Jean Negulesco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Negulesco
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Jean Negulesco in 1986
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| Born |
Ioan Negulescu
13 March [O.S. 29 February] 1900 |
| Died | 18 July 1993 (aged 93) |
| Occupation | Artist, film director, screenwriter, film producer |
| Years active | 1918–1970 |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
Jean Negulesco (born Ioan Negulescu; 13 March 1900 – 18 July 1993) was a famous Romanian-American film director and writer. He became well-known for his "film noirs," which are dark and moody movies. Later, he directed many popular films. Some of his most famous works include Johnny Belinda (1948), How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), Titanic (1953), and Three Coins in the Fountain (1954).
People called him "the first true master of CinemaScope," which was a special way of filming movies in a very wide screen format.
Contents
Jean Negulesco's Life Story
Growing Up in Romania
Jean Negulesco was born in Craiova, Romania. His father owned a hotel. Jean went to Carol I High School.
When he was 15, he worked in a military hospital during World War I. A famous Romanian musician, George Enescu, came to play music for the injured soldiers. Jean drew a picture of Enescu, who liked it so much he bought it! This made Jean decide he wanted to be a painter. He went on to study art in Bucharest.
In 1920, Jean moved to Paris, France, to study art at the Académie Julian. He even sold one of his paintings to a film director named Rex Ingram.
Moving to America
In 1927, Jean Negulesco visited New York City to show his paintings. He liked it so much that he decided to stay and live there.
Later, he moved to California, which is where Hollywood is located. At first, he continued to work as an artist, painting portraits of people.
He soon became very interested in making movies. He even made his own experimental film called Three and a Day. He wrote, directed, and paid for it himself! Through an actor from his film, Mischa Auer, Jean got a job at a big movie studio called Paramount.
Starting in Hollywood: Paramount
At Paramount, Jean Negulesco helped create the opening scene for a musical movie called Tonight We Sing. He also worked on other films like The Story of Temple Drake and A Farewell to Arms (1932).
He worked hard and moved up, becoming an assistant producer and a second unit director. This meant he helped direct specific parts of movies.
Making a Name: Warner Brothers
In 1940, Negulesco joined Warner Brothers studio. He became well-known there for directing short films. These shorts often featured bands and used cool camera angles, shadows, and silhouettes to make them look dramatic.
His first full-length movie as a director was Singapore Woman (1941). In 1948, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Directing for his work on Johnny Belinda. This is a very important award in the film world.
Big Success at 20th Century Fox
In 1948, Jean Negulesco started working for 20th Century Fox. He was the first director to make two movies using Fox's new CinemaScope technology. These films were How to Marry a Millionaire and Three Coins in the Fountain. How to Marry a Millionaire was even nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Film, another big award.
His 1959 movie The Best of Everything was chosen by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the Top 50 Cult Films of All-Time.
During his time in Hollywood, Jean Negulesco sometimes said he was born on February 29, 1900. He might have said this because birthdays on a leap year day are rare.
He has a special star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6212 Hollywood Boulevard. This is a big honor for people who have made important contributions to entertainment.
His Final Years
From the late 1960s, Jean Negulesco lived in Marbella, Spain. He passed away there in 1993 at the age of 93, due to heart failure. He is buried in the Virgen del Carmen cemetery in Marbella.
Movies Jean Negulesco Directed
Short Films
- Alice in Movieland (1940)
- The Flag of Humanity (1940)
- Joe Reichman and His Orchestra (1940)
- Henry Busse and His Orchestra (1940)
- Skinnay Ennis and His Orchestra (1941)
- The Dog in the Orchard (1941)
- Jan Garber and His Orchestra (1941)
- Cliff Edwards and His Buckaroos (1941)
- Freddie Martin and His Orchestra (1941)
- Marie Green and Her Merry Men (1941)
- Hal Kemp and His Orchestra (1941)
- Those Good Old Days (1941)
- University of Southern California Band and Glee Club (1941)
- Carioca Serenaders (1941)
- At the Stroke of Twelve (1941)
- The Gay Parisian (1941)
- Carl Hoff and His Orchestra (1942)
- Calling All Girls (1942)
- The Playgirls (1942)
- Spanish Fiesta (1942)
- The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (1942)
- Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra (1942)
- The Spirit of Annapolis (1942)
- Six Hits and a Miss (1942)
- United States Marine Band (1942)
- Borrah Minevitch and His Harmonica School (1942)
- The United States Army Air Force Band (1942)
- A Ship Is Born (1942)
- Army Show (1942)
- Ozzie Nelson and His Orchestra (1943)
- Three Cheers for the Girls (1943)
- The All American Bands (1943)
- All Star Melody Masters (1943)
- Childhood Days (1943)
- Hit Parade of the Gay Nineties (1943)
- Women at War (1943)
- Cavalcade of Dance (1943)
- Sweetheart Serenade (1943)
- Food and Magic (1943)
- Over the Wall (1943)
- The Voice That Thrilled the World (1943)
- The United States Service Bands (1943)
- The United States Army Band (1944)
- Roaring Guns (1944)
- Grandfather's Follies (1944)
- South American Sway (1944)
- Listen to the Bands (1944)
- The Dark Wave (1956)
Full-Length Movies
- Crash Donovan (1936)
- City for Conquest (1940) (uncredited)
- Singapore Woman (1941)
- The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)
- The Conspirators (1944)
- Three Strangers (1946)
- Nobody Lives Forever (1946)
- Humoresque (1946)
- Deep Valley (1947)
- Johnny Belinda (1948)
- Road House (1948)
- The Forbidden Street (1949)
- Three Came Home (1950)
- Under My Skin (1950)
- Take Care of My Little Girl (1951)
- The Mudlark (1951)
- Lydia Bailey (1952)
- Lure of the Wilderness (1952)
- O. Henry's Full House (1952) (segment)
- Phone Call from a Stranger (1952)
- Titanic (1953)
- Scandal at Scourie (1953)
- How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
- Three Coins in the Fountain (1954)
- River of No Return (1954) (uncredited)
- Woman's World (1954)
- The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)
- Daddy Long Legs (1955)
- Boy on a Dolphin (1957)
- A Certain Smile (1958)
- The Gift of Love (1958)
- Count Your Blessings (1959)
- The Best of Everything (1959)
- Jessica (1962)
- The Pleasure Seekers (1964)
- The Invincible Six (1970)
- Hello-Goodbye (1970)
Where to Find More About Jean
Many of Jean Negulesco's personal home movies are kept safe by the Academy Film Archive. This archive has saved many of them, including videos taken behind the scenes of his movies.
See also
In Spanish: Jean Negulesco para niños
