Frank Borzage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Frank Borzage
|
|
|---|---|
Photoplay Magazine, 1920
|
|
| Born | April 23, 1894 Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
|
| Died | June 19, 1962 (aged 68) Hollywood, California, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Film director, actor |
| Spouse(s) |
Rena Rogers
(m. 1916; div. 1941)Edna Stillwell Skelton
(m. 1945; div. 1949)Juanita |
Frank Borzage (born April 23, 1894 – died June 19, 1962) was an American film director and actor. He won Academy Awards for his work. Borzage is famous for directing movies like 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), and Bad Girl (1931).
Contents
Frank Borzage's Early Life
Frank Borzage's father, Luigi Borzaga, was from a place called Ronzone, which is now in Italy. His mother, Maria Ruegg, was from Switzerland. They met in Switzerland and later moved to the United States. Luigi worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania.
Frank Borzage was born in 1894 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was one of fourteen children, but only eight of them lived past childhood. His family stayed in Salt Lake City until 1919.
Becoming a Film Director
In 1912, Frank Borzage started working as an actor in Hollywood. He acted in films until 1917. His first time directing a movie was in 1915 with a film called The Pitch o' Chance.
Borzage became a very successful director in the 1920s. He was especially good during the time when silent movies were ending and sound movies were beginning. He developed a unique style of making romantic films that looked beautiful. He made many popular movies starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell.
He won his first Academy Award for Best Director for the movie 7th Heaven in 1927. He won a second Oscar for his film Bad Girl in 1931.
Frank Borzage directed many films, even 14 movies between 1917 and 1919 alone. One of his biggest successes in the silent movie era was Humoresque (1920).
His movies often showed young lovers facing tough times. But in his films, love always won over challenges. These challenges included World War I (in 7th Heaven and A Farewell to Arms), disabilities (in Lucky Star), and even the Great Depression (in Man's Castle). He also made films that talked about the rise of Nazism, like The Mortal Storm (1940).
Later in his career, some of his films focused on spiritual themes. One of his later movies, Moonrise (1948), is still praised by critics today.
After 1948, he directed fewer films.
Awards and Recognition
Frank Borzage received the George Eastman Award in 1955 and 1957. This award is given for important contributions to the art of film.
In 1960, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in the film industry. His star is located on Hollywood Boulevard.
In February 1962, he received the D. W. Griffith Award. He was also an important member of the Directors Guild of America.
Frank Borzage's Personal Life
Frank Borzage was married several times. He first married Lorena "Rena" Rogers in 1916. Later, he married Edna Stillwell Skelton in 1945. At the time of his death, he was married to Juanita.
He was also a very active sportsman. He enjoyed playing polo and golf, and he was a yachtsman, which means he enjoyed sailing.
