

As Director

Shipmates Forever

1935

As Director

Young America

1932

As Director

Living on Velvet

1935

As Director

Magnificent Doll

1946

As Director

The Pitch o' Chance

1915

As Director

The Pilgrim

1916

As Director

They Had to See Paris

1929

As Director

Until They Get Me

1917

As Director

That's My Man

1947

As Director

The First Year

1926

As Director

The Nth Commandment

1923

As Director

Back Pay

1922

As Director

The Pride of Palomar

1922

As Director

Daddy's Gone A-Hunting

1925

As Director

Life's Harmony

1916

As Director

Society for Sale

1918

As Director

The Gun Woman

1918

As Director

The Age of Desire

1923

As Director

Young as You Feel

1931

As Director

Billy Jim

1922

As Director

The Good Provider

1922

As Director

The Valley of Silent Men

1922

As Director

The Ghost Flower

1918

As Director

Marriage License?

1926

As Director

Land O' Lizards

1916

As Director

Toton

1919

As Director

Prudence on Broadway

1919

As Director

I Take This Woman

1940

As Co-Director

A Ticket for Thaddeus

1956

As Director

The Day I Met Caruso

1956

As Director

Day is Done

1955

As Director

Billy the Kid

1941

As Co-Director

Journey Beneath the Desert

1961

As Co-Director

The Mortal Storm

1940

As Producer

Living on Velvet

1935

As Producer

That's My Man

1947

As Producer

Desire

1936

As Producer

Lazybones

1925

As Producer

The Nth Commandment

1923

As Producer

Mannequin

1938

As Producer

Stranded

1935

As Producer

I've Always Loved You

1946

As Producer

Strange Cargo

1940

As Producer

Song o' My Heart

1930

As Producer

The Spanish Main

1945

As Producer

Seven Sweethearts

1942

As Producer

Smilin' Through

1941

As Producer

Hearts Divided

1936

As Producer

Green Light

1937

As Producer

The Shining Hour

1938

As Producer

Man's Castle

1933

As Producer

A Farewell to Arms

1932

As Producer

No Greater Glory

1934

As Producer

Stage Door Canteen

1943

As Producer

China Doll

1958

As Producer

Flirtation Walk

1934

As Producer

Nugget Jim's Pardner

1916

As Writer

Mannequin

1938

As Screenplay

keyboard_arrow_up