Mary Lambert (director) facts for kids

Mary Lambert Gary, born on October 13, 1951, is an American director. She is famous for directing many music videos, TV shows, and movies. She is especially well-known for her horror films.

About Mary Lambert

Mary Lambert was born in Helena, Arkansas. Her father, Jordan Bennett Lambert III, was a farmer. Her younger sister, Blanche Lincoln, used to be a U.S. Senator for Arkansas. Mary Lambert studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and earned a degree in Fine Arts.

Directing Music Videos

Mary Lambert has directed many popular music videos for famous artists.

Chris Isaak and Early Awards

Mary Lambert directed Chris Isaak's first music video, "Dancin'." This video was nominated for two awards at the 1985 MTV Video Music Awards. It was nominated for "Most Experimental Video" and "Best Direction." In the same year, she also got a nomination for directing "Ways to Be Wicked" by Lone Justice. Mary Lambert was the only woman nominated that year.

Working with Madonna

Mary Lambert directed some of Madonna's most famous music videos in the 1980s. These videos helped create Madonna's unique look and style.

Their work together started with the video for "Borderline" (1984). This video was filmed in Los Angeles, California. It showed Madonna trying to choose between love and her dreams in the city. The video used both colorful and black-and-white scenes. Lambert said they made up the video as they went along. She explained that the story was about a girl who leaves her boyfriend for fame. But then she returns to him after her new boyfriend gets upset over something small. "Borderline" was shown on MTV in March 1984. It helped Madonna become a big star.

Lambert then directed "Like a Virgin" (1984). This video was filmed in Venice, Italy, and New York. It showed Madonna in a gondola and a wedding dress. Lambert wanted to mix fantasy and reality in the video.

In 1985, Lambert directed the "Material Girl" video. This video was a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's performance in the movie Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It talked about fame and wanting things. It became one of Madonna's most recognized videos.

Lambert also directed "La Isla Bonita" (1987). In this video, Madonna played both a religious woman and a lively Flamenco dancer. It explored Latin culture and religious ideas.

In 1989, Lambert directed "Like a Prayer." This video became very controversial. It used religious images like burning crosses. Lambert wanted to show feelings of excitement, both religious and personal. The video caused a lot of discussion. It made Madonna known as an artist who wasn't afraid to be bold.

Through these videos, Mary Lambert helped shape how Madonna's music was seen. She played a big part in Madonna becoming a global superstar.

Working with Janet Jackson

Mary Lambert directed Janet Jackson's well-known music videos for "Nasty" and "Control." The "Control" video showed Janet Jackson becoming independent from her parents. It was filmed at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.

Making the "Control" video was very difficult. The audience thought they were coming to a free concert. Instead, they watched Janet Jackson lip-sync "Control" about 50 times.

At that time, Janet Jackson was ending her father, Joe Jackson's, role as her manager. He was often on set and caused problems. He demanded a lot of insurance money before Janet could sit on a trapeze for the video. Lambert and the producer, Sharon Oreck, almost quit because of this. The record company had to step in, saying they usually "don't say no to Joe Jackson."

Things got even more tense when the record label wanted more white people to be seen in the audience. Lambert quietly moved people around. When the crowd noticed, they became angry. Lambert told the record company that she couldn't continue because it might become violent. A representative then explained things to the crowd, and they calmed down.

Despite all the challenges, Lambert finished the video successfully. In 1988, "Control" won a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul or Rap Music Video. It beat videos by Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, and Jody Watley.

Other Music Video Projects

Mary Lambert also directed music videos for many other famous artists:

• Annie Lennox: "Walking on Broken Glass"
• Mick Jagger: "Just Another Night"
• The Go-Go's: "Turn to You"
• Whitney Houston: "So Emotional"
• Alison Krauss: "When You Say Nothing at All"
• Live: "I Alone"
• Mötley Crüe: "Smokin' in the Boys Room"
• Queensrÿche: "The Lady Wore Black"
• Sting: "Russians"
• Debbie Harry: "I Want That Man"
• Tom Tom Club: "Genius of Love"

Directing Films

Mary Lambert has directed several feature films, especially in the horror genre.

