Elia KazanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaElia Kazan
Elia Kazan, c. 1960
BornElias Kazantzoglou[1]September 7, 1909Constantinople,Ottoman
Empire(nowIstanbul,Turkey)
DiedSeptember 28, 2003(aged94)Manhattan,New York City,United
States
OccupationDirector, actor, producer, screenwriter and
novelist
Yearsactive19341976
Spouse(s)Molly Day Thacher(m. 19321963; her death)Barbara
Loden(m. 19671980; her death)Frances Rudge(m. 19822003; his
death)
Elia Kazan(bornElias Kazantzoglou,Greek: ;[2]September 7, 1909
September 28, 2003) was a Greek-American director, producer, writer
and actor, described byThe New York Timesas "one of the most
honored and influential directors in Broadway and Hollywood
history".[3]He was born inIstanbul, toCappadocian Greekparents.
After studying acting atYale, he acted professionally for eight
years, later joining theGroup Theaterin 1932, and co-founded
theActors Studioin 1947. WithRobert LewisandCheryl Crawford, he
introducedMethod actingto the American stage and cinema as a new
form of self-expression and psychological "realism." Kazan acted in
only a few films, includingCity for Conquest(1940).[4]Kazan
introduced a new generation of unknown young actors to the movie
audiences, includingMarlon BrandoandJames Dean. Noted for drawing
out the best dramatic performances from his actors, he directed 21
actors to Oscar nominations, resulting in nine wins. He became "one
of the consummate filmmakers of the 20th century" after directing a
string of successful films, includingA Streetcar Named
Desire(1951),On the Waterfront(1954), andEast of Eden(1955). During
his career, he won two Oscars as Best Director and received an
Honorary Oscar, won three Tony Awards, and four Golden Globes.
Among the other actors he introduced to movie audiences wereWarren
Beatty,Carroll Baker,Julie Harris,Andy Griffith,Lee Remick,Rip
Torn,Eli Wallach,Eva Marie Saint,Martin Balsam,Fred Gwynne, andPat
Hingle.His films were concerned with personal or social issues of
special concern to him. Kazan writes, "I don't move unless I have
some empathy with the basic theme."[5]His first such "issue" film
wasGentleman's Agreement(1947), withGregory Peck, which dealt with
anti-Semitism in America. It received 8 Oscar nominations and 3
wins, including Kazan's first for Best Director. It was followed
byPinky, one of the first films to address racial prejudice against
blacks. In 1954, he directedOn the Waterfront, a film about union
corruption on the New York harbor waterfront, which some consider
"one of the greatest films in the history of international
cinema."[6]A Streetcar Named Desire(1951), an adaptation of the
stage play which he had also directed, received 12 Oscar
nominations, winning 4, and was Marlon Brando's breakthrough role.
In 1955, he directedJohn Steinbeck'sEast of Eden, which introduced
James Dean to movie audiences, making him an overnight star.A
turning point in Kazan's career came with his testimony as a
"friendly witness" before theHouse Committee on Un-American
Activitiesin 1952 at the time of theHollywood blacklist, which
brought him strong negative reactions from many liberal friends and
colleagues. Kazan later explained that he took "only the more
tolerable of two alternatives that were either way painful and
wrong."[7]Kazan influenced the films of the 1950s and '60s with his
provocative, issue-driven subjects. DirectorStanley Kubrickcalled
him, "without question, the best director we have in America, [and]
capable of performing miracles with the actors he
uses."[8]:36[9]Film authorIan Freerconcludes that "if his
achievements are tainted by political controversy, the debt
Hollywoodand actors everywhereowes him is enormous."[10]In
2010,Martin Scorseseco-directed the documentary filmA Letter to
Eliaas a personal tribute to Kazan.[11][12]Contents[hide] 1Early
life 2Stage career 2.1Group Theater 2.2Actors Studio 3Film career
3.1Marlon Brando 3.2Karl Malden 3.3Eva Marie Saint 3.4James Dean
3.5Warren Beatty 3.6Natalie Wood 3.7Screenwriters 4Literary career
5Directing style 5.1Preference for unknown actors 5.2Topics of
personal and social realism 5.3Use of "Method" acting 5.4Being an
"actor's director" 6HUAC testimony 7Personal life 8Legacy 9Awards
and honors 10Filmography 11Bibliography 12See also 13References
14Further reading 15External links 15.1Videos 15.2ArticlesEarly
life[edit]Elia Kazan was born in thePhanardistrict of
Constantinople, present dayIstanbul, toCappadocian Greekparents
originally fromKayseriinAnatolia.[13][14][15]His parents, George
and Athena Kazantzoglou (neShishmanoglou), emigrated to the United
States when he was four years old. He was named after his paternal
grandfather, Elia Kazantzoglou. His maternal grandfather was Isaak
Shishmanoglou. Elia's brother, Avraam, was born in Berlin and later
became a psychiatrist.[16]:21
In the play "Paradise Lost" (1937)As a young boy, he was
remembered as being shy, and his college classmates described him
as more of a loner.[17]Much of his early life was portrayed in his
autobiographical book,America America, which he made into a film in
1963. In it, he describes his family as "alienated" from both their
parents'Greek Orthodoxvalues and from those of mainstream
America.[18]:23His mother's family werecottonmerchants who imported
cotton from England, and sold it wholesale. His father became a rug
merchant after emigrating to the United States, and expected that
his son would go into the family business.[19]After attending
public schools in New York, he enrolled atWilliams Collegein
Massachusetts, where he helped pay his way by waiting tables and
washing dishes, although he still graduated cum laude. He also
worked as a bartender at various fraternities, but never joined
one. While a student at Williams, he earned the nickname "Gadg,"
for gadget, because, he said, "I was small, compact, and handy to
have around."[3]InAmerica Americahe tells how, and why, his family
left Turkey and moved to America. Kazan notes that much of it came
from stories that he heard as a young boy. He says during an
interview that "it's all true: the wealth of the family was put on
the back of a donkey, and my uncle, really still a boy, went
toIstanbul... to gradually bring the family there to escape the
oppressive circumstances... It's also true that he lost the money
on the way, and when he got there he swept rugs in a little
store."[20]Kazan notes some of the controversial aspects of what he
put in the film. He writes, "I used to say to myself when I was
making the film that America was a dream of total freedom in all
areas."[20]To make his point, the character who portrays Kazan's
uncle Avraam kisses the ground when he gets through customs, while
the Statue of Liberty and the American flag are in the background.
Kazan had considered whether that kind of scene might be too much
for American audiences:"I hesitated about that for a long time. A
lot of people, who don't understand how desperate people can get,
advised me to cut it. When I am accused of being excessive by the
critics, they're talking about moments like that. But I wouldn't
take it out for the world. It actually happened. Believe me, if a
Turk could get out of Turkey and come here, even now, he would kiss
the ground. To oppressed people, America is still a
dream."[20]Before undertaking the film, Kazan wanted to confirm
many of the details about his family's background. At one point, he
sat his parents down and recorded their answers to his questions.
