Norman Jewison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Norman Jewison CC OOnt
Born	Norman Frederick Jewison (1926-07-21)July 21, 1926 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	January 20, 2024(2024-01-20) (aged 97) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Victoria College (University of Toronto)
Occupation	Director producer screenwriter
Years active	1950–2003
Organization	Canadian Film Centre
Spouse(s)	Margaret Ann Dixon ​ ​ (m. 1953; died 2004)​ Lynne St. David ​ (m. 2010)​
Children	3
Awards	See list
Honours	See list

Norman Jewison (July 21, 1926 – January 20, 2024) was a famous Canadian film and television director and producer. He was known for making movies that explored important social and political topics. He often took complex ideas and made them understandable for everyone.

Norman Jewison won the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1999 from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. This award is given to producers whose work shows a consistently high quality. He also won a BAFTA Award and was nominated for 7 Academy Awards, including three times for Best Director.

Some of his most famous films include In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and Moonstruck (1987). He also directed other popular movies like The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).

In 1988, Jewison started the Canadian Film Centre. This school helps new filmmakers learn and grow. In 2003, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his amazing contributions to Canadian film.

Early Life and Education

Norman Jewison was born in Toronto, Ontario. His father managed a convenience store and post office. As a child in the 1930s, Norman loved performing and theatre.

Many people thought he was Jewish because of his last name and because he directed Fiddler on the Roof. However, Norman and his family were Protestants of English background.

During World War II, he served in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1944 to 1945. After the war, he traveled through the American South. There, he saw segregation, which is when people are kept apart based on their race. This experience greatly influenced his later movies.

Jewison studied at Victoria College at the University of Toronto and graduated in 1949. While in college, he was very involved in writing, directing, and acting in plays.

After college, he moved to London, England. He worked for the BBC as a scriptwriter for a children's TV show and took small acting roles. In 1951, he returned to Canada. He became a production trainee at CBLT in Toronto, which was getting ready to launch CBC Television.

Career Highlights

Starting in Television and Film (1952–1964)

From left to right: Chaim Topol, Lex Goudsmit and Jewison in 1971

When CBC Television began in 1952, Jewison was an assistant director. Over the next seven years, he wrote, directed, and produced many different TV shows. These included musicals, comedy shows, dramas, and special programs.

In 1953, he married Margaret Ann "Dixie" Dixon. They had three children: Michael, Kevin, and Jennifer, who all later worked in entertainment.

In 1958, Jewison moved to New York to work for NBC. He directed popular shows like Your Hit Parade and The Andy Williams Show. He also directed specials with famous performers like Judy Garland.

Actor Tony Curtis saw Jewison working on a Judy Garland special in 1961. Curtis suggested that Jewison should direct a feature film. This led to Jewison's first movie, the comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble (1962). It was the first movie ever filmed at Disneyland.

After this, Jewison directed two comedies starring Doris Day: The Thrill of It All (1963) and Send Me No Flowers (1964). He then decided he wanted to make more serious and challenging films.

Breakthrough and Acclaim (1965–1987)

Clint Eastwood with Jewison in 1987

Jewison's big breakthrough was The Cincinnati Kid (1965). This drama, starring Steve McQueen, is about gambling. Jewison loved making it because it was his first challenging drama.

Next, he directed The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966). This comedy was about the fear of the Cold War. It was the first film Jewison also produced. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

One of his most famous films is In the Heat of the Night (1967). This crime drama was set in a town in the Southern U.S. where racial tensions were high. It starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and Jewison was nominated for Best Director.

He then directed and produced The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), starring Steve McQueen again. This movie used new techniques like showing multiple images on screen at once. From this point on, Jewison produced all the feature films he directed.

After making Gaily, Gaily (1969), Jewison moved his family to England. He was unhappy with the political situation in the United States at the time.

Jewison in 1987

In England, he worked on the musical Fiddler on the Roof (1971). This film won three Academy Awards and was nominated for Best Picture and Director. While filming Fiddler, a documentary called Norman Jewison, Filmmaker was made about him.

