John Schlesinger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Schlesinger
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Schlesinger in 1974
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| Born |
John Richard Schlesinger
16 February 1926 London, England
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| Died | 25 July 2003 (aged 77) Palm Springs, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Oxford |
| Occupation | Filmmaker |
| Years active | 1946–2003 |
John Richard Schlesinger (born February 16, 1926 – died July 25, 2003) was a famous English film and stage director. He is best known for directing the movie Midnight Cowboy, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director. He was also nominated for this top award for two other films: Darling and Sunday Bloody Sunday.
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Early Life and Education
John Schlesinger was born in Hampstead, London. He grew up in a Jewish family. His father, Bernard Edward Schlesinger, was a respected doctor. His mother, Winifred Henrietta, studied music and languages.
John went to schools like St Edmund's School, Hindhead and Uppingham School. During World War II, he joined the British Army. He served with the Royal Engineers. While in the army, he made films about the war. He also entertained his fellow soldiers with magic tricks.
After the war, John continued making short films. He also acted in plays. He studied at Balliol College, Oxford at the University of Oxford. There, he was part of the Oxford University Dramatic Society.
A Career in Film Direction
John Schlesinger started his career in the 1950s. He had small acting roles in British films. He also appeared in British TV shows. These included The Divided Heart and The Adventures of Robin Hood.
He began directing films in 1956. His first directing work was a short documentary. It was called Sunday in the Park. This film was about Hyde Park in London. In 1958, he made a documentary about the composer Benjamin Britten.
By the 1960s, John focused mostly on directing. One of his early documentaries was Terminus (1961). This film won an award at the Venice Film Festival. It also won a British Academy Award.
Early Feature Films
His first two fiction films were A Kind of Loving (1962) and Billy Liar (1963). Both films were set in the North of England. A Kind of Loving won a top award at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival.
His third feature film was Darling (1965). This movie showed modern life in London. It was one of the first films about 'swinging London'. John's next film was Far from the Madding Crowd (1967). This was a drama based on a popular novel. Actress Julie Christie starred in Darling, Billy Liar, and Far from the Madding Crowd.
International Success
John Schlesinger's film Midnight Cowboy (1969) became very famous around the world. It won him an Academy Award for Best Director.
In the 1970s, he made many films. These often focused on characters who were different. Some of these films include Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), The Day of the Locust (1975), and Marathon Man (1976).
Later films included The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). Pacific Heights (1990) was also a successful movie. In Britain, he directed popular films like Madame Sousatzka (1988) and Cold Comfort Farm (1995). He also directed TV plays. These included An Englishman Abroad (1983) and A Question of Attribution (1991).
Stage and Opera Direction
Besides films, John Schlesinger also directed plays. He directed Timon of Athens (1965) for the Royal Shakespeare Company. He also directed the musical I and Albert (1972). From 1973, he worked as an associate director at the Royal National Theatre. There, he directed Heartbreak House (1975).
He also directed several operas. These included Les contes d'Hoffmann (1980) and Der Rosenkavalier (1984). Both of these were at Covent Garden.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1991, John Schlesinger acted again briefly. He played a character named Derek in a TV show.
He received an honor called Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1970. This was for his great work in film. He had homes in London and Palm Springs, California. In 2003, he received a Golden Palm Star. This star is on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
John Schlesinger had heart surgery in 1998. He then had a stroke in 2001. He passed away on July 25, 2003, at the age of 77.
Awards and Nominations
- Best Director (1966) (Darling) – Nominated
- Best Director (1970) (Midnight Cowboy) – Won
- Best Director (1972) (Sunday Bloody Sunday) – Nominated
- Best Short Film (1962) (Terminus) – Won
- Best British Film (1966) (Darling) – Nominated
- Best Direction (1970) (Midnight Cowboy) – Won
- Best Direction (1972) (Sunday Bloody Sunday) – Won
- Best Direction (1980) (Yanks) – Nominated
- Best Single Drama (1984) (An Englishman Abroad) – Won
- Best Single Drama (1992) (A Question of Attribution) – Won
- BAFTA Fellowship (1996)
- Best Director (1966) (Darling) – Nominated
- Best Director (1970) (Midnight Cowboy) – Nominated
- Best Director (1977) (Marathon Man) – Nominated
Filmography
Feature films
- A Kind of Loving (1962)
- Billy Liar (1963)
- Darling (1965)
- Far From the Madding Crowd (1967)
- Midnight Cowboy (1969)
- Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971)
- The Day of the Locust (1975)
- Marathon Man (1976)
- Yanks (1979)
- Honky Tonk Freeway (1981)
- The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
- The Believers (1987)
- Madame Sousatzka (1988)
- Pacific Heights (1990)
- The Innocent (1993)
- Cold Comfort Farm (1995)
- Eye for an Eye (1996)
- The Next Best Thing (2000)
Television films
- Separate Tables (1983) (TV)
- An Englishman Abroad (1983) (TV)
- A Question of Attribution (1991) (TV)
- Cold Comfort Farm (1995) (TV)
- The Tale of Sweeney Todd (1998) (TV)
Documentary films
- Sunday in the Park (1956)
- Terminus (1961)
- Israel: A Right to Live (1967)
- Visions of Eight (segment, The Longest) (1973)
See also
In Spanish: John Schlesinger para niños