He remembers eventually asking his father a "deeper question: 'Why
America? What were you hoping for?'" His mother gave him the
answer, however: "A.E. brought us here." Kazan states that "A.E.
was my uncle Avraam Elia, the one who left the Anatolian village
with the donkey. At twenty-eight, somehowthis was the wonderhe made
his way to New York. He sent home money and in time brought my
father over. Father sent for my mother and my baby brother and me
when I was four.[21]Kazan writes of the movie, "It's my favorite of
all the films I've made; the first film that was entirely
mine."[21]Stage career[edit]Group Theater[edit]
Kazan as a young manIn 1932, after spending two years at theYale
UniversitySchool of Drama, he moved to New York City to become a
professional stage actor. His first opportunity came with a small
group of actors engaged in presenting plays containing social
commentary. They were called theGroup Theater, which showcased many
lesser known plays with deep social or political messages. After
struggling to be accepted by them, he discovered his first strong
sense of self in America within the "family of the Group Theater,
and more loosely in the radical social and cultural movements of
the time," writes film author Joanna E. Rapf.[18]:23In Kazan's
autobiography, Kazan writes of the "lasting impact on him of the
Group," noting in particular,Lee StrasbergandHarold Clurmanas
"father figures", along with his close friendship with
playwrightClifford Odets. Kazan, during an interview with Michel
Ciment, describes the Group:The Group was the best thing
professionally that ever happened to me. I met two wonderful men.
Lee Strasberg and Harold Clurman, both of whom were around thirty
years old. They were magnetic, fearless leaders. During the summer
I was an apprentice, they were entertaining in a Jewish summer
camp... At the end of the summer they said to me: "You may have
talent for something, but it's certainly not acting."[22]Kazan, in
his autobiography, also describes Strasberg as a vital leader of
the group:He carried with him the aura of a prophet, a magician, a
witch doctor, a psychoanalyst, and a feared father of a Jewish
home.... [H]e was the force that held the thirty-odd members of the
theatre together, and made them permanent.[16]:61Kazan's first
national success came as New York theatrical director.[6]Although
initially he worked as an actor on stage, and told early in his
acting career that he had no acting ability, he surprised many
critics by becoming one of the Groups most capable actors. In 1935
he played the role of a strike-leading taxi driver in a drama
byClifford Odets,Waiting for Lefty, and his performance was called
"dynamic," leading some to describe him as the "proletarian
thunderbolt."[18]:23Among the themes that would run through all of
his work were "personal alienation and an outrage over social
injustice", writes film critic William Baer.[6]Other critics have
likewise noted his "strong commitment to the social and social
psychologicalrather than the purely politicalimplications of
drama".[18]:33By the mid-1930s, when he was 26, he began directing
a number of the Group Theater's plays. In 1942 he achieved his
first notable success by directing aPulitzer prize-winning play
byThornton Wilder,The Skin of Our Teeth, starringMontgomery
CliftandTallulah Bankhead. He then went on to directDeath of a
Salesman,byArthur Miller, and then directedA Streetcar Named
Desire, written byTennessee Williams. Kazan's wife, Molly Thacher,
the reader for the Group, discovered Williams and awarded him a
"prize that launched his career."[23]The Group Theater's summer
rehearsal headquarters was atPine Brook Country Club, located in
the countryside ofNichols, Connecticut, during the 1930s and early
1940s. Along with Kazan were numerous other artists:Harry
Morgan,John Garfield,Luise Rainer,Frances Farmer,Will Geer,Howard
Da Silva,Clifford Odets,Lee J. CobbandIrwin Shaw.[24][25][26]Actors
Studio[edit]In 1947, he founded theActors Studio, a non-profit
workshop, with actorsRobert LewisandCheryl Crawford. It soon became
famous for promoting "Method," a style of theater and acting
involving "total immersion of actor into character," writes film
author Ian Freer.[10]According to Rapf, "the Studio rode the
bandwagon of method fashionability, and Kazan was its clear star
and attraction."[18]:97Within a short time, as word spread,
"everyone wanted to be at the Studionot least because of the chance
of being in a Kazan production in one medium or
another."[18]:97Among its first students wereMarlon
Brando,Montgomery Clift,Julie Harris,Eli Wallach,Karl
Malden,Patricia Neal,Mildred Dunnock,James Whitmore, andMaureen
Stapleton. In 1951,Lee Strasbergbecame its director, and it
remained a non-profit enterprise, eventually considered "the
nation's most prestigious acting school," according to film
historian James Lipton.[27]StudentJames Dean, in a letter home to
his parents, writes that Actors Studio was "the greatest school of
the theater [and] the best thing that can happen to an
actor".[28]PlaywrightTennessee Williamssaid of its actors: "They
act from the inside out. They communicate emotions they really
feel. They give you a sense of life." Contemporary directors
likeSidney Lumet, a former student, have intentionally used actors
such asAl Pacino, a former student skilled in "Method".[29]Kazan
directed one of the Studio's brightest young talents,Marlon Brando,
in theTennessee WilliamsplayA Streetcar Named Desire. He cast him
again in the film version in 1951, which made Brando a star and won
4 Oscars, and was nominated for 12.Among the other Broadway plays
he directed were "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "Sweet Bird of Youth",
"The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" and "Tea and Sympathy". This
led some, such as theater criticEric Bentley, to write that "the
work of Elia Kazan means more to the American theater than that of
any current writer."[3]Film critic David Richard Jones adds that
Kazan, during the 1940s and 1950s, was one of America's foremost
Stanislavskians, and "influenced thousands of contemporaries" in
the theatre, film, and the Actors Studio that he helped
found.[30]Film career[edit]At the height of his stage success,
Kazan then turned to Hollywood where he soon demonstrated equal
skill as director of motion pictures. He first directed two short
films, but his first feature film wasA Tree Grows in
Brooklyn(1945), one his first attempts to film dramas focused on
contemporary concerns, which became his forte. Two years later he
directedGentleman's Agreement, where he tackled a seldom-discussed
topic in America,antisemitism, for which he won his first Oscar as
Best Director. In 1949 he again dealt with controversial subject
when he directedPinky, which dealt with issues ofracismin America,
and was nominated for 3 Academy Awards.In 1947, he directed the
courtroom dramaBoomerang!, and in 1950 he directedPanic in the
Streets, starringRichard Widmark, in a thriller shot on the streets
ofNew Orleans. In that film, Kazan experimented with a documentary
style of cinematography, which succeeded in "energizing" the action
scenes.[10]He won theVenice Film Festival, International Award as
director, and the film also won two Academy Awards. Kazan had
requested thatZero Mostelalso act in the film, despite Mostel being
"blacklisted" as a result ofHUACtestimony a few years earlier.
