Anatole Litvak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anatole Litvak
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| Born |
Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak
10 May 1902 |
| Died | 15 December 1974 (aged 72) Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
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| Citizenship | United States |
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| Years active | 1930–1970 |
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Notable work
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Mayerling, Why We Fight, The Battle of Russia, City for Conquest, The Snake Pit |
| Spouse(s) | Miriam Hopkins (1937–1939) (divorced) Sophie Steur (1955–1974) (his death) |
| Awards | Legion of Honour and Croix de guerre, (France); Order of the British Empire, honorary officer; United States Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal |
Anatole Litvak (born Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak; May 10, 1902 – December 15, 1974) was a famous filmmaker. He was born in Ukraine and later became an American citizen. He wrote, directed, and produced movies in many countries and languages.
Litvak was known for helping lesser-known actors become famous. He also helped several actors win Academy Awards (Oscars). For example, in 1936, he directed Mayerling. This movie made French actors Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux international stars. In 1956, he directed Anastasia, which brought Swedish star Ingrid Bergman back into the spotlight. She won her second Oscar for this film. He also directed Olivia de Havilland in The Snake Pit (1948), earning her an Oscar nomination. Litvak even directed Jean Gabin in his first movie role and Elia Kazan in one of his early acting parts in City for Conquest.
In 1939, Litvak directed Confessions of a Nazi Spy. This film starred Edward G. Robinson and used real news footage of Nazi rallies in the U.S. As a refugee from Nazi Germany, Litvak was one of the few directors who tried to show Hollywood the danger Germany posed to the world.
During World War II, he joined the U.S. Army. He co-directed documentaries with Frank Capra, including the Why We Fight series. His solo-directed film, The Battle of Russia (1943), won many awards and was nominated for an Oscar. Because Litvak could speak Russian, German, and French, he helped supervise the filming of the D-Day Normandy landings. He also filmed air battles with the U.S. Eighth Air Force. He was promoted to colonel by the end of the war for his efforts. He received special awards from France, Britain, and the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Anatoly Mikhailovich Litvak was born in Kyiv, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. He grew up in a Lithuanian Jewish family. The name "Litvak" actually means "Lithuanian" in Yiddish. His family later moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of the Russian Empire. As a teenager, he started working at a theater and took acting lessons.
Litvak began working in film in the 1920s at Nordkino Studios in Leningrad. He was an assistant director for nine silent films. In 1925, he left Russia for Berlin, Germany. He wanted more artistic freedom because Russian theaters were controlled by the government.
Directing Films in Europe
Germany and Early Films
Litvak's first film as a director was the musical Dolly Gets Ahead (1930). He then directed two films starring Lilian Harvey: No More Love (1931) and Calais-Dover (1931).
He directed Lilac (1932) in France. He returned to Germany for The Song of Night (1932), which also had an English version called Tell Me Tonight (1932). He then went to England to direct Sleeping Car (1933).
Moving to France
After Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, Litvak moved to France. Paris became his favorite place to make movies. Thirteen of his thirty-seven films were set there.
He made The Old Devil (1933) and The Crew (1935). Litvak became known for using real locations and documentary-like effects in his films. He also focused on sound effects more than dialogue. He liked to keep the camera moving with tracking shots and pans. He often used crane shots and worked closely with his cameraman to get the shots he wanted.
Mayerling Success
Mayerling (1936) starred French actors Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux. This film made Litvak famous around the world as a producer and director. Critics loved the movie, calling it a "compelling love story" and a "romantic tragedy." It set a new standard for romantic historical films.
Hollywood and World War II Efforts
Directing at Warner Bros
The huge success of Mayerling led Litvak to Hollywood. He signed a four-year contract with Warner Brothers. By the late 1930s, Litvak became one of Hollywood's top directors. He was fortunate to leave France before the Nazi invasion.
He directed films like The Woman I Love (1937) and Tovarich (1937). He also directed The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) and The Sisters (1938), starring Bette Davis and Errol Flynn.
Litvak also directed Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) for Warner Brothers. This film starred Edward G. Robinson as an FBI agent who stops a Nazi spy group. It was released when tensions were rising in Europe due to Nazi expansion. Litvak used real newsreel footage from U.S. Nazi rallies to make the film feel more real. The film was banned in Germany and its allies. It was also banned in neutral countries like Switzerland and Ireland. The filmmakers hoped to warn people in the United States, who wanted to stay out of any "European war."
