Delbert Mann facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Delbert Mann
Mann directing Heidi (1968)
Born	Delbert Martin Mann Jr. (1920-01-30)January 30, 1920 Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.
Died	November 11, 2007(2007-11-11) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	Vanderbilt University (BA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Director
Years active	1949–1994
Spouse(s)	Ann Caroline Mann ​ ​ (1941⁠–⁠2001)​

Delbert Martin Mann Jr. (born January 30, 1920 – died November 11, 2007) was a famous American director. He directed many movies and television shows. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for his film Marty in 1955. This movie was based on a TV play he had also directed.

From 1967 to 1971, he was the president of the Directors Guild of America. This is a group for directors. In 2002, he received a special award from them. People said Delbert Mann helped bring TV directing styles to the world of movies.

Delbert Mann's Early Life and School

Delbert Martin Mann Jr. was born on January 30, 1920. He was born in Lawrence, Kansas. His parents were Delbert Mann Sr. and Ora Mann. His father taught sociology at the University of Kansas.

In 1926, his family moved around. They lived in Pennsylvania and Chicago. Finally, they settled in Nashville in 1931. His father kept teaching sociology there. His mother was also a schoolteacher.

When Delbert was in high school, he led the drama club. He met Fred Coe, who would later become a TV producer and director. Fred Coe helped Delbert a lot in his career. Delbert Mann studied political science at Vanderbilt University. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1941.

During World War II, Delbert Mann served in the Army Air Corps. He was a B-24 bomber pilot. Later, he worked as an intelligence officer in England. After the war, he went to the Yale School of Drama. There, he earned a master's degree in directing.

His Career in Directing

Directing for Television

Delbert Mann started his directing career at the Town Theatre. This was a community playhouse in Columbia, South Carolina. He worked there from 1947 to 1949. Then, he moved to New York.

In New York, he joined Fred Coe at NBC in 1949. He began as a stage manager and assistant director. Soon, he became a director for The Philco Television Playhouse. This was a popular TV show.

Between 1949 and 1955, Mann directed over 100 live TV dramas. Even after he started making movies, he still directed for TV. He worked on shows like Playhouse 90. He also directed more than 24 TV movies. Some of these include Heidi (1968) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1979).

Directing for Film

Delbert Mann is best known for directing Marty in 1955. This film won him an Oscar. He also directed many other movies.

Some of his other films include:

• The Bachelor Party (1957)
• Separate Tables (1958)
• That Touch of Mink (1962)
• A Gathering of Eagles (1963)
• Dear Heart (1964)
• Kidnapped (1971)

Delbert Mann's Family and Passing

Delbert Mann was married to Ann Caroline Gillespie. They were married from 1942 until her death in 2001. They had four children: Fred, David, Steven, and Susan. Sadly, Susan passed away in a car accident in 1976.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Mann helped the National Student Film Institute. He was also an honorary chairman for a year.

Delbert Mann passed away on November 11, 2007. He was 87 years old. He died from pneumonia at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Filmography

• Marty (1955)
• The Bachelor Party (1957)
• Desire Under the Elms (1958)
• Separate Tables (1958)
• Middle of the Night (1959)
• The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960)
• Lover Come Back (1961)
• The Outsider (1961)
• That Touch of Mink (1962)
• A Gathering of Eagles (1963)
• Dear Heart (1964)
• Quick, Before It Melts (1964)
• Mister Buddwing (1966)
• Fitzwilly (1967)
• The Pink Jungle (1968)
• Heidi (TV adaptation, 1968)
• David Copperfield (1969)
• Jane Eyre (TV adaptation, 1970)
• Kidnapped (1971)
• No Place to Run (1972 TV movie)
• The Man Without a Country (TV adaptation, 1973)
• Birch Interval (1976)
• All Quiet on the Western Front (TV adaptation, 1979)
• Night Crossing (1982)
• The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983 TV movie)
• Love Leads The Way (1984 Disney Channel original film)
• The Last Days of Patton (1986 made-for-television movie)
• Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992 made-for-television movie)
• Incident in a Small Town (1994 made-for-television movie)
• Lily in Winter (1994 TV movie)

See also

In Spanish: Delbert Mann para niños