Early Film Work

Lambert was first supposed to direct Under the Cherry Moon, starring Prince. But after only four days of filming, she was given a different role and then left the project. She was later credited as a creative consultant for the film.

In 1987, she released her first full-length movie, Siesta. It starred Ellen Barkin and Jodie Foster. The film was nominated for an award for "Best First Feature."

Horror Films

Mary Lambert is well-known to horror movie fans. She directed the 1989 movie Pet Sematary. This film was based on a book by Stephen King. She also directed its sequel, Pet Sematary Two.

More recently, Lambert directed Urban Legends: Bloody Mary in 2005. She also directed the 2011 Syfy horror film Mega Python vs. Gatoroid. In 1993, she directed the video game Double Switch.

Pet Sematary (1989)

In 1989, Mary Lambert directed Pet Sematary. This horror movie was based on Stephen King's 1983 novel. Stephen King himself wrote the movie's script. The film starred Dale Midkiff, Denise Crosby, Blaze Berdahl, Fred Gwynne, and Miko Hughes as Gage Creed. The movie's title uses a different spelling of "pet cemetery."

The movie came out on April 21, 1989. It was very successful at the box office. It made $57.5 million, even though it only cost $11.5 million to make. Because it was so popular, a sequel, Pet Sematary Two, was made in 1992. Mary Lambert returned to direct the sequel.

The idea for the film started in 1984. The rights to the book were first sold to George A. Romero. But he couldn't direct it because he was busy with another movie. The project was on hold until 1988. At that time, a writers' strike meant that Paramount Pictures might not have enough movies for 1989. Since King's script for Pet Sematary was ready, Paramount decided to make the movie.

Stephen King had a lot of say in who would direct the film. He personally chose Mary Lambert. She impressed him with how much she loved his work. She also promised to stay true to the book's mood and ideas.

Filming took place in Maine. This was important because King wanted the movie to be shot in the same state where his book was set. Locations included Ellsworth, Bangor, and Mount Hope Cemetery. King was very involved during filming. He often talked with Lambert and helped make important decisions. This ensured the movie kept the spirit of his novel.

During casting, Lambert had to fight with studio executives. She insisted on casting two-year-old Miko Hughes as Gage Creed. The studio wanted to use twins, which was a common way to save money for child roles. But Lambert felt Hughes had a special talent. She also fought to cast Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall. The studio worried that people wouldn't take him seriously because of his past role as Herman Munster.

Another creative choice by Lambert was for the character of Zelda. Zelda was Rachel Creed's sister. Young actresses first tried out for the role. But Lambert decided to cast Andrew Hubatsek instead. She did this to make the character more unsettling and scary.

The movie's ending was changed because Paramount asked for it. Lambert first filmed an ending where Rachel Creed came back as an undead person. This left her husband's future unclear. But the studio wanted a more dramatic ending. So, they filmed new scenes showing Rachel attacking Louis Creed.

The movie's music included songs by the Ramones. They were one of Stephen King's favorite bands. Lambert was friends with the band from directing their music videos. She asked them to write and perform the song "Pet Sematary." This song plays at the end of the movie.

Personal Life

Mary Lambert is married to Jerome Gary. They have a son named Jordan.

Filmography

Short Films

Movies

Television Shows

TV Movies

• Dragstrip Girl (1994)
• Face of Evil (1996)
• Love Is Strange (1996)
• My Stepson, My Lover (1997) (also known as Love, Murder and Deceit)
• Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (2011)

TV Specials

• VH1 Divas 2012 (2012)

Documentary Work

• Bobby Brown: His Prerogative (1989) (Video)

Documentary Short Films

Documentary Films

TV Series Appearances

TV Movies (Documentary)

Music Videos (Directed)

Video Games

Director

• Double Switch (1993)

See also

In Spanish: Mary Lambert para niños