Biographer Alexander Walker said that Litvak tried to make Hollywood aware of the threat Germany posed. Actress Vivien Leigh recalled that studios were worried about losing money from German audiences. They didn't want to make films that would upset Germany.
After Castle on the Hudson (1940), Litvak produced and directed All This and Heaven Too. This film starred Bette Davis and Charles Boyer. It was nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.
In the same year, he co-produced and directed City for Conquest. This movie starred James Cagney and featured Elia Kazan in an early acting role. The Hollywood Reporter praised Litvak's directing, saying his fight scenes were "terrific" and his pacing was "perfection."
He directed two more films in 1941: Out of the Fog and Blues in the Night. 20th Century Fox then hired him to direct This Above All (1942).
World War II and Why We Fight
Litvak became an American citizen and joined the United States Army when the U.S. entered World War II. During the war, he directed training films and documentaries about the war. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He worked with director Frank Capra on the Why We Fight war training film series. These films often included newsreel footage.
They co-directed films for the series, such as Prelude to War (1942), The Nazis Strike (1943), and Divide and Conquer (1943). Litvak also co-produced and directed The Battle of Russia (1943) by himself. After this film was released, he went to Russia for a special screening for the Russian General Staff. The film showed how bravely the Russian people fought against the Nazis.
Litvak was honored by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin for his work on The Battle of Russia. The film was shown in theaters across Russia. During his trip, Litvak briefly saw his mother in Leningrad for the first time in nearly 20 years. The film won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Documentary in the U.S.
He later directed War Comes to America (1945), the last film in the Why We Fight series. Prelude to War won the Oscar for Best Documentary of 1942. Because Litvak could speak Russian, German, and French, he helped supervise the filming of the D-Day Normandy landings. He also filmed air battles with the U.S. Eighth Air Force.
Litvak ended the war as a full colonel. He received special awards from the governments of France, Britain, and the United States. France gave him the Legion of Honour and the Croix de Guerre. Britain gave him a gold medal and made him an honorary officer of the Order of the British Empire. Winston Churchill ordered all Why We Fight films to be shown in public theaters across Britain. From the U.S., he received the United States Legion of Merit and a Bronze Star Medal.
Post-War Films and European Work
Return to Hollywood
After the war, Litvak returned to filmmaking with The Long Night (1947).
He directed Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster in Sorry, Wrong Number (1948). Many consider Stanwyck's role in this film to be one of her best. Litvak used unique camera techniques to create a tense atmosphere. Stanwyck was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress.
In 1948, Litvak was nominated for a Best Director Oscar for The Snake Pit. This film starred Olivia de Havilland. To prepare for her role as a mental patient, de Havilland and Litvak spent months observing real patients in hospitals.
Filming in Europe
In the 1950s, Litvak started making films in Europe.
In 1951, his war film Decision Before Dawn, filmed in Germany, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. It was Oskar Werner's first acting role in an American film.
He also produced Act of Love (1953) with Kirk Douglas, filmed in Paris. Then came The Deep Blue Sea (1955) with Vivien Leigh, shot in England.
In 1956, he directed Anastasia in Paris. It starred Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, and Helen Hayes. This was Bergman's first U.S. film after being away from Hollywood for seven years. Litvak insisted on her starring in the film, and Bergman won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role.
Litvak directed Mayerling (1957) for television with Audrey Hepburn. Then came The Journey (1959) with Yul Brynner, filmed in Austria.
In 1961, Litvak's Goodbye Again (also starring Ingrid Bergman) was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He reunited with Anthony Perkins in Five Miles to Midnight (1962).
Litvak filmed The Night of the Generals (1967) in France, Germany, and Poland. This movie was about three Nazi Generals suspected of murder. Litvak said he tried to avoid too much color in the film to make it feel more real, especially for a war movie.
His final film was The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun, filmed in parts of France.
Personal Life
In 1937, Litvak married American actress Miriam Hopkins. They divorced in 1939. In 1955, he married model Sophie Steur, and they remained married until his death.
Anatole Litvak passed away in 1974 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris.
For his contributions to the film industry, Anatole Litvak has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6633 Hollywood Blvd.
Filmography
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Images for kids
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Anatole Litvak