Kazan writes of his decision:Each director has a favorite in his
cast, ... my favorite this time was Zero Mostel... I thought him an
extraordinary artist and a delightful companion, one of the
funniest and most original men I'd ever met... I constantly sought
his company... He was one of the three people whom I rescued from
the "industry's" blacklist... For a long time, Zero had not been
able to get work in films, but I got him in my film.[16]:383Marlon
Brando[edit]
Brando and Vivien Leigh in a scene fromA Streetcar Named
Desire(1951)In 1951, after introducing and directing one of the
Actors Studio's brightest young talents,Marlon Brando, in the stage
version, he went on to cast him in the film version of the play,A
Streetcar Named Desire, which made Brando a star and won 4 Oscars,
being nominated for 12. The film popularizedMethod actingwith
Brando's role as the earthy and unmannered Stanley Kowalski
opposite the classical dignity of British actress,Vivien Leigh, as
his sister-in-law. Despite the plaudits, the film was considered a
step back cinematically with the feel of filmed theater, however
Kazan did at first use a more open setting but then felt compelled
to revert to the stage atmosphere to remain true to the script. He
explains:On "Streetcar" we worked very hard to open it up, and then
went back to the play because we'd lost all the compression. In the
play, these people were trapped in a room with each other. What I
actually did was to make the set smaller. As the story progressed
... the set got smaller and smaller.[5][10]Brando's role as a
virtually unknown actor at age 27, would "catapult him to
stardom."[3]His next film wasViva Zapata!(1952) which also starred
Marlon Brando playing the role of Mexican revolutionaryEmiliano
Zapata. The film added real atmosphere with the use of location
shots and strong character accents. Kazan called this his "first
real film" because of those factors.[10]In 1954 he again used
Brando as co-star inOn the Waterfront. As a continuation of the
socially relevant themes that he developed in New York, the film
exposed corruption within New Yorks longshoremens union. It too was
nominated for 12Academy Awards, but won 8, includingBest
Picture,Best DirectorandBest Actor, for Marlon Brando. To some
critics, Brando gives the "best performance in American film
history,"[10]playing an ex-boxer, Terry Malloy, who is persuaded by
a priest to inform on corrupt unions. Surprisingly, Brando writes
that he was actually disappointed with his acting upon first
watching the screening:On the day Gadg showed me the completed
picture, I was so depressed by my performance I got up and left the
screening room. I thought I was a huge failure. I was simply
embarrassed for myself. ... I am indebted to him for all that I
learned. He was a wonderful teacher.[31]Karl Malden[edit]ActorKarl
Maldenbecame an early student at the Group Theater in 1937, where
he first began acting under Kazan's direction. Kazan would play a
"prominent role in Malden's stage and film career", including
convincing him to change his name from Mladen Sekulovich. He played
a drunken sailor in Kazan's "Truckline Cafe," which also included a
young Marlon Brando. In 1947, he co-starred in the stage play "All
My Sons," written byArthur Miller, with Kazan directing, and began
being recognized as a serious actor.[32]However, his first major
stage success was his role as an awkward suitor ofJessica Tandyin
the Broadway production ofA Streetcar Named Desire,which also
helped make Brando a star on stage. After two years in the role, he
played the same part inthe 1951 film version, this time playing
oppositeVivien Leigh, where he won his first Oscar forBest
Supporting Actor. Kazan next directed him inOn the
Waterfront(1954), where he was also nominated as Best Supporting
Actor for his role as a sympathetic priest. In 1956, Kazan directed
him in a starring role inBaby Doll, alongsideCarroll BakerandEli
Wallach, a controversial story written byTennessee Williams, and he
was nominated for aGolden Globe Awardfor Best Actor.Malden remained
friends with Kazan despite his unpopular appearance at theHouse
Un-American Activities Committeein 1952. Many mutual "friends who
turned on Kazan also refused to speak to Malden."[32]He furthered
his support in 1999, when, as a member of the Board of Governors of
theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, he proposed that
they give Kazan an honorary Oscar for "lifetime achievement".
Malden's proposal was bold, as film festivals, critics
associations, and theAmerican Film Institute, had already refused
to bestow similar honors because of Kazan's testimony given nearly
50 years earlier. Malden recalled giving his proposal:When I got up
to talk, I suspected that there would be a big fight, but no one
debated it at all... I said that I'm nominating a dear friend, and
as far as I'm concerned, there's no place for politics in any art
form. An award like this is about your body of work, and when it
comes to a body of work, Elia Kazan deserves to be
honored.[32]According to theLos Angeles Times, when Malden finished
speaking, "he was greeted by a rousing burst of applause."[32]Eva
Marie Saint[edit]
Saint with Marlon Brando inOn the WaterfrontOn the Waterfrontwas
also the screen debut forEva Marie Saint, who won the Oscar forBest
Supporting Actressfor her role. Saint recalls that Kazan selected
her for the role after he had her do an improvisational skit with
Brando playing the other character. She had no idea that he was
looking to fill any particular film part, however, but remembers
that Kazan set up the scenario with Brando which brought out
surprising emotions:"I ended up crying. Crying and laughing ... I
mean there was such an attraction there ... That smile of his... He
was very tender and funny ... And Kazan, in his genius, saw the
chemistry there."[33]:295296Lifemagazine describedOn the
Waterfrontas the "most brutal movie of the year" but with "the
year's tenderest love scenes," and stating that Saint was a "new
discovery" in films. In its cover story about Saint, it speculated
that it will probably be as Edie inOn the Waterfrontthat she
"starts her real trip to fame."[34]The film made use of extensive
on-location street scenes and waterfront shots, and included a
notable score by composerLeonard Bernstein.James Dean[edit]
James Dean inEast of EdenAfter the success ofOn the Waterfronthe
went on to direct the screen adaptation ofJohn Steinbeck's
novel,East of Edenin 1955. As director, Kazan again used another
unknown actor,James Dean. Kazan had seen Dean on stage in New York
and after an audition gave him the starring role along with an
exclusive contract with Warner Bros. Dean flew back to Los Angeles
with Kazan in 1954, the first time he had ever flown in a plane,
bringing his clothes in a brown paper bag.[35]:194The film's
success introduced James Dean to the world and established him as a
popular actor. He went on to star inRebel Without a Cause(1955),
directed by Kazan's friend,Nicholas Ray, and thenGiant, (dir.
George Stevens, 1956)Author Douglas Rathgeb describes the
difficulties Kazan had in turning Dean into a new star, noting how
Dean was a controversial figure at Warner Bros. from the time he
arrived. There were rumors that he "kept a loaded gun in his studio
trailer; that he drove his motorcycle dangerously down studio
streets or sound stages; that he had bizarre and unsavory
friends."[36]As a result, Kazan was forced to "baby-sit the young
actor in side-by-side trailers," so he wouldn't run away during
production. Co-starJulie Harrisworked overtime to quell Dean's
panic attacks. In general, Dean was oblivious to Hollywood's
methods, and Rathgeb notes that "his radical style did not mesh
with Hollywood's corporate gears."Dean himself was amazed at his
own performance on screen when he later viewed a rough cut of the
film. Kazan had invited directorNicholas Rayto a private showing,
with Dean, as Ray was looking for someone to play the lead inRebel
Without a Cause. Ray watched Dean's powerful acting on the screen;
but it didn't seem possible that it was the same person in the
room. Ray felt Dean was shy and totally withdrawn as he sat there
hunched over. "Dean himself did not seem to believe it," notes
Rathgeb. "He watched himself with an odd, almost adolescent
fascination, as if he were admiring someone else."[36]The film also
made good use of on-location and outdoor scenes, along with an
effective use of early widescreen format, making the film one of
Kazan's most accomplished works. James Dean died the following
year, at the age of 24, in an accident with his sports car outside
of Los Angeles. He had only made three films, and the only
completed film he ever saw wasEast of Eden.Warren Beatty[edit]In
1961, he introducedWarren Beattyin his first screen appearance with
a starring role inSplendor in the Grass(1961), withNatalie Wood;
the film was nominated for two Oscars and won one. AuthorPeter
Biskindpoints out that Kazan "was the first in a string of major
directors Beatty sought out, mentors or father figures from whom he
wanted to learn."[37]Biskind notes also that they "were wildly
dissimilarmentor vs. protege, director vs. actor, immigrant
outsider vs. native son. Kazan was armed with the confidence born
of age and success, while Beatty was virtually aflame with the
arrogance of youth."[37]Kazan recalls his impressions of
Beatty:Warrenit was obvious the first time I saw himwanted it all
and wanted it his way. Why not? He had the energy, a very keen
intelligence, and more chutzpah than any Jew I've ever known. Even
more than me. Bright as they come, intrepid, and with that thing
all women secretly respect: complete confidence in his sexual
powers, confidence so great that he never had to advertise himself,
even by hints.[16]:603Biskind describes an episode during the first
week of shooting, where Beatty was angered at something Kazan said:
"The star lashed out at the spot where he knew Kazan was most
vulnerable, the director's friendly testimony before the HUAC. He
snapped, 'Lemme ask you somethingwhy did you name all those
names?'"[37]Beatty himself recalled the episode: "In some
patricidal attempt to stand up to the great Kazan, I arrogantly and
stupidly challenged him on it." Biskind describes how "Kazan
grabbed his arm, asking, 'What did you say?' and dragged him off to
a tiny dressing room ... whereupon the director proceeded to
justify himself for two hours."[37]Beatty, years later, during
aKennedy Centertribute to Kazan, stated to the audience that Kazan
"had given him the most important break in his
career."[37]:23Natalie Wood[edit]Beatty's costar,Natalie Wood, was
in a transition period in her career, having mostly been cast in
roles as a child or teenager, and she was now hoping to be cast in
adult roles. BiographerSuzanne Finstadnotes that a "turning point"
in her life as an actress was upon seeing the filmA Streetcar Named
Desire: "She was transformed, in awe of Kazan and of Vivien Leigh's
performance... [who] became a role model for Natalie."[38]:107In
1961, after a "series of bad films, her career was already in
decline," notes Rathgeb.[36]:199Kazan himself writes that the
"sages" of the film community declared her as "washed up" as an
actress, although he still wanted to interview her for his next
film:When I saw her, I detected behind the well-mannered 'young
wife' front a desperate twinkle in her eyes... I talked with her
more quietly then and more personally. I wanted to find out what
human material was there, what her inner life was... Then she told
me she was being psychoanalyzed. That did it. Poor R.J., I said to
myself. I likedBob Wagner, I still do.[16]:602Kazan cast her as the
female lead inSplendor in the Grass, and her career rebounded.