Frank Borzage passed away from cancer in 1962 when he was 68 years old. He was buried in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
Selected Filmography
Director
- The Battle of Gettysburg (1913)
- Granddad (1913)
- The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine (1913)
- The Gratitude of Wanda (1913)
- The Geisha (1914)
- Samson (1914)
- The Wrath of the Gods (1914)
- The Typhoon (1914)
- Knight of the Trail (1915)
- The Pitch o' Chance (1915)
- The Pride and the Man (1916)
- Dollars of Dross (1916)
- Life's Harmony (1916)
- The Silken Spider (1916)
- The Code of Honor (1916)
- Two Bits (1916)
- A Flickering Light (1916)
- Unlucky Luke (1916)
- Jack (1916)
- The Pilgrim (1916)
- The Demon of Fear (1916)
- The Quicksands of Deceit (1916)
- Nugget Jim's Pardner (1916)
- That Gal of Burke's (1916)
- The Courtin' of Calliope Clew (1916)
- Nell Dale's Men Folks (1916)
- The Forgotten Prayer (1916)
- Matchin' Jim (1916)
- Land o' Lizards (1916)
- Immediate Lee (1916)
- Flying Colors (1917)
- Until They Get Me (1917)
- A Mormon Maid (1917)
- Wee Lady Betty (1917)
- The Gun Woman (1918)
- The Curse of Iku (1918)
- The Shoes That Danced (1918)
- Innocent's Progress (1918)
- Society for Sale (1918)
- An Honest Man (1918)
- Who Is to Blame? (1918)
- The Ghost Flower (1918)
- The Atom (1918)
- Toton the Apache (1919)
- Whom the Gods Would Destroy (1919)
- Prudence on Broadway (1919)
- Humoresque (1920)
- Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1921)
- The Duke of Chimney Butte (1921)
- Back Pay (1922)
- Billy Jim (1922)
- The Good Provider (1922)
- The Valley of Silent Men (1922)
- The Pride of Palomar (1922)
- The Nth Commandment (1923)
- Children of Dust (1923)
- The Age of Desire (1923)
- Secrets (1924)
- The Lady (1925)
- Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1925)
- The Circle (1925)
- Lazybones (1925)
- Wages for Wives (1925)
- The First Year (1926)
- The Dixie Merchant (1926)
- Early to Wed (1926)
- Marriage License? (1926)
- 7th Heaven (1927)
- Street Angel (1928)
- Lucky Star (1929)
- They Had to See Paris (1929)
- The River (1929)
- Song o' My Heart (1930)
- Liliom (1930)
- Doctors' Wives (1931)
- Young as You Feel (1931)
- Bad Girl (1931)
- After Tomorrow (1932)
- Young America (1932)
- A Farewell to Arms (1932)
- Secrets (1933)
- Man's Castle (1933)
- No Greater Glory (1934)
- Little Man, What Now? (1934)
- Flirtation Walk (1934)
- Living on Velvet (1935)
- Stranded (1935)
- Shipmates Forever (1935)
- Desire (1936)
- Hearts Divided (1936)
- Green Light (1937)
- History Is Made at Night (1937)
- Big City (1937)
- Mannequin (1937)
- Three Comrades (1938)
- The Shining Hour (1938)
- Disputed Passage (1939)
- I Take This Woman (1940)
- Strange Cargo (1940)
- The Mortal Storm (1940)
- Flight Command (1940)
- Billy the Kid (1941)
- Smilin' Through (1941)
- The Vanishing Virginian (1942)
- Seven Sweethearts (1942)
- Stage Door Canteen (1943)
- His Butler's Sister (1943)
- Till We Meet Again (1944)
- The Spanish Main (1945)
- I've Always Loved You (1946)
- Magnificent Doll (1946)
- That's My Man (1947)
- Moonrise (1948)
- China Doll (1958)
- The Big Fisherman (1959)
- Journey Beneath the Desert (1961)
Actor
- The Battle of Gettysburg (1913) - Minor Role (uncredited)
- The Gratitude of Wanda (1913, Short)
- Samson (1914) - Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited)
- The Wrath of the Gods (1914) - Tom Wilson
- The Typhoon (1914) - Renard Bernisky
- The Cup of Life (1915) - Dick Ralston
- Intolerance (1916) - Minor Role (uncredited)
- Land o' Lizards (1916) - The Stranger
- Immediate Lee (1916) - Immediate Lee
- The Pride and the Man (1916)
- A School for Husbands (1917) - Hugh Aslam
- A Mormon Maid (1917) - Tom Rigdon
- Wee Lady Betty (1917) - Roger O'Reilly]]
- Flying Colors (1917) - (uncredited)
- Fear Not (1917) - Franklin Shirley
- The Gun Woman (1918) - Townsman (uncredited)
- The Curse of Iku (1918) - Allan Carroll / Allan Carroll III
- The Atom (1918)
- Jeanne Eagels (1957) - Director Frank Borzage (uncredited) (final film role)
See also
In Spanish: Frank Borzage para niños
