Charles Guggenheim facts for kids

Charles Eli Guggenheim (born March 31, 1924 – died October 9, 2002) was an American filmmaker. He was famous for directing, producing, and writing documentary films. Charles Guggenheim won four Oscars during his career. He was nominated for twelve Oscars in total. This made him one of the most celebrated documentary filmmakers in history.

Early Life and Education

Charles Guggenheim was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. His family was of German-Jewish background. His father and grandfather owned a furniture business. As a child, Charles had dyslexia, which made reading difficult. It was not diagnosed then, so people thought he was a "slow learner." He did not learn to read until he was nine years old.

In 1943, while studying farming, Charles was drafted into the United States Army. He was part of the 106th Division. He avoided fighting in the Battle of the Bulge because of a serious foot infection. After leaving the army, he finished college at the University of Iowa in 1948. Then, he moved to New York City to start a career in broadcasting.

A Career in Film

Charles Guggenheim's first job was at CBS, a big television network. There, he learned about film and how to tell stories. Later, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri. He became the director of KETC, one of the first public television stations in the country. Public TV stations are supported by the public and show educational programs.

In 1954, Guggenheim started his own film company. It was called Charles Guggenheim and Associates. His first major film was The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery (1959). In 1956, he created the first political advertisement ever shown on television. It was for a candidate named Adlai Stevenson II.

In the early 1960s, Charles Guggenheim worked with Shelby Storck. They made several documentaries together. Many of these films were nominated for or won Academy Awards. Guggenheim won his first Oscar in 1965 for Nine from Little Rock. This short documentary was about the effort to end segregation in schools in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957.

In 1966, Guggenheim moved his company and family to Washington, D.C.. He became an advisor for many Democratic politicians. He worked on four presidential campaigns. He also helped with hundreds of campaigns for governors and senators. He also directed documentaries for the US Information Agency.

Remembering Robert F. Kennedy

Charles Guggenheim worked on Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign. After Senator Kennedy was sadly killed, his family asked Guggenheim for help. They wanted a film tribute for the 1968 Chicago Convention. Guggenheim finished the film, Robert Kennedy Remembered, in less than two months. When it was shown at the convention, the whole hall became silent for twenty minutes. This powerful film won an Oscar in 1969.

Focus on Documentaries

Even though he sometimes made political films, Guggenheim mostly focused on documentaries. In the early 1980s, he stopped making political campaign ads. He said, "If you play the piano in a house full of ill repute, it doesn't matter how well you play the piano." This meant he felt that making political ads was not the best use of his talent.

He won two more Oscars for short documentaries. These were for The Johnstown Flood (1989) and A Time for Justice (1995). He received twelve Oscar nominations in total during his career.

His last documentary was Berga: Soldiers of Another War (2003). He made this film with his daughter, Grace Guggenheim. It told the little-known story of 350 American soldiers. They were captured by the Nazis during the Battle of the Bulge. Because they were Jewish, or looked Jewish to the Nazis, they were sent to a forced labor camp. There, they worked alongside other prisoners. Charles Guggenheim himself was Jewish and had been in the 106th Division. He was left behind due to a leg infection, which saved him from being captured.

Charles Guggenheim finished this film six weeks before he passed away. He died in October 2002 from pancreatic cancer.

Personal Life

Charles Guggenheim married Marion Streett in 1957. They had three children: Davis, Grace, and Jonathan. His son, Davis, also became a documentary filmmaker. Davis won an Oscar in 2007 for his documentary An Inconvenient Truth.

Honors and Legacy

Charles Guggenheim is honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. His films and other materials are kept at the Academy Film Archive and the Margaret Herrick Library.

Filmography

Here are some of the films Charles Guggenheim directed or produced:

• A City Decides, 1956 (nominated for an Oscar)
• An American Museum, 1959
• The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery, 1959 (a fictional drama)
• United in Progress, 1962
• Nine from Little Rock, 1964 (won an Oscar)
• Children Without, 1964 (nominated for an Oscar)
• Monument to the Dream, 1967 (nominated for an Oscar)
• Robert Kennedy Remembered, 1968 (won an Oscar)
• The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America, 1982 (producer only, nominated for an Oscar)
• High Schools, 1984 (nominated for an Oscar)
• The Making of Liberty, 1986
• The Johnstown Flood, 1989 (won an Oscar)
• A Time for Justice, 1994 (won an Oscar)
• D-Day Remembered, 1994 (nominated for an Oscar)
• The Shadow of Hate, 1995 (nominated for an Oscar)
• A Place in the Land, 1998 (nominated for an Oscar)

See also

• Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award