Jules Dassin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jules Dassin
Dassin in 1970
Born	Julius Dassin (1911-12-18)December 18, 1911 Middletown, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	March 31, 2008(2008-03-31) (aged 96) Athens, Greece
Occupation	Director producer writer actor
Spouse(s)	Beatrice Launer ​ ​ (m. 1933; div. 1962)​ Melina Mercouri ​ ​ (m. 1966; died 1994)​
Children	3, including Joe Dassin

Julius Dassin (born December 18, 1911 – died March 31, 2008) was an American film and theater director, producer, writer, and actor. He became famous for making exciting movies.

Later in his career, he faced a difficult time called the Hollywood blacklist. This meant he couldn't work in Hollywood because of his past connections. So, he moved to France and then Greece, where he kept making movies. He won an award for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie Du rififi chez les hommes. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for his film Never on Sunday.

Early Life and First Steps in Acting

Julius Dassin was born on December 18, 1911, in Middletown, Connecticut. His parents, Bertha and Samuel Dassin, were Jewish immigrants from Odessa, which is now in Ukraine. He had seven brothers and sisters.

When Julius was three years old, his family moved to Harlem, New York. He went to public school and got his first acting role in a school play. He had a small part, but he was so nervous that he fainted when it was time to say his line! He also learned to play the piano when he was young.

Julius started acting professionally in 1926, at age fourteen. He joined the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York City.

Theater and Radio Work

After traveling in Europe for three years, Dassin returned to New York in 1936. He joined the Children's Theatre, which was part of a government program during the Great Depression. He acted in plays like The Emperor's New Clothes.

He later worked with the Artef Players, a Yiddish theater group. He did many jobs there, including acting, designing sets, and even selling tickets. In 1938, his first child, Joseph, was born. Joseph later became the famous French singer Joe Dassin.

Dassin also wrote and directed plays for radio. In 1939, he adapted a story called The Overcoat for a radio show.

Working in Hollywood

In 1940, Dassin got a contract with a big Hollywood film studio called RKO Radio Pictures. He started as an assistant director, learning from famous directors like Alfred Hitchcock. After six months, he left RKO.

Directing First Films

Dassin really wanted to direct movies. In 1941, he offered to work for free at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). They hired him to direct a short film called The Tell-Tale Heart. It was a success, and he quickly became a feature film director.

His first full-length movie at MGM was a spy thriller called Nazi Agent (1942). It was a hit and critics praised his directing style. He then directed romantic comedies like The Affairs of Martha (1942) and Young Ideas (1943).

One of MGM's biggest stars, Joan Crawford, saw Nazi Agent and insisted that Dassin direct her next film, Reunion in France (1942). At first, they had a small disagreement, but they soon became good friends.

In 1944, Dassin directed The Canterville Ghost, a comedy based on Oscar Wilde's story. This film was very popular and even won an award many years later.

Challenges and New Opportunities

Dassin sometimes felt limited by the types of films he was asked to direct at MGM. He took a break from the studio for over a year, spending time reading and working on local plays. During this time, his third child, Julie, was born in 1944.

In 1945, he returned to MGM and directed A Letter for Evie and Two Smart People. After his contract with MGM ended in 1946, he was free to choose his own projects.

Mark Hellinger Productions

After leaving MGM, Dassin joined Mark Hellinger Productions. He signed a deal to direct three films. His first film there was Brute Force (1947), a prison film starring Burt Lancaster. Dassin wanted to make the film feel very real, almost like a documentary.

His next film was The Naked City (1948), a police story filmed entirely in New York City. He used real locations and even hired a juggler to distract crowds so people would look natural on camera! This film was a huge success and won several awards. It is now considered a very important film in American history.

The Hollywood Blacklist

In the late 1940s, a difficult period known as the Hollywood blacklist began. This was a time when people in Hollywood were accused of being Communists, and many lost their jobs if they didn't cooperate with government investigations.

Dassin's name was mentioned in hearings by the United States House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities. He was linked to several groups that the committee considered suspicious.