His next musical was Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), filmed in Israel. This movie was based on the popular Broadway show. It caused some discussion because of its religious theme.

He then directed Rollerball (1975), a movie set in the future where corporations control the world. The film featured a dangerous game as entertainment. His next film, F.I.S.T. (1978), was a drama about labor unions.

In 1978, Jewison moved back to Canada and started a farm in Ontario. He continued to direct major actors. He directed Al Pacino in ...And Justice for All (1979) and Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn in Best Friends (1982).

Jewison returned to the theme of racial tension with A Soldier's Story (1984). This film was based on a play that won a Pulitzer Prize. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. His next film, Agnes of God (1985), was set in a convent and starred Jane Fonda.

One of Jewison's most loved romantic films was Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher. It was a huge success and won three Academy Awards, including Best Actress for Cher. Jewison also received his third nomination for Best Director for this film.

Later Career (1988–2003)

Jewison, Eve Marie Saint and Carl Reiner in 2009

Jewison at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011

For the next ten years, Jewison continued to direct films for big studios. These included In Country (1989), about Vietnam veterans, and Other People's Money (1991), a comedy about greed. He also directed the romantic comedy Only You (1994) and the fantasy film Bogus (1996).

He also worked as a producer for other films and returned to television. He directed and produced parts of the TV series The Rez (1996–1998).

The Hurricane (1999) was Jewison's third film to explore the effects of racism. It told the true story of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who was wrongly accused of a crime in the 1960s. Denzel Washington won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for playing Carter.

In 1999, Jewison received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award for his lifetime achievements in film. His last film was the thriller The Statement (2003), starring Michael Caine. In the same year, he published his autobiography, This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me.

In 1999, he also directed the HBO TV movie Dinner with Friends. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for this film.

Norman Jewison once said, "I want people to recognise themselves in the movies I make. I don't enjoy no-brainer action movies." This shows his goal was to make films that made people think and feel.

Canadian Film Centre

Jewison at a CFC Garden Party in 2012

Norman Jewison showed his strong support for Canadian film by creating the Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Studies in 1986. This school opened in 1988 in Toronto and was later renamed the Canadian Film Centre (CFC).

More than 1,700 students have graduated from the CFC's programs. Many of them have become successful filmmakers, TV creators, actors, and composers. Some famous alumni include Clement Virgo (The Book of Negroes), Brad Peyton (San Andreas), and Annie Murphy (Schitt's Creek).

The CFC has also helped create many successful films and TV shows. These include the hit series Orphan Black and the award-winning documentary Stories We Tell.

Each year, Norman Jewison presented the CFC Award for Creative Excellence to alumni. This award recognized their great work in the entertainment industry. Jewison also helped start the Toronto International Film Festival.

Jewison was the Chair Emeritus (honorary chair) of the CFC.

Personal Life and Death

Jewison and wife Lynne St. David-Jewison in September 2016

Norman Jewison married Margaret Ann Dixon on July 11, 1953. She passed away on November 26, 2004. They had three children and five grandchildren.

In 2004, Jewison became the Chancellor of Victoria University in the University of Toronto. He held this position until 2010.

In 2010, Blake Goldring donated $1,000,000 to Victoria University at the University of Toronto. This donation created a special program for first-year students in Jewison's name. It's called the Norman Jewison Stream for Imagination and the Arts.

Also in 2010, Jewison married Lynne St. David. Her married name became Lynne St. David-Jewison.

Norman Jewison passed away at his home in Los Angeles on January 20, 2024, at the age of 97.

Filmography

Film

Producer only

• The Landlord (1970)
• Billy Two Hats (1974)
• The Dogs of War (1980)
• Iceman (1984)
• The January Man (1989)

Executive producer

• Dance Me Outside (1994)

Acting roles

Television

Achievements and Honours

Jewison's star on Canada's Walk of Fame

Norman Jewison was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director three times. These nominations were for In the Heat of the Night (1967), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), and Moonstruck (1987).

He also won the important Silver Bear for Best Director at the Berlin International Film Festival. Both the Directors Guild of Canada and the Directors Guild of America gave him Lifetime Achievement Awards. He also won a BAFTA Award.

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