George Cukor
Biography
George Cukor
Born:
July 7, 1899
Born as:
George Dewey Cukor
Died:
January 24, 1983
Biography:
George entered the theater professionally in 1919 as an assistant stage manager. The following year he became resident director of a stock company and by 1926 he was directing on Broadway.
In 1929 George went to Hollywood to become a dialogue director. Cukor became a solo director with Tarnished Lady (1931). Shortly thereafter, Cukor met legendary producer David O. Selznick, then working for RKO. Their professional association began with A Bill of Divorcement (1932) which introduced Katharine Hepburn to the white sceen.
At the end of the thirties Cukor had established a reputation as a director who could coax great performances from actresses and he began known as a “woman's director”, a title which he resented.
In 1939 he was assigned by Selznick to Gone With the Wind but was fired 10 days after the start of production. George was able to bounce back with two successive triumphs, The women (1939) and The Philadelphia story (1940).
The 1940s was a decade of hits and misses for Cukor but in the fifties he was back with Adam's rib (1949) and the musical A star is born (1954). Another musical was also his biggest hit of the '60s: My Fair Lady (1964).
George directed sporadicly during the seventies and eighties and made his last film in 1981.
Academy awards:
1965 Won Oscar for: My Fair Lady (1964)
1951 Nominated for: Born Yesterday (1950)
1948 Nominated for: A Double Life (1947)
1941 Nominated for: The Philadelphia Story (1940)
1934 Nominated for: Little Women (1933)
Selected movies:
- The Philadelphia Story (1940)
- Gone with the Wind (A small part) (1939)
- My Fair Lady (1964)
- Holiday (1938)
- Gaslight (1944)
- The Women (1939)
- Adam's Rib (1949)
- A Star Is Born (1954)