Finstad feels that despite Wood never receiving training in Method
acting techniques, "working with Kazan brought her to the greatest
emotional heights of her career. The experience was exhilarating
but wrenching for Natalie, who faced her demons
onSplendor."[38]:259She adds that a scene in the film, as a result
of "Kazan's wizardry ... produced a hysteria in Natalie that may be
her most powerful moment as an actress."[38]:260ActorGary Lockwood,
who also acted in the film, felt that "Kazan and Natalie were a
terrific marriage, because you had this beautiful girl, and you had
somebody that could get things out of her." Kazan's favorite scene
in the movie was the last one, when Wood goes back to see her lost
first love, Bud (Beatty). "It's terribly touching to me. I still
like it when I see it," writes Kazan.[38]:263"And I certainly
didn't need to tell her how to play it. She understood it
perfectly."Screenwriters[edit]Another aspect that contributed to
the power and intensity of his films was his close collaboration
with writers. On Broadway, he worked withArthur Miller,Tennessee
Williams, andWilliam Inge; in film, he worked again with Willams (A
Streetcar Named DesireandBaby Doll), Inge (Splendor in the
Grass),Budd Schulberg(On the WaterfrontandA Face in the Crowd),John
Steinbeck(Viva Zapata!), andHarold Pinter(The Last Tycoon). As an
instrumental figure in the careers of many of the best writers of
his time, "he always treated them and their work with the utmost
respect."[6]In 2009, a previously unproduced screenplay by
Williams,The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, was released as a film.
Williams wrote the screenplay specifically for Kazan to direct
during the 1950s.[39]Williams became one of Kazan's closest and
most loyal friends, and Kazan often pulled Williams out of
"creative slumps" by redirecting his focus with new ideas. In 1959,
in a letter to Kazan, he writes, Some day you will know how much I
value the great things you did with my work, how you lifted it
above its measure by your great gift.[23]Among Kazan's other films
werePanic in the Streets(1950),East of Eden(1955),Baby
Doll(1956),Wild River(1960), andThe Last Tycoon(1976).Literary
career[edit]This section requiresexpansion.(July 2013)
In between his directing work he wrote four best-selling novels,
includingAmerica, America, andThe Arrangement, both of which tell
the story of Kazan's Greek immigrant ancestors. Both novels were
later made into films.Directing style[edit]Preference for unknown
actors[edit]Kazan strove for "cinematic realism," a quality he
often achieved by discovering and working with unknown actors, many
of whom treated him as their mentor, which gave him the flexibility
to depict "social reality with both accuracy and vivid
intensity."[6]He also felt that casting the right actors accounted
for 90% of a movie's ultimate success or failure.[40]As a result of
his efforts, he also gave actors such asLee Remick,Jo Van
Fleet,Warren Beatty,Andy Griffith,James Dean, andJack Palance,
their first major movie roles. He explained to director and
producerGeorge Stevens, Jr.that he felt that "big stars are barely
trained or not very well trained. They also have bad habits...
they're not pliable anymore." Kazan also describes how and why he
gets to know his actors on a personal level:[5]Now what I try to do
is get to know them very well. I take them to dinner. I talk to
them. I meet their wives. I find out what the hell the human
material is that I'm dealing with, so that by the time I take an
unknown he's not an unknown to me.[5]Kazan goes on to describe how
he got to understand James Dean, as an example:When I met him he
said, "I'll take you for a ride on my motorbike... It was his way
of communicating with me, saying "I hope you like me," ... I
thought he was an extreme grotesque of a boy, a twisted boy. As I
got to know his father, as I got to know about his family, I
learned that he had been, in fact, twisted by the denial of love
... I went toJack Warnerand told him I wanted to use an absolutely
unknown boy. Jack was a crapshooter of the first order, and said,
"Go ahead."[5]Topics of personal and social realism[edit]Kazan
chooses his subjects to express personal and social events that he
is familiar with. He describes his thought process before taking on
a project:I don't move unless I have some empathy with the basic
theme. In some way the channel of the film should also be in my own
life. I start with an instinct. With "East of Eden" ... it's really
the story of my father and me, and I didn't realize it for a long
time... In some subtle or not-so-subtle way, every film is
autobiographical. A thing in my life is expressed by the essence of
the film. Then I know it experientially, not just mentally. I've
got to feel that it's in some way about me, some way about my
struggles, some way about my pain, my hopes.[5]Film historian
Joanna E. Rapf notes that among the methods Kazan used in his work
with actors, was his initial focus on "reality", although his style
was not defined as "naturalistic." She adds: "He respects his
script, but casts and directs with a particular eye for expressive
action and the use of emblematic objects."[18]:33Kazan himself
states that "unless the character is somewhere in the actor
himself, you shouldn't cast him."[18]:33In his later years he
changed his mind about some of the philosophy behind the Group
Theater, in that he no longer felt that the theater was a
"collective art," as he once believed:To be successful it should
express the vision, the conviction, and the insistent presence of
one person.[3]Film authorPeter Biskinddescribed Kazan's career as
"fully committed to art and politics, with the politics feeding the
work."[18]:22Kazan, however, has downplayed that impression:I don't
think basically I'm a political animal. I think I'm a self-centered
animal... I think what I was concerned about all my life was to say
something artistically that was uniquely my own.[18]:22Nonetheless,
there have been clear messages in some of his films that involved
politics in various ways. In 1954, he directedOn the Waterfront,
written by screenwriterBudd Schulberg, which was a film about union
corruption in New York. Some critics consider it "one of the
greatest films in the history of international cinema."[6]Another
political film wasA Face in the Crowd(1957). His protagonist,
played byAndy Griffith(in his film debut) is not a politician, yet
his career suddenly becomes deeply involved in politics. According
to film author Harry Keyishian, Kazan and screenwriterBudd
Schulbergwere using the film to warn audiences about the dangerous
potential of the new medium of television. Kazan explains that he
and Schulberg were trying to warn "of the power TV would have in
the political life of the nation." Kazan states, "Listen to what
the candidate says; don't be taken in by his charm or his
trust-inspiring personality. Don't buy the advertisement; buy
what's in the package."[41]Use of "Method" acting[edit]As a product
of the Group Theater and Actors Studio, he was most noted for his
use of"Method" actors, especially Brando and Dean. During an
interview in 1988, Kazan said, "I did whatever was necessary to get
a good performanceincludingso-called Method acting. I made them run
around the set, I scolded them, I inspired jealousy in their
girlfriends... The director is adesperate beast!... You don't deal
with actors as dolls. You deal with them as people who are poets to
a certain degree."[6]ActorRobert De Nirocalled him a "master of a
new kind of psychological and behavioral faith in acting."[3]Kazan
was aware of the limited range of his directing abilities:I don't
have great range. I am no good with music or spectacles. The
classics are beyond me... I am a mediocre director except when a
play or film touches a part of my life's experience... I do have
courage, even some daring. I am able to talk to actors... to arouse
them to better work. I have strong, even violent feelings, and they
are assets.[3]He explained that he tried to inspire his actors to
offer ideas:When I talk to the actors they begin to give me ideas,
and I grab them because the ideas they give me turn them on. I want
the breath of life from them rather than the mechanical fulfillment
of the movement which I asked for... I love actors. I used to be an
actor for eight years, so I do appreciate their job.[5]Kazan,
however, held strong ideas about the scenes, and would try to merge
an actor's suggestions and inner feelings with his own. Despite the
strong eroticism created inBaby Doll, for example, he set limits.
