David Lean facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir David Lean CBE
Lean in 1952
Born	(1908-03-25)25 March 1908 Croydon, Surrey, England
Died	16 April 1991(1991-04-16) (aged 83) Limehouse, London, England
Resting place	Putney Vale Cemetery, London, England
Occupation	Film director, film producer, screenwriter, film editor
Years active	1930–1991
Spouse(s)	Isabel Lean ​ ​ (m. 1930; div. 1936)​ Kay Walsh ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1949)​ Ann Todd ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1957)​ Leila Matkar ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1978)​ Sandra Hotz ​ ​ (m. 1981; div. 1984)​ Sandra Cooke ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	Peter Lean

Sir David Lean (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was a famous English filmmaker. He was a director, producer, writer, and editor. Many people think he was one of the most important people in British movies.

Lean directed huge, exciting films called epics. Some of his most famous movies include The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), Lawrence of Arabia (1962), and Doctor Zhivago (1965). He also made movies based on two classic books by Charles Dickens: Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). Another well-known film he directed was the romantic drama Brief Encounter (1945).

David Lean started his career in the early 1930s as a film editor. He began directing movies in 1942 with In Which We Serve. This was the first of four films he made with writer Noël Coward. Later, he started making bigger, international films with money from Hollywood studios. His film Ryan's Daughter (1970) was not very popular with critics, so he took a long break from filmmaking.

In 1984, Lean made a comeback with A Passage to India. This movie was based on a novel by E. M. Forster. It was a big hit with critics, but it was the last film Lean ever directed. Many famous directors today, like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, admire David Lean's work. He won the Academy Award for Best Director twice and has many of his films listed among the greatest British films ever made.

Early Life and First Steps in Film

David Lean was born on 25 March 1908 in Croydon, England. His parents were Quakers, a type of Christian group. He went to a Quaker school called Leighton Park School. David was not a very strong student and was often described as a "dud." He left school at 18 and started working for his father's accounting company.

A very important moment for his future career happened when he was ten. His uncle gave him a Brownie box camera. David loved it! He learned to print and develop his own photos. This hobby was a big part of his early life and helped him discover his passion for images.

Becoming a Film Editor

David Lean found his accounting job very boring. He spent every evening at the cinema. In 1927, he decided to look for a job he would enjoy. He visited Gaumont Studios and showed so much excitement that they gave him a one-month trial without pay.

He started as a "teaboy," bringing tea to everyone. Then he became a "clapperboy," holding the clapperboard to help sync sound and picture. Soon, he moved up to "third assistant director." By 1930, he was working as an editor for newsreels, which were short films showing news events before movies.

Lean then started editing longer feature films. He worked on movies like Pygmalion (1938) and Major Barbara (1941). He also edited films for famous directors like Powell and Pressburger. By 1942, he had edited more than two dozen movies. Many people in the film industry believe that working as an editor is one of the best ways to learn how to direct.

Directing British Classics

David Lean's first directing job was with Noël Coward on the film In Which We Serve (1942). After this, he turned several of Coward's plays into successful movies. These included This Happy Breed (1944), Blithe Spirit (1945), and Brief Encounter (1945).

Brief Encounter is about two people, played by Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard, who fall in love even though they are both married. It shows their secret passion and the challenges they face. This film won an award at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival. It also earned Lean his first nominations for directing and writing at the Academy Awards. It is now considered one of the most important British films ever made.

Lean then directed two very popular films based on books by Charles Dickens: Great Expectations (1946) and Oliver Twist (1948). These films are known for their excellent casting. Oliver Twist faced some challenges when it was released in the United States because of how the character Fagin was shown. The movie had to be cut before it could be shown to audiences there.

These two Dickens films were the first where Lean worked with actor Alec Guinness. Lean thought Guinness was his "good luck charm." Lean also directed three films with actress Ann Todd, who later became his third wife.

Making International Epics

In 1955, David Lean made Summertime, which was a new kind of film for him. It was partly paid for by American companies. The movie stars Katharine Hepburn as an American woman who finds romance while on vacation in Venice, Italy. Lean filmed the entire movie in Venice. Even though he is known for his huge epic films, Summertime was actually his personal favorite. He also said Katharine Hepburn was his favorite actress to work with.

Working with Sam Spiegel and Columbia Pictures

Lean's films started to become less frequent but much bigger. They were also released all over the world.

• The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957): This film is based on a book about British and American prisoners of war during Second World War. They are forced to build a bridge in a Japanese prison camp. The movie stars William Holden and Alec Guinness. It was the highest-earning film of 1957 in the United States. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Lean. Alec Guinness also won Best Actor for his role as a British commander.

• Lawrence of Arabia (1962): After filming in many different countries, Lean's Lawrence of Arabia was released. This was the first film where Lean worked with writer Robert Bolt. The movie tells the story of T. E. Lawrence, a British officer who helps unite Arab tribes to fight in World War I. Alec Guinness appeared in his fourth Lean film as Prince Faisal. The music, by Maurice Jarre, won an Oscar. The film made actor Peter O'Toole a global star. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Lean's second Oscar for Best Director. He is the only British director to win more than one Oscar for directing.

