Clarence Brown facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clarence Brown
Brown in 1922
Born	Clarence Leon Brown (1890-05-10)May 10, 1890 Clinton, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	August 17, 1987(1987-08-17) (aged 97) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Education	Knoxville High School University of Tennessee
Years active	1915–1953
Spouse(s)	Paula Herndon Pratt ​ ​ (m. 1913; div. 1920)​ Ona Wilson ​ ​ (m. 1922; div. 1927)​ Alice Joyce ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1945)​ Marian Spies ​ ​ (m. 1946)​
Children	1

Clarence Leon Brown (May 10, 1890 – August 17, 1987) was an American film director. He was known for directing many popular movies, especially those starring famous actresses like Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford. He was nominated for several Academy Awards for his directing work.

Early Life and First Interests

Clarence Brown was born in Clinton, Massachusetts. When he was 11, his family moved to Tennessee. He attended Knoxville High School and then the University of Tennessee. He graduated from college at age 19 with two degrees in engineering.

At first, Clarence was very interested in automobiles. He worked for a car company and even started his own car dealership in Alabama. But around 1913, he became fascinated by motion pictures. He then got a job at Peerless Studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey. There, he became an assistant to a French director named Maurice Tourneur.

Filmmaking Career

Clarence Brown in 1921

During World War I, Clarence Brown served as a fighter pilot and flight instructor. After the war, he received his first co-directing credit in 1920 for a film called The Great Redeemer. Later that year, he directed a large part of The Last of the Mohicans. This happened after his co-director, Maurice Tourneur, was injured.

In 1924, Brown moved to Universal. Soon after, he joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a very famous film studio. He stayed at MGM until the mid-1950s. At MGM, he became one of the main directors for their biggest female stars. He directed Joan Crawford six times and Greta Garbo seven times.

Clarence Brown was nominated six times for an Academy Award as a director. However, he never won the Best Director Oscar. He did win Best Foreign Film for Anna Karenina at the 1935 Venice International Film Festival. This movie starred Greta Garbo.

Overall, films directed by Brown received a total of 38 Academy Award nominations. They also won nine Oscars. In 1949, Brown won the British Academy Award for his film Intruder in the Dust.

In 1957, Clarence Brown received The George Eastman Award. This award honors people who have made important contributions to the art of film. Brown became a very wealthy man from smart real estate investments. He chose not to watch new movies after he retired. He worried that seeing them might make him want to start directing again.

The Clarence Brown Theater at the University of Tennessee is named in his honor. He holds the record for the most nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director without winning. He was nominated six times.

Personal Life

Clarence Brown was married four times during his life. His first marriage was to Paula Herndon Pratt in 1913. They divorced in 1920 and had one daughter, Adrienne Brown.

His second marriage was to Ona Wilson. This marriage lasted from 1922 until their divorce in 1927.

He later married his third wife, Alice Joyce, in 1933. They divorced in 1945.

His last marriage was to Marian Spies in 1946. They remained married until his death in 1987.

Later Years and Legacy

Clarence Brown passed away in Santa Monica, California, on August 17, 1987. He was 97 years old. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

On February 8, 1960, Clarence Brown received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is located at 1752 Vine Street. It honors his important contributions to the motion picture industry.

Selected Filmography

Journalist Dorothy Thompson with director Clarence Brown (left) and author Louis Bromfield on the set of The Rains Came (1939).

Director

• Trilby (1915)
• The Law of the Land (1917)
• The Blue Bird (1918)
• The Great Redeemer (1920)
• The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
• The Foolish Matrons (1921)
• The Light in the Dark (1922)
• Don't Marry for Money (1923)
• The Acquittal (1923)

See also

In Spanish: Clarence Brown para niños