Image of Frank Borzage

Frank Borzage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frank Borzage (April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), Bad Girl (1931), A Farewell to Arms (1932), Man's Castle (1933), History Is Made at Night (1937), The Mortal Storm (1940) and Moonrise (1948). In 1912 Borzage found employment as an actor in Hollywood; he continued to work as an actor until 1917. His directorial debut came in 1915 with the film The Pitch o' Chance. He was a successful director throughout the 1920s, but reached his peak in the late silent and early sound era. Absorbing visual influences from the German director F.W. Murnau, who was also resident at Fox at this time, Borzage developed his own style of lushly visual romanticism in a hugely successful series of films starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, including 7th Heaven (1927), for which he won the first Academy Award for Best Director, Street Angel (1928) and Lucky Star (1929). He won a second Oscar for 1931's Bad Girl. He directed 14 films between 1917 and 1919 alone. His greatest success in the silent era was with Humoresque, a box office winner starring Vera Gordon. Borzage's trademark was intense identification with the feelings of young lovers in the face of adversity, with love in his films triumphing over such trials as World War I (7th Heaven and A Farewell to Arms), disability (Lucky Star), the Depression (Man's Castle), a thinly disguised version of the Titanic disaster in History Is Made at Night, and the rise of Nazism, a theme which Borzage had virtually to himself among Hollywood filmmakers from Little Man, What Now? (1933) to Three Comrades (1938) and The Mortal Storm (1940). His work took a spiritual turn in such films as Green Light (1937), Strange Cargo (1940) and The Big Fisherman (1959). Of his later work only the film noir Moonrise (1948) has enjoyed much critical acclaim. After 1948, Borzage's output was sporadic. In 1955 and 1957, he was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film. Frank Borzage died of cancer in 1962, aged 68.


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Born:
Apr 23, 1894 In Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Movie/TV Credits:
38
First Appeared:
In the movie On Secret Service 1912-11-01
Latest Project:
Movie Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn 2015-08-18
Known For
Filmography
Movie Leslie Howard: The Man Who Gave a Damn Self (archive footage) 2015-08-18
Movie Murnau, Borzage and Fox Himself (archival footage) (uncredited) 2008-12-09
Movie Jeanne Eagels Self (uncredited) 1957-08-02
Series Hollywood Preview Self 1955-09-14
Series The Oscars Unknown 1953-03-19
Series This Is Your Life Self 1952-10-01
Movie A Mormon Maid Tom Rigdon 1917-04-21
Movie Wee Lady Betty Roger O'Reilly 1917-08-17
Movie Fear Not Franklin Shirley 1917-11-26
Movie The Pilgrim The Pilgrim 1916-06-09
Movie Nugget Jim's Pardner Hal 1916-07-14
Movie Land O' Lizards The Stranger 1916-09-18
Movie Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages Extra (uncredited) 1916-09-04
Movie The Cup of Life Dick Ralston 1915-04-26
Movie In the Land of the Otter Joe Eagle 1915-01-14
Movie The Tavern Keeper's Son Juan Capella 1915-06-09
Movie In the Switch Tower Joel Wharton 1915-03-24
Movie The Secret of Lost River Tom Hornby - Prospector 1915-06-18
Movie The Pitch o' Chance Rocky Scott 1915-12-24
Movie Knight of the Trail Bill Carey 1915-08-19
Movie A Flash in the Dark Unknown 1914-02-18
Movie The Wheel of Life Unknown 1914-01-28
Movie Samson Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited) 1914-04-30
Movie In the Sage Brush Country 1914-01-01
Movie Love's Western Flight Unknown 1914-06-03
Movie The Typhoon Renard Bernisky 1914-10-10
Movie The Panther David Brandt 1914-12-10
Movie The Wrath of the Gods Tom Wilson 1914-06-08
Movie The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine 1913-08-24
Movie Granddad Mildred's Father 1913-07-23
Movie The Drummer of the 8th Jack Durand 1913-05-28
Movie The Gratitude of Wanda Unknown 1913-08-30
Movie Retribution Unknown 1913-12-10
Movie A Hopi Legend Unknown 1913-12-31
Movie Silent Heroes 1913-09-23
Movie A Cracksman Santa Claus 1913-12-19
Movie Loaded Dice 1913-10-03
Movie On Secret Service Unknown 1912-11-01