In 1949, the head of 20th Century-Fox Film, Darryl F. Zanuck, warned Dassin that he was about to be blacklisted. Zanuck quickly sent him to England to direct one more film, Night and the City, before the blacklist fully affected him. This film was shot in London. After this, Dassin was unofficially blacklisted and could not work in Hollywood.

In 1951, other film directors who had been blacklisted also mentioned Dassin's name in their testimonies. From then on, he was officially identified as someone who had been connected to the Communist Party.

Because of the blacklist, Dassin couldn't find work in Hollywood for two years. In 1952, actress Bette Davis hired him to direct a Broadway show called Two's Company. After the show closed, Dassin moved to Europe to avoid further problems with the American government.

Working in Europe

Finding Success in France

In 1953, Dassin was hired to direct a film in France. However, he faced pressure from Hollywood not to work, and the film was given to another director. American film companies made it hard for any film associated with blacklisted artists to be shown in the U.S.

Dassin did not direct another film until 1955, when he made Rififi. This French film became very famous and is considered one of the first and best "heist films" (movies about a planned robbery). He won the Best Director award at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival for Rififi. This film inspired many later heist movies, including his own film Topkapi in 1964.

Many of Dassin's films after the blacklist were made in Europe. Because of this, and because his last name was pronounced differently in Europe, some people mistakenly thought he was European.

Meeting Melina Mercouri

At the Cannes Film Festival in 1955, Dassin met Melina Mercouri, a Greek actress. He also discovered the books of a Greek writer named Nikos Kazantzakis. These two things created a strong connection for him with Greece.

Mercouri starred in Dassin's next film, He Who Must Die (1957), which was based on a book by Kazantzakis. She then starred in his very successful film Never on Sunday (1960), for which she won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in his films Phaedra (1962), Topkapi (1964), and 10:30 P.M. Summer (1966).

Dassin divorced his first wife in 1962 and married Melina Mercouri in 1966. She continued to star in his films, including Promise at Dawn (1970) and A Dream of Passion (1978).

Connection to Greece

Jules Dassin became very fond of Greece. He was even called a "first generation Greek" by Greek officials. Along with Mercouri, he spoke out against the military government in Greece that took power in 1967.

The couple had to leave Greece during this time. They lived in New York City for a few years. When the military government fell in 1974, they returned to Greece and lived there for the rest of their lives. In 1974, Dassin and Mercouri made a film called The Rehearsal about the military government.

While Mercouri became involved in politics, Dassin continued to make movies in Europe.

Personal Life

Joe and Jules Dassin with Beatrice Launer in Paris in 1970

Family

Jules Dassin was married twice. His first wife was Beatrice Launer, a concert violinist. They married in 1933 and divorced in 1962. They had three children:

• Joseph Ira Dassin (1938–1980), who became a very popular French singer in the 1970s.
• Richelle "Rickie" Dassin (born 1940), a songwriter.
• Julie Dassin (born 1944), an actress and singer.

He married his second wife, Melina Mercouri, in 1966. They were together until her death in 1994.

Later Years and Legacy

Jules Dassin passed away on March 31, 2008, at the age of 96, due to complications from the flu. He was survived by his two daughters and his grandchildren.

The Greek prime minister said that Greece mourned the loss of "a rare human being, a significant artist and true friend." Dassin was a strong supporter of returning the Elgin Marbles (ancient Greek sculptures) to Athens. He created the Melina Mercouri Institution to honor his wife and continue this effort. He died just a few months before the opening of the New Acropolis Museum, which he had supported.

Preserving His Work

The Academy Film Archive has saved and preserved Jules Dassin's film Night and the City. In 2000, his famous film Rififi was restored and re-released in theaters.

Filmography

Images for kids

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  Dassin in 1970

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  Dassin with his son Joe Dassin in 1970

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  Joe and Jules Dassin with Beatrice Launer in Paris in 1970

See also

In Spanish: Jules Dassin para niños