Before shooting a seduction scene betweenEli WallachandCarroll
Baker, he privately asked Wallach, "Do you think you actually go
through with seducing that girl?" Wallach writes, "I hadn't thought
about that question before, but I answered ... 'No.'" Kazan
replies, "Good idea, play it that way."[42]Kazan, many years later,
explained his rationale for scenes in that film:What is erotic
about sex to me is the seduction, not the act... The scene on the
swings (Eli Wallach and Carroll Baker) inBaby Dollis my exact idea
of what eroticism in films should be.[20]Being an "actor's
director"[edit]Joanna Rapf adds that Kazan was most admired for his
close work with actors, noting that directorNicholas Rayconsidered
him "the best actor's director the United States has ever
produced."[18]:22Film historian Foster Hirsch explains that "he
created virtually a new acting style, which was the style of the
Method... [that] allowed for the actors to create great depth of
psychological realism."[43]Among the actors who describe Kazan as
an important influence in their career werePatricia Neal, who
co-starred withAndy GriffithinA Face in the Crowd(1957): "He was
very good. He was an actor and he knew how we acted. He would come
and talk to you privately. I liked him a lot."[43]Anthony
Franciosa, a supporting actor in the film, explains how Kazan
encouraged his actors:He would always say, 'Let me see what you can
do. Let me see it. Don't talk to me about it.' You felt that you
had a man who was completely on your sideno qualms about anything
you did. He gave you a tremendous sense of confidence... He never
made me feel as though I was acting for the camera. Many times, I
never even knew where the camera was.[44]However, in order to get
quality acting fromAndy Griffith, in his first screen appearance,
and achieve what Schickel calls "an astonishing movie
debut,"[33]:338Kazan would often take surprising measures. In one
important and highly emotional scene, for example, Kazan had to
give Griffith fair warning: "I may have to use extraordinary means
to make you do this. I may have to get out of line. I don't know
any other way of getting an extraordinary performance out of an
actor."[45]
Robert De Niro inThe Last Tycoon(1976)ActressTerry Moorecalls
Kazan her "best friend," and notes that "he made you feel better
than you thought you could be. I never had another director that
ever touched him. I was spoiled for life."[43]"He would find out if
your life was like the character," saysCarroll Baker, star ofBaby
Doll, "he was the best director with actors."[43]Kazan's need to
remain close to his actors continued up to his last film,The Last
Tycoon(1976). He remembers thatRobert De Niro, the star of the
film, "would do almost anything to succeed," and even cut his
weight down from 170 to 128 pounds for the role. Kazan adds that De
Niro "is one of a select number of actors I've directed who work
hard at their trade, and the only one who asked to rehearse on
Sundays. Most of the others play tennis. Bobby and I would go over
the scenes to be shot."[16]:766The powerful dramatic roles Kazan
brought out from many of his actors was due, partly, to his ability
to recognize their personal character traits. Although he didn't
know De Niro before this film, for example, Kazan later writes,
"Bobby is more meticulous ... he's very imaginative. He's very
precise. He figures everything out both inside and outside. He has
good emotion. He's a character actor: everything he does he
calculates. In a good way, but he calculates."[6]:210Kazan
developed and used those personality traits for his character in
the film.[16]:766Although the film did poorly at the box office,
some reviewers praised De Niro's acting. Film critic Marie Brenner
writes that "for De Niro, it is a role that surpasses even his
brilliant and daring portrayal of Vito Corleone inThe Godfather,
part II, ... [his] performance deserves to be compared with the
very finest."[46]Marlon Brando, in his autobiography, goes into
detail about the influence Kazan had on his acting:I have worked
with many movie directorssome good, some fair, some terrible. Kazan
was the best actors' director by far of any I've worked for... the
only one who ever really stimulated me, got into a part with me and
virtually acted it with me... he chose good actors, encouraged them
to improvise, and then improvised on the improvisation... He gave
his cast freedom and ... was always emotionally involved in the
process and his instincts were perfect... I've never seen a
director who became as deeply and emotionally involved in a scene
as Gadg... he got so wrought up that he started chewing on his
hat.He was an arch-manipulator of actors' feelings, and he was
extraordinarily talented; perhaps we will never see his like
again.[31]HUAC testimony[edit]See also:Hollywood BlacklistUntil his
death, Kazan remained controversial in some circles for testimony
he gave before theHouse Committee on Un-American Activities(HUAC)
in 1952, a period that many, such as journalist Michael Mills, feel
was "the most controversial period in Hollywood history."[47]When
he was in his mid-20s, during the Depression years 1934 to 1936, he
had been a member of the AmericanCommunist Partyin New York, for a
year and a half.In April 1952, the Committee called on Kazan, under
oath, to identify Communists from that period 16 years earlier.
Kazan initially refused to provide names, but eventually named
eight formerGroup Theatermembers who he said had been
Communists:Clifford Odets,J. Edward Bromberg, Lewis Leverett,Morris
Carnovsky,Phoebe Brand, Tony Kraber, Ted Wellman, andPaula Miller,
who later marriedLee Strasberg. He testified that Odets quit the
party at the same time that he did.[48]All the persons named were
already known to HUAC, however.[3][49]The move cost Kazan many
friends within the film industry, including playwrightArthur
Millerand actorMarlon Brando.Kazan would later write in his
autobiography of the "warrior pleasure at withstanding his
'enemies.'"[50]When Kazan received an Honorary Academy Award in
1999, the audience was noticeably divided in their reaction, with
some includingNick Nolte,Ed Harris,Ian McKellenandAmy
Madiganrefusing to applaud, and many others, such as actorsKathy
Bates,Meryl StreepandWarren Beattyand producerGeorge Stevens,
Jr.standing and applauding.[51]Stevens speculates on why he,
Beatty, and many others in the audience chose to stand and
applaud:I never discussed it with Warren, but I believe we were
both standing for same reasonout of regard for the creativity, the
stamina and the many fierce battles and lonely nights that had gone
into the man's twenty motion pictures.[5]Los Angeles Timesfilm
critic Kenneth Turan, agreed, writing "The only criterion for an
award like this is the work". Kazan was already "denied accolades"
from theAmerican Film Institute, and other film critics
associations. According to Mills, "Its time for the Academy to
recognize this genius," adding that "We applauded when the great
Chaplin finally had his hour."[47]In later interviews, Kazan
explained some of the early events that made him decide to become a
friendly witness, most notably in relation to the Group Theater,
which he called his first "family," and the "best thing
professionally" that ever happened to him:The Group Theatre said
that we shouldn't be committed to any fixed political program set
by other people outside the organisation. I was behaving
treacherously to the Group when I met downtown at CP [Communist
Party] headquarters, to decide among the Communists what we should
do in the Group, and then come back and present a united front,
pretending we had not been in caucus...I was tried by the Party and
that was one of the reasons I became so embittered later. The trial
was on the issue of my refusal to follow instructions, that we
should strike in the Group Theatre, and insist that the membership
have control of its organisation. I said it was an artistic
organisation, and I backed up Clurman and Strasberg who were not
Communists... The trial left an indelible impression on me...
