Michael Gordon (film director) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Gordon
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Gordon in 1949
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| Born |
Irving Kunin Gordon
September 6, 1909 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Died | April 29, 1993 (aged 83) Century City, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Cohn |
| Relatives | Joseph Gordon-Levitt (grandson) |
Michael Gordon (born Irving Kunin Gordon) was an American director who made movies and plays. He was also a stage actor. He was born on September 6, 1909, and passed away on April 29, 1993.
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Michael Gordon's Life and Career
Michael Gordon was born in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Paul Luis Gordon and Eva "Rachel" Kuhen. He was one of three brothers.
Early Career and Challenges
Michael Gordon was part of a famous acting group called the Group Theatre from 1935 to 1940. This group was known for its new ways of acting and directing.
Later, during a time called the McCarthy era, some people in Hollywood were accused of being Communists. Michael Gordon was one of these people. This meant he was "blacklisted" and found it very hard to get work in movies for a while.
After this difficult time, he started teaching at the UCLA Theater Department. He also spent summers at Pine Brook Country Club. This place was famous for being the summer home of the Group Theatre.
Directing Films in Hollywood
Because of being blacklisted, Michael Gordon's movie career happened in two main parts. In 1940, he started by helping with dialogue in films. He also directed some smaller movies, often called "B-movies."
In the late 1940s, he became known for directing exciting action movies. He also directed dramatic films and a type of movie called film noir. One of his most famous films from this time was Cyrano de Bergerac (1950). The main actor in this movie, José Ferrer, won an Academy Award for his role.
After being blacklisted, he had to stop directing movies for a while. But in the late 1950s, a producer named Ross Hunter asked him to come back. Gordon then directed the popular movie Pillow Talk. This film starred famous actors Doris Day and Rock Hudson. After this, Michael Gordon mostly directed fun, light-hearted comedy films.
Family Life
Michael Gordon and his wife, Elizabeth Cohn, had three children. Their names were Jonathan, Jane, and Susannah. His daughter Jane is the mother of the actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Michael Gordon's Filmography
Here is a list of movies Michael Gordon directed:
- Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (1942)
- Underground Agent (1942)
- Crime Doctor (1943)
- One Dangerous Night (1943)
- Crime Doctor (1943)
- The Web (1947)
- Another Part of the Forest (1948)
- An Act of Murder (1948)
- The Lady Gambles (1949)
- Once More, My Darling (1949)
- Woman in Hiding (1949)
- Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
- I Can Get It for You Wholesale (1951)
- The Secret of Convict Lake (1951)
- Pillow Talk (1959)
- Portrait in Black (1960)
- Boys' Night Out (1962)
- Move Over, Darling (1963)
- For Love or Money (1963)
- A Very Special Favor (1965)
- Texas Across the River (1966)
- The Impossible Years (1968)
- How Do I Love Thee? (1970)