Working with MGM

• Doctor Zhivago (1965): This was Lean's biggest success at the box office. It is a love story set during the Russian Revolution. The film is based on a book by Boris Pasternak. It tells the story of a doctor and poet, played by Omar Sharif, who falls in love with a woman named Lara, played by Julie Christie. They try to be together during the chaos of the revolution. The movie's beautiful music, especially "Lara's Theme," became a famous song. As of 2020, it is one of the highest-earning films of all time when you adjust for inflation.

• Ryan's Daughter (1970): This film is a romance set in Ireland in 1916. It is about a young wife, played by Sarah Miles, who falls in love with someone else. The movie did not get as many good reviews as Lean's earlier films. Some critics felt the story was too small for such a huge, visually grand movie. However, it was still a success at the box office. It won two Academy Awards, including one for supporting actor John Mills. The negative reviews for Ryan's Daughter made Lean feel very sad and unsure about making more films for a long time.

Later Years and Unfinished Projects

After Ryan's Daughter, David Lean took a long break from directing. He spent many years planning new film projects that, sadly, never got made.

From 1977 to 1980, Lean worked on a film about the Mutiny on the Bounty. This famous story is about a rebellion on a ship. He wanted to make it into two movies, but he couldn't find enough money. The project faced more problems when his writer, Robert Bolt, became ill. Lean eventually had to leave the project. The film was later made by another director as The Bounty.

Lean then started working on a film he had wanted to make since 1960: A Passage to India (1984). This movie was based on a 1924 book about conflicts during British rule in India. He filmed it entirely in India. This became his last finished movie. Lean wrote the script himself and also edited the film. He worked with many of his long-time friends and colleagues, including Maurice Jarre for the music and Alec Guinness in his sixth and final role for Lean. The film received excellent reviews and was nominated for eleven Academy Awards. Lean himself was nominated for three Oscars for directing, editing, and writing.

In his last years, Lean was planning a film version of Joseph Conrad's book Nostromo. He gathered a cast of famous actors like Marlon Brando and Peter O'Toole. Steven Spielberg was also involved as a producer. However, after many changes to the script and disagreements, Lean passed away from throat cancer before filming could begin. He was 83 years old. The Nostromo project was later made into a TV series in 1997.

Personal Life and Achievements

David Lean lived in Limehouse, East London, for a long time. He was married six times and had one son, Peter. He was survived by his last wife, Sandra Cooke.

Lean received many honors for his work. He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1953. In 1984, he was knighted, which means he was given the title "Sir" for his important contributions to the arts. He also received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1990, which is a very high honor in the film world.

In 1999, the British Film Institute made a list of the Top 100 British films. Seven of David Lean's films were on this list:

• Brief Encounter (#2)
• Lawrence of Arabia (#3)
• Great Expectations (#5)
• The Bridge on the River Kwai (#11)
• Doctor Zhivago (#27)
• Oliver Twist (#46)
• In Which We Serve (#92)

His films also appeared on the American Film Institute's list of 100 greatest American movies. Lawrence of Arabia was 5th, The Bridge on the River Kwai was 13th, and Doctor Zhivago was 39th.

David Lean directed more films that won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography (for best camera work) than any other director. He won five times for films like Great Expectations, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, and Ryan's Daughter.

He passed away in London on April 16, 1991, at the age of 83. He is buried at Putney Vale Cemetery.

Lean's Unique Style

David Lean's films are often admired by other directors because they show off the art of filmmaking. People often talk about his amazing editing skills and how he used film to create powerful effects.

Steven Organ, who wrote about Lean, said that Lean's films often balanced being popular with being artistic. He believed that watching a Lean film was like seeing all the tools a filmmaker could use, used to their fullest. Lean understood that to tell a story well in a movie, you need a great script, careful editing, dramatic shots, and good sound. He paid attention to every detail.

Common Themes in His Movies

Many of Lean's films show characters who try to go beyond the normal limits of everyday life. Their personal stories are often shaped by big historical events happening around them. Lean also used the movie's setting as an important part of the story, almost like another character.

Lean's characters often refuse to give up, even when their hopes don't come true. They try to change their lives and reach a higher or nobler way of living, even if they sometimes fail. For example, characters like Pip in Great Expectations and T. E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia fight against their own limits to achieve something great.

Lean was known for being a perfectionist. Another director, Claude Chabrol, once said that he and Lean were the only directors who would wait "forever" for the perfect sunset. But Chabrol meant days, while Lean meant months!

His Lasting Impact

Many famous directors today, like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, are big fans of David Lean's epic films. They say he was one of their main inspirations. Spielberg and Scorsese even helped restore Lawrence of Arabia in 1989. This restoration brought Lean's films back into the spotlight and reminded everyone of his talent.

Other directors who have said Lean influenced them include Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, Spike Lee, and Guillermo del Toro. Even more recently, director Joe Wright (who made Pride & Prejudice) has said that Lean's movies, especially Doctor Zhivago, were very important to his own work.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Lean in Northern Finland in 1965 while shooting Doctor Zhivago

See also

In Spanish: David Lean para niños