Everybody else voted against me and they stigmatised me and
condemned my acts and attitude. They were asking for confession and
self-humbling. I went home that night and told my wife "I am
resigning." But for years after I resigned, I was still faithful to
their way of thinking. I still believed in it. But not in the
American Communists. I used to make a difference and think: "These
people here are damned fools but in Russia they have got the real
thing," until I learned about theHitler-Stalin pact, and gave up on
theUSSR.[52]Mills notes that prior to becoming a "friendly
witness," Kazan discussed the issues with Miller:To defend a
secrecy I dont think right and to defend people who have already
been named or soon would be by someone else... I hate the
Communists and have for many years, and dont feel right about
giving up my career to defend them. I will give up my film career
if it is in the interests of defending something I believe in, but
not this.[47]Miller put his arm around Kazan and retorted, "dont
worry about what Ill think. Whatever you do is okay with me,
because I know that your heart is in the right place."[47]In his
memoirs, Kazan writes that his testimony meant that "the big shot
had become the outsider." He also notes that it strengthened his
friendship with another outsider,Tennessee Williams, with whom he
collaborated on numerous plays and films. He called Williams "the
most loyal and understanding friend I had through those black
months."[16]:495Personal life[edit]Elia Kazan was married three
times.[3]His first wife was playwrightMolly Day Thacher. They were
married from 1932 until her death in 1963; this marriage produced
two daughters and two sons, including screenwriterNicholas Kazan.
His second marriage, to the actressBarbara Loden, lasted from 1969
until her death in 1980, and produced one son. His marriage, in
1982, toFrances Rudgecontinued until his death, in 2003, aged 94.In
1978, the U.S. government paid for Kazan and his family to travel
to Kazan's birthplace where many of his films were to be shown.
During a speech in Athens, he discussed his films and his personal
and business life in the U.S., along with the messages he tried to
convey:In my own view, the solution is to talk about human beings
and not about abstracts, to reveal the culture and the social
moment as it is reflected in the behavior and the lives of
individual people. Not to be "correct." To be total. So I do not
believe in any ideology that does not permitno encouragethe freedom
of the individual.[53]He also offered his opinions about the role
of the U.S. as a world model for democracy:I think you and I, all
of us, have some sort of stake in the United States. If it fails,
the failure will be that of us all. Of mankind itself. It will cost
us all. . . . I think of the United States as a country which is an
arena and in that arena there is a drama being played out. . . . .
I have seen that the struggle is the struggle of free men.[53]Elia
Kazan died from natural causes in his Manhattan apartment, 28
September 2003 aged 94.Legacy[edit]Kazan became known as an
"actor's director" because he was able to elicit some of the best
performances in the careers of many of his stars, such as Marlon
Brando, Rod Steiger, Karl Malden, James Dean, Julie Harris,Carroll
Baker,Eli WallachandNatalie Wood. Under his direction, his actors
received 21 Academy Award nominations and won nine Oscars. He won
asBest DirectorforGentleman's Agreement(1947) and forOn the
Waterfront(1954), which is considered "one of the greatest films in
the history of international cinema."[6]BothA Streetcar Named
Desire(1951) andOn the Waterfrontwere nominated for twelve Academy
Awards, respectively winning four and eight.
On the set ofSplendor in the Grass(1961)Kazan never lost his
identification with the oppressed people he remembered from the
depths of theGreat Depression. With his many years with theGroup
TheaterandActors Studioin New York City and later triumphs on
Broadway, he became famous "for the power and intensity of his
actors' performances."[6]He was the pivotal figure in launching the
film careers ofMarlon Brando,James Dean,Julie Harris,Eva Marie
Saint,Warren Beatty,Lee Remick,Karl Malden, and many others. Seven
of Kazan's films won a total of 20Academy Awards.Dustin
Hoffmancommented that he "doubted whether he,Robert De Niro, orAl
Pacino, would have become actors without Mr. Kazan's
influence."[3]Upon his death, at the age of 94, theNew York
Timesdescribed him as "one of the most honored and influential
directors in Broadway and Hollywood history."[3]His stage direction
ofDeath of a SalesmanandA Streetcar Named Desireis considered a
"high point of world theater" in the 20th century. Although he
became a "legendary director on Broadway", he made an equally
impressive transition into one of the major filmmakers of his time.
Critic William Baer notes that throughout his career "he constantly
rose to the challenge of his own aspirations", adding that "he was
a pioneer and visionary who greatly affected the history of both
stage and cinema".[6]Certain of his film-related material and
personal papers are contained in theWesleyan UniversityCinema
Archives to which scholars and media experts from around the world
may have full access.[54]His controversial stand during his
testimony in front of theHouse Committee on Un-American
Activities(HUAC) in 1952, became the low point in his career,
although he remained convinced that he made the right decision to
give the names of Communist Party members. He stated in an
interview in 1976:I would rather do what I did than crawl in front
of a ritualistic Left and lie the way those other comrades did, and
betray my own soul. I didn't betray it. I made a difficult
decision.[6]During his career, Kazan won both Tony and Oscar Awards
for excellence on stage and screen. In 1982, PresidentRonald
Reaganpresented him with the Kennedy Center honors award, a
national tribute for life achievement in the arts. At the ceremony,
screenwriterBudd Schulberg, who wroteOn the Waterfront, thanks his
lifelong friend saying, Elia Kazan has touched us all with his
capacity to honor not only the heroic man, but the hero in every
man.[3]In an interview with theAmerican Film Institutein 1976,
Kazan spoke of his love of the cinema: "I think it's the most
wonderful art in the world."[6]In 1999, when he was 90 years old,
Kazan received an honoraryOscarfor lifetime achievement. During the
ceremony, he was accompanied byMartin ScorseseandRobert De Niro.
The propriety of such an honor for Kazan who "named names" at the
HUAC hearings remains a "contentious subject" according to theNew
York Times.[55]Many inHollywoodfelt that enough time had passed
that it was appropriate to finally recognize Kazan's great artistic
accomplishments, although others did not and would not
applaud.[56][57]Kazan appreciated the award:I want to thank the
Academy for its courage, its generosity. Thank you all very much.
Now I can just slip away.[58]In his autobiography,A Life, he sums
up the influence of filmmaking on his life:I realize now that work
was my drug. It held me together. It kept me high. When I wasn't
working, I didn't know who I was or what I was supposed to do. This
is general in the film world. You are so absorbed in making a film,
you can't think of anything else. It's your identity, and when it's
done you are nobody.[16]:260Martin Scorsesehas directed a film
documentary,A Letter to Elia(2010), considered to be an "intensely
personal and deeply moving tribute" to Kazan. Scorsese was
"captivated" by Kazan's films as a young man, and the documentary
mirrors his own life story while he also credits Kazan as the
inspiration for his becoming a filmmaker.[11][12]It won aPeabody
Awardin 2010.[59]Awards and honors[edit]Academy Awards 1948: Best
DirectorGentleman's Agreement 1955: Best DirectorOn the Waterfront
1999: Academy Honorary AwardLifetime AchievementNominations 1964:
Best PictureAmerica, America 1964: Best Adapted ScreenplayAmerica,
America 1964: Best DirectorAmerica, America 1956: Best DirectorEast
of Eden 1952: Best DirectorA Streetcar Named DesireTony Awards
1959: Best DirectionJ.B. 1949: Best DirectorDeath of a Salesman
1947: Best DirectionAll My SonsNominations 1956: Best DirectorCat
on a Hot Tin Roof 1958: Best PlayThe Dark at the Top of the Stairs
1958: Best DirectorThe Dark at the Top of the Stairs 1960: Best
Direction of a PlaySweet Bird of Youth 1965: Best Producer of a
PlayTartuffeCannes Film Festival Awards 1955: Best Dramatic
FilmEast of EdenNominations 1952: Grand Prize of the FestivalViva
Zapata! 1955:Palme d'Or(Golden Palm)East of Eden 1972: Palme
d'OrThe VisitorsVenice Film Festival Awards 1950: International
AwardPanic in the Streets 1951: Special Jury PrizeA Streetcar Named
Desire 1954: Italian Film Critics AwardOn the Waterfront 1954:Leone
dArgento(Silver Lion)On the Waterfront 1955: OCIC AwardOn the
WaterfrontNominations 1948:Leone d'Oro(Golden Lion)Gentleman's
Agreement 1950: Leone d'OroPanic in the Streets(1950) 1951: Leone
d'OroA Streetcar Named Desire 1954: Leone d'OroOn the
WaterfrontBritish Academy Film AwardsNominations 1953: Best Film
from any SourceA Streetcar Named Desire 1953: Best Film from any
SourceViva Zapata! 1955: Best Film from any SourceOn the Waterfront
1956: Best Film from any SourceEast of Eden 1957: Best Film from
any SourceBaby DollBerlin Film Festival AwardsNominations
1953:Golden BearMan on a Tightrope[60] 1960: Golden BearWild
River[61] 1996: Honorary Golden Bear[62]
In addition to these awards, Kazan has a star on theHollywood
Walk of Fame, which is located on 6800 Hollywood Boulevard.[63]He
is also a member of theAmerican Theater Hall of
Fame.[64]Filmography[edit]YearFilmOscar nominationsOscar
winsVideosAudios
1937People of the Cumberland(as assistant director only)
1940City for Conquest(as actor only)scenes
1941Blues in the Night(as actor only)trailer
1945A Tree Grows in Brooklyn21scenes
Watchtower Over Tomorrow
1947The Sea of Grass
Boomerang!1
Gentleman's Agreement83trailer
1949Pinky3trailer
1950Panic in the Streets11scenes
1951A Streetcar Named Desire124trailer
1952Viva Zapata!51trailer
1953Man on a Tightropescene
1954On the Waterfront128trailer
1955East of Eden41trailer
1956Baby Doll4trailer
1957A Face in the Crowdtrailer
1960Wild Riverscene
1961Splendor in the Grass21trailer
1963America, America41scenes
1969The Arrangementtrailer
1972The Visitorsinterview
1976The Last Tycoon1scene
Bibliography[edit] Kazan, Elia (1962).America America. New York:
Popular Library.OCLC21378773. Kazan, Elia (1967).The Arrangement: A
Novel. New York: Stein and Day.OCLC36500300. Kazan, Elia (1972).The
Assassins. London: Collins.ISBN0-00-221035-5. Ciment, Michel
(1974).Kazan on Kazan. Viking.. Originally published 1973 by Secker
and Warburg, London. Kazan, Elia (1975).The Understudy. New York:
Stein and Day.OCLC9666336. Kazan, Elia (1977).A Kazan Reader. New
York: Stein and Day.ISBN0-8128-2193-9. Kazan, Elia (1978).Acts of
Love. New York: Warner.ISBN0-446-85553-7. Kazan, Elia (1982).The
Anatolian. New York: Knopf.ISBN0-394-52560-4. Kazan, Elia
(1988).Elia Kazan: A Life. New York: Knopf.ISBN0-394-55953-3.
Kazan, Elia (1994).Beyond the Aegean. New York:
Knopf.ISBN0-679-42565-9. Kazan, Elia; Young, Jeff (1999).The Master
Director Discusses His Films. New York: Newmarket
Press.ISBN1-55704-338-8. Schickel, Richard (2005).Elia Kazan. New
York: Harper Collins.ISBN978-0-06-019579-3. Kazan, Elia
(2009).Kazan on Directing. New York:
Knopf.ISBN978-0-307-26477-0.See also[edit]Biography portal
References[edit]1. Jump up^"Elia Kazan.". www.britannica.com.
Retrieved2010-09-10.Elia Kazan, original name Elia Kazanjoglous (b.
September 7, 1909, Constantinople (Istanbul), Ottoman Empire d.
September 28, 2003, New York, New York, U.S.).2. Jump up^Later in
his life, he was known as (Greek pronunciation:[elia kazan]) in
Greece.3. ^Jump up to:abcdefghijklRothstein, Mervyn (September 28,
2003)."Elia Kazan, Influential Director, Dies at 94".The New York
Times. Retrieved2009-01-28.4. Jump up^"Scenes from "City for
Conquest" with Elia Kazan"clips with Elia Kazan5. ^Jump up
to:abcdefghStevens, George Jr.Conversations with the Great
Moviemakers of Hollywood's Golden Age, Alfred A. Knopf (2006) pp.
3894086. ^Jump up to:abcdefghijklmKazan, Elia; Baer, William.Elia
Kazan: Interviews, Univ. Press of Mississippi (2000) pp. viixi7.
Jump up^"Scorsese gets personal in his A Letter to Elia"Gulf News,
Sept. 6, 20108. Jump up^Ciment, Michel.Kubrick: The Definitive
Edition, Faber and Faber, Inc. (1980; 1999)9. Jump up^International
Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers 2: Directors, St. James Press
(1997) pp. 51952210. ^Jump up to:abcdefFreer, Ian.Movie Makers: 50
Iconic Directors, Quercus Publishing (London) (2009) pp. 848511.
^Jump up to:ab"Scorsese Film Defends Anti-Communist Informer
Kazan"ABC News, Sept. 4, 201012. ^Jump up to:ab"A Letter to
Elia"Variety, Sept. 4, 201013. Jump up^"Elia Kazan.".
www.britannica.com. Retrieved2010-09-10.Elia Kazan, original name
Elia Kazanjoglous (b. September 7, 1909, Istanbul, Ottoman Empired.
September 28, 2003, New York, New York, U.S.), Turkish-born
American director and author, noted for his successes on the stage,
especially with plays by Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller, and
for his critically acclaimed films. At age four, Kazan was brought
to the United States with his immigrant Greek family.14. Jump
up^Young, Jeff (2001).Kazan: the master director discusses his
films: interviews with Elia Kazan. Newmarket Press.
p.9.ISBN978-1-55704-446-4.He was born on September 7, 1909 to Greek
parents living in Istanbul. His father, Giorgos Kazantzoglou, had
fled Kayseri, a small village in Anatolia where for five hundred
years the Turks had oppressed and brutalized the Armenian and Greek
minorities who had lived there even longer.15. Jump up^Sennett, Ted
(1986).Great movie directors. Abrams.
pp.128129.ISBN978-0-8109-0718-8.Elia Kazan (born 1909)... Born in
Istanbul, Kazan immigrated to America with his Greek parents at the
age of four16. ^Jump up to:abcdefghiKazan, Elia.Elia Kazan: A Life,
Da Capo Press (1997)17. Jump up^"Noted Film and Theater Director
Elia Kazan Dies".Voice of America News. 29 September 2003.
Retrieved25 July2010.18. ^Jump up to:abcdefghijkRapf, Joanna E.On
the Waterfront, Cambridge Univ. Press (2003)19. Jump up^"Elia Kazan
Biography (1909)". Filmreference.com. Retrieved2010-03-07.20. ^Jump
up to:abcdYoung, Jeff.Kazan: The Master Director Discusses his
Films, Newmarket Press N.Y. (1999) pp. 27227321. ^Jump up
to:abKazan, Elia.Kazan on Directing, Vintage Books (Jan. 2010) pp.
21821922. Jump up^Ciment 1974:15-1923. ^Jump up to:abLahr,
John."Method Man",The New Yorker, Dec. 13, 201024. Jump up^Clifford
Odets: American Playwright: The Years from 1906 to 1940, p. 41025.
Jump up^Pinewood Lake website retrieved on 2010-09-1026. Jump
up^Images of America, Trumbull Historical Society, 1997, p. 12327.
Jump up^Lipton, James.Inside Inside, Dutton, (2007) p. 1428. Jump
up^Bast, W.Surviving James Dean, Barricade Books (2006)29. Jump
up^"Sidney Lumet".Encyclopedia of World Biography, (2004)30. Jump
up^Jones, David Richard.Greate Directors at Work, Univ. of
California Press (1986) p. 231. ^Jump up to:abBrando, Marlon;
Lindsey, Robert.Brando: Songs My Mother Taught Me, Random House
(1994) pp. 16917632. ^Jump up to:abcd"Karl Malden dies at 97;
Oscar-winning actor",Los Angeles Times, July 2, 200933. ^Jump up
to:abSchickel, Richard.Elia Kazan: A Biography, HarperCollins
(2005).34. Jump up^Lifemagazine, July 19, 1954 pp. 45-5035. Jump
up^Springer, Claudia.James Dean Transfigured: The Many Faces of
Rebel Iconography, Univ. of Texas Press (2007)36. ^Jump up
to:abcRathgeb, Douglas L.The Making of Rebel Without a Cause,
McFarland (2004) p. 2037. ^Jump up to:abcdeBiskind, Peter.Star: How
Warren Beatty Seduced America, Simon & Schuster (2010) pp.
243338. ^Jump up to:abcdFinstad, Suzanne.Natasha: The Biography of
Natalie Wood, Three Rivers Press (2001)39. Jump up^"Unproduced
Tennessee Williams screenplay finally reaching movie theaters",Los
Angeles Times, Nov. 25, 200940. Jump up^"Countdown to the Oscars:
No Oscar love for casting directors"Los Angeles Times, Feb. 21,
201141. Jump up^Keyishian, Harry.Screening Politics: The Politician
in American Movies, Rowman & Littlefield (2003) p. 6242. Jump
up^Wallach, Eli.The Good, the Bad, and Me: In My Anecdotage,
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2005) p. 17243. ^Jump up to:abcd"Elia
Kazan, an actor's director",Los Angeles Times, Feb. 17, 201044.
Jump up^Salvi, Delia.Friendly Enemies: Maximizing the
Director-Actor Relationship, Watson-Guptill (2002) pp. 23924045.
Jump up^Williamson, Jerry Wayne.Hillbillyland: What the Movies Did
to the Mountains and What the Mountains Did to the Movies, Univ. of
North Carolina Press Books (1995) p. 16846. Jump up^Brenner, Marie.
"Tender is the Plight",Texas Monthly, January 1977.47. ^Jump up
to:abcdMills, Michael."ModernTimes"48. Jump up^Associated Press
(April 12, 1952)."Director Names Stage Reds".Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. p.2. Retrieved7 August2010.49. Jump up^Navasky,
Victor(1980).Naming Names. New York:Viking Press.
pp.199222.ISBN978-0-670-50393-3.50. Jump up^"Arthur Miller versus
Elia Kazan, revisited",Los Angeles Times, Dec. 26, 200951. Jump
up^Weinraub, Bernard (February 23, 1999)."Kazan Honor Stirs Protest
By Blacklist Survivors".The New York Times. Retrieved2009-01-28.52.
Jump up^Ciment 1974:2253. ^Jump up to:abCiment, Michel (ed.)Elia
Kazan: An American Odyssey, Bloomsbury Publ. U.K. (1988) p. 23154.
Jump up^http://www.wesleyan.edu/cinema/55. Jump up^Michael
Cieply(2007-09-11)."A Voice From the Blacklist: Documentary Lets
Dalton Trumbo Speak".The New York Times(New York).
Retrieved2008-01-04.56. Jump up^"Elia Kazan receiving an Honorary
Oscar". YouTube. 2008-04-24. Retrieved2010-03-07.57. Jump
up^Weinraub, Bernard (1999-03-22)."Amid Protests, Elia Kazan
Receives His Oscar". NYTimes.com. Retrieved2010-03-07.58. Jump
up^Kazan, Elia.Receiving Honorary Academy Awardvideo59. Jump
up^70th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2011.60. Jump up^"1st Berlin
International Film Festival: In Competition".berlinale.de.
Retrieved2009-12-22.61. Jump up^"IMDB.com: Awards for Wild
River".imdb.com. Retrieved2010-01-18.62. Jump up^"Berlinale: 1996
Prize Winners".berlinale.de. Retrieved2012-01-01.63. Jump up^"Elia
Kazan".64. Jump up^"Theater Hall of Fame members".Further
reading[edit] Jones, David, Richard (1986).Great directors at work:
Stanislavsky, Brecht, Kazan, Brook. Berkeley; London: University of
California Press.ISBN0-520-04601-3. Ciment, Michel (1988).An
American Odyssey. London: Bloomsbury Publishing
Ltd.ISBN0-7475-0241-2. Schickel, Richard (2005).Elia Kazan: A
Biography. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN0-06-019579-7.
Murphy, Brenda (2006).Tennessee Williams and Elia Kazan: a
collaboration in the theatre. Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press.ISBN0-521-03524-4.External links[edit]Wikiquote has
quotations related to:Elia Kazan
Videos[edit] The Life, Works, and Impact of Elia Kazanvideo, 10
minutes Receiving an Honorary Oscarvideo, 3 minutes "The Films of
Elia Kazan", movie clip compilation Christopher Plummer Working
with Elia Kazanvideo, 5 minutesArticles[edit] Elia Kazanat
theInternet Broadway Database Elia Kazanat theInternet Movie
Database Works by or about Elia Kazanin libraries (WorldCatcatalog)
Method Man: Elia Kazan's Singular Career by John Lahr in The New
Yorker (A Critic at Large) Assessing Kazan: His Life and Choice
(NYT Books of the Times) Some notes on Kazan, HUAC, and the
aftermath of his testimony including his April 13, 1952 statement
in the New York Times Elia KazanatFind a Grave Literature on Elia
Kazan[show]Awards for Elia Kazan
[show] v t eFilms directed byElia Kazan
Authority control WorldCat VIAF:68930931 LCCN:n50046382
ISNI:0000 0001 2281 2702 GND:118776975 SUDOC:028947169
BNF:cb11909522q(data) NDL:00445322 NKC:jn20000700871
Categories: 1909 births 2003 deaths Academy Honorary Award
recipients American anti-communists American film directors
American film producers American male film actors American people
of Greek descent American screenwriters American theatre directors
American Theater Hall of Fame inductees American writers of Greek
descent Best Director Academy Award winners Best Director Golden
Globe winners Directors Guild of America Award winners Donaldson
Award winners English-language film directors Golden Globe Award
winning producers Kennedy Center honorees Ottoman emigrants to the
United States People from Kayseri People from New Rochelle, New
York Tony Award winners Williams College alumni Yale School of
Drama alumni