James Ivory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Ivory
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Ivory at the 48th Venice International Film Festival in 1991
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Richard Jerome Hazen
June 7, 1928 Berkeley, California, U.S.
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| Years active | 1953–present |
| Partner(s) | Ismail Merchant (1961–2005; Merchant's death) |
James Francis Ivory (born Richard Jerome Hazen on June 7, 1928) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is famous for making movies that bring classic books to life on the big screen.
He was a main part of a film company called Merchant Ivory Productions. He worked with Indian film producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. This team was known for adapting stories by famous writers like E.M. Forster and Henry James. Their films are celebrated for being elegant, well-made, and having strong characters.
Merchant–Ivory started in 1961 in India. They made films like The Householder (1963) and Shakespeare Wallah (1965). James Ivory later directed many films based on classic novels. Some of these include A Room with a View (1985), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). For these films, he was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Director.
When he was 89 years old, Ivory won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. This was for his work on the movie Call Me by Your Name (2017). Throughout his career, he has won many awards, including three BAFTA Awards. He also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Contents
Early Life and Education
James Ivory was born Richard Jerome Hazen on June 7, 1928, in Berkeley, California. He was adopted soon after birth by Hallie and Edward Ivory. They gave him the name James Francis Ivory. He grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
He studied fine arts at the University of Oregon and graduated in 1951. He then went to the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts. There, he made a short film called Four in the Morning (1953). His master's degree film, Venice: Theme and Variations, was named one of the best non-theatrical films of 1957 by The New York Times. He finished his studies at USC in 1957.
A Career in Filmmaking
Starting Out in Film (1959–1978)
James Ivory met producer Ismail Merchant in New York City in 1959. In 1961, they created their film company, Merchant Ivory Productions. Their professional partnership lasted for 44 years, until Merchant's death in 2005. This long partnership is even in the Guinness Book of World Records for independent cinema.
Together, they made 40 films. Many of these films won important awards like the Oscars and BAFTAs. Novelist Ruth Prawer Jhabvala wrote the screenplays for many of their movies. Ismail Merchant once joked about their team: "It is a strange marriage we have at Merchant Ivory ... I am an Indian Muslim, Ruth is a German Jew, and Jim is a Protestant American. Someone once described us as a three-headed god."
Major Successes (1979–1993)
In 1985, Ivory directed A Room with a View. It was based on a classic novel by E. M. Forster. The film starred young Helena Bonham Carter and famous actors like Maggie Smith and Daniel Day-Lewis. Film critic Roger Ebert loved the movie, calling it "an intellectual film, but intellectual about emotions." The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Director for Ivory.
Ivory then directed another Forster adaptation, Maurice (1987). This romantic drama explored themes of love and acceptance in Edwardian England. It starred James Wilby and Hugh Grant in early roles. Many people found Maurice very important because it showed a kind of love rarely seen on screen at the time. Ivory won the Venice Film Festival's Silver Lion for Best Director for this film.
In 1990, he directed Mr. & Mrs. Bridge. This film was special to Ivory because it was about the kind of world he grew up in. It received an Oscar nomination for its lead actress, Joanne Woodward.
In 1992, Merchant-Ivory made their third Forster film, Howards End. It starred Emma Thompson, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anthony Hopkins. The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Emma Thompson. Ivory received his second Oscar nomination for Best Director.
The next year, they directed The Remains of the Day (1993). It was based on a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro and reunited Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. The story was about a dedicated butler in England before World War II. Critics praised the film, and Ivory received his third Oscar nomination for Best Director.
Later Works and Recent Success (1995–Present)
In 1995, James Ivory directed Jefferson in Paris, starring Nick Nolte. He also directed Surviving Picasso (1996) with Anthony Hopkins as the artist Pablo Picasso. He continued to direct many films, often adapting classic novels.
In 2017, Ivory wrote the screenplay for Call Me by Your Name. This romantic drama was set in Italy in 1983. It tells the story of a 17-year-old boy and a 24-year-old student. Ivory's screenplay won him many awards, including the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. At 89, he became the oldest person to ever win an Oscar in a competitive category.
In 2022, Ivory directed a documentary called A Cooler Climate. This film uses footage he shot during a trip to Afghanistan in 1960. It is considered a very personal film for him. A new documentary about his life and work, James Ivory: In Search of Love and Beauty, was announced in 2023.
Personal Life
James Ivory has shared details about his life in his memoir, Solid Ivory. His long-term partner was Ismail Merchant, with whom he also worked professionally for 44 years.
Awards and Honours
James Ivory has received many awards throughout his career.
- In 1985, A Room with a View was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three. It was also named Best Film by many groups, including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
- In 1987, Maurice won the Silver Lion Award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival.
- In 1992, Howards End was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three, including Best Actress for Emma Thompson. It also won Best Picture at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards.
- In 2017, for Call Me by Your Name, Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He also won the BAFTA Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
- In 2022, Ivory received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 17th Rome Film Festival.
Images for kids
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Ivory at the Venice International Film Festival in 1991
See also
- List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees
