John Guillermin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Guillermin
John Guillermin in 1970
Born	Yvon Jean Guillermin (1925-11-11)11 November 1925 London, England
Died	27 September 2015(2015-09-27) (aged 89) Topanga, California, U.S.
Nationality	French-British
Occupation	Film director, producer and screenwriter
Years active	1947–1988
Spouse(s)	Maureen Connell (m. 1956⁠–⁠1999) Mary Guillermin (m. 1999⁠–⁠2015)
Children	2
Relatives	Myles Connell (cousin) (b. 1963) Greer King (niece) (b. 1998) Grace Connell (first-cousin once removed) (b. 2004) A.C. Maeve Connell (first-cousin once removed) (b. 2006)

John Guillermin (born November 11, 1925 – died September 27, 2015) was a talented French-British film director, writer, and producer. He was especially known for making exciting, action-packed adventure movies with big budgets.

Some of his most famous films include I Was Monty's Double (1958), Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959), The Blue Max (1966), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), The Towering Inferno (1974), and King Kong (1976). He also directed Death on the Nile (1978) and Sheena (1984).

John Guillermin was known for being a perfectionist. He paid close attention to every detail in his films. He was also praised for his ability to film both small, personal moments and huge action scenes.

Early Life and Film Dreams

John Guillermin was born Yvon Jean Guillermin in London, England, on November 11, 1925. His parents, Joseph and Geneviève, were from France. His father worked in the perfume business.

John grew up in Purley, Surrey, and went to St Anne's School for Boys. He later studied at St John's Secondary School For Boys and the City of London School.

At 17, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1942, even though he was too young. He studied at the University of Cambridge and became a British citizen when he was 18. He also learned to fly planes in Arizona, USA.

Guillermin wanted to be a director since he was seven years old, after seeing the movie Treasure Island. After leaving the Royal Air Force at 22, he started his directing career in France. He made documentaries, some for his father's perfume company.

He often used a special camera technique called "handheld camera." This made scenes feel more real and exciting. He was also good at showing how people and places connected in his films.

Starting in British Films

In 1948, John Guillermin moved back to London. He started a small film company called Advent Films with Robert Jordan Hill. They produced Bless 'Em All (1948).

They also wrote and produced two films with actor Ben Wrigley: Melody in the Dark (1949) and High Jinks in Society (1949). Guillermin then wrote and directed Torment (1950), a thriller. In 1950, he traveled to Hollywood to learn more about filmmaking.

Working with Vandyke Productions

Guillermin made several movies for Vandyke Productions, a company that made lower-budget films. These included thrillers like Smart Alec (1951) and Four Days (1951). He also directed comedies such as Two on the Tiles (1951) and Song of Paris (1952).

He directed Miss Robin Hood (1952), a comedy starring Margaret Rutherford. He also co-directed Strange Stories (1953). He even directed episodes for the TV series Your Favorite Story (1953).

Guillermin then directed Operation Diplomat (1953), a thriller. This film was praised for being very well-directed, with every scene and detail carefully planned.

He also made Adventure in the Hopfields (1954) for the Children's Film Foundation. His film The Crowded Day (1954) was a drama about shop girls. As television became more popular, Guillermin directed episodes for TV shows like The Adventures of Aggie (1956–57) and Sailor of Fortune (1957–58).

Breakthrough Films

Guillermin returned to making feature films with Thunderstorm (1956). His big breakthrough came with Town on Trial (1957). This movie starred John Mills as a detective solving a murder in a small town.

He then directed I Was Monty's Double (1958), a story about a real-life spy operation during World War II. He also directed The Whole Truth (1958), a thriller.

Tarzan and Other Adventures

John Guillermin was chosen to help make the Tarzan movies exciting again. He directed Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959), which many consider one of the best Tarzan films.

He then directed The Day They Robbed the Bank of England (1960), a heist film. For Independent Artists, he made the crime thriller Never Let Go (1960), which he also helped write. He reunited with actor Peter Sellers for Waltz of the Toreadors (1962), which was very popular.

In between these films, he directed another successful Tarzan movie, Tarzan Goes to India (1962).

Working with 20th Century Fox

Guillermin directed Guns at Batasi (1964), an adventure-drama about the end of British rule in some countries. The head of 20th Century Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck, was very impressed with Guillermin's work. He signed Guillermin to direct two more films.

These films were Rapture (1965) and The Blue Max (1966). The Blue Max was an expensive movie about pilots in World War I. It was a huge success. Actor George Peppard said working with Guillermin was a very exciting and creative experience.

Hollywood Career and Blockbusters

After his success, Guillermin moved to Hollywood. He directed P.J. (1968) and House of Cards (1968), both starring George Peppard.

He then directed The Bridge at Remagen (1969), a World War II movie filmed in Czechoslovakia. This was a challenging film to make. He also directed El Condor (1970), a Western.

Guillermin returned to MGM to direct Skyjacked (1972), a popular thriller starring Charlton Heston. He also directed Shaft in Africa (1973).

Directing The Towering Inferno

He had a massive hit with The Towering Inferno (1974), a disaster movie. This film was very successful and brought him a lot of attention.

Bringing King Kong to Life

John Guillermin was chosen to direct the remake of King Kong (1976). Many other famous directors had turned down the job. Producer Dino De Laurentis believed in Guillermin's talent.

Guillermin wanted to bring back the magical feeling of the original King Kong movie he loved as a child. He aimed to tell a sincere story about "beauty and the beast" while updating it for modern audiences.

The film starred Jeff Bridges. Making King Kong was difficult, but Guillermin was proud of the final movie. He said he had been directing for 27 years and was ready for such a big project.

After King Kong, he directed the all-star film Death on the Nile (1978), filmed in Egypt. He also directed the Canadian horror film Mr. Patman (1980).

Later Films

Later in his career, Guillermin directed two more films related to King Kong: Sheena (1984) and King Kong Lives (1986). Actress Tanya Roberts, who starred in Sheena, said Guillermin pushed actors to give their best performances.

During the making of Sheena, Guillermin's son, Michael-John, sadly died in a car accident. This made filming King Kong Lives very difficult for him.

His last film was The Tracker (1988), a TV Western starring Kris Kristofferson. He also worked on the TV series La Révolution française: Les Années lumière (1989).

His Directing Style

John Guillermin was known for being a very demanding director. He would film scenes many times to get them exactly right. He often used unusual camera angles and handheld camera shots, which made his films feel very dynamic.

People who worked with him described him as a perfectionist. He was very focused on getting realistic action and was a master at setting up camera shots.

Producer David L. Wolper, who worked with Guillermin on The Bridge at Remagen, found him challenging but acknowledged his skill. Editor Ralph E. Winters, who worked on King Kong, also noted Guillermin's intensity but later received a compliment from him on his work.

Actor Charlton Heston called Guillermin an "imaginative and skillful director." Guillermin believed in the power of exciting films on a big screen.

Personal Life and Passing

On July 20, 1956, John Guillermin married actress and author Maureen Connell. They had two children, Michelle and Michael-John. Sadly, Michael-John died in a car accident in 1984. The family lived in the Los Angeles area starting in 1968.

His second wife was Mary Guillermin, who was a family therapist and artist.

John Guillermin passed away on September 27, 2015, in Topanga, California, from a heart attack. He was 89 years old.

Award

• Evening Standard British Film Award 1980, for Death on the Nile.

Filmography

Films

Director

Other roles

Television director

See also

In Spanish: John Guillermin para niños