Clarence Brown
Encyclopedia
Clarence Brown was an American film director.
, to a cotton manufacturer, Brown moved to the South when he was 11. He attended Knoxville High School
and the University of Tennessee
, both in Knoxville, Tennessee
, graduating from the university at the age of 19 with two degrees in engineering
. An early fascination in automobiles led Brown to a job with the Stevens-Duryea
Company, then to his own Brown Motor Car Company in Alabama
. He later abandoned the car dealership after developing an interest in motion pictures around 1913. He was hired by the Peerless Studio at Fort Lee, New Jersey
, and became an assistant to the French-born director Maurice Tourneur
.
, Brown was given his first co-directing credit (with Tourneur) for The Great Redeemer (1920). Later that year, he directed a major portion of The Last of the Mohicans after Tourneur was injured in a fall.
Brown moved to Universal
in 1924, and then to MGM
, where he stayed until the mid-1950s. At MGM he was one of the main directors of their female stars–he directed both Joan Crawford
and Greta Garbo
six times. Garbo called Brown her favorite director.
He not only made the difficult transition from silent cinema to sound cinema, but thrived there, proving himself to be a 'actor's director': listening to his actors', respecting their instincts, and often incorporating their suggestions into scenes. In doing so, Brown created believable, under-played, naturalistic dialogue scenes stripped of melodrama, pulsing with the honest rhythms of real-life conversation. He was nominated five times (see below) for the Academy Award
as a director, and once as a producer, but never received an Oscar. However, he did win Best Foreign Film for Anna Karenina
at the 1935 Venice International Film Festival.
Brown's films gained a total of 38 Academy Award nominations and earned nine Oscars. Brown himself received six Academy Award nominations and in 1949 won the British Academy Award for the film version of William Faulkner
's Intruder in the Dust
.
Brown retired a wealthy man due to his real estate investments, but refused to watch new movies, as he feared they might cause him to restart his career. In the 1970s, Brown became a much-sought guest lecturer on the film-festival circuit, thanks in part to his connection with Garbo.
The Clarence Brown Theater, on the campus of the University of Tennessee
, is named in his honor. He is tied with Robert Altman
and Alfred Hitchcock
for the most Academy Award nominations for best director without a single win.
NOTE: In 1929/1930, Brown received one Academy Award nomination for two films. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "As allowed by the award rules for this year, a single nomination could honor work in one or more films."
Early life
Born in Clinton, MassachusettsClinton, Massachusetts
Clinton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 13,606 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Clinton, please see the article Clinton , Massachusetts....
, to a cotton manufacturer, Brown moved to the South when he was 11. He attended Knoxville High School
Knoxville High School (Tennessee)
Knoxville High School was a public high school in Knoxville, Tennessee, that operated from 1910 to 1951, enrolling grades 10 to 12. Its building is a contributing property in the Emory Place Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
and the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, both in Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, graduating from the university at the age of 19 with two degrees in engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. An early fascination in automobiles led Brown to a job with the Stevens-Duryea
Stevens-Duryea
Stevens-Duryea was an American manufacturer of automobiles in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts between 1901 and 1915 and from 1919 to 1927.The company was founded after a falling-out between J. Frank Duryea and his brother Charles in 1898...
Company, then to his own Brown Motor Car Company in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. He later abandoned the car dealership after developing an interest in motion pictures around 1913. He was hired by the Peerless Studio at Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee, New Jersey
Fort Lee is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 35,345. Located atop the Hudson Palisades, the borough is the western terminus of the George Washington Bridge...
, and became an assistant to the French-born director Maurice Tourneur
Maurice Tourneur
Maurice Tourneur was an important international film director and screenwriter.-Life:Born Maurice Thomas in the Belleville district of Paris, France, his father was a jeweler. As a young man, Maurice Thomas first trained as a graphic designer and a magazine illustrator but was soon drawn to the...
.
Career
After serving in World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Brown was given his first co-directing credit (with Tourneur) for The Great Redeemer (1920). Later that year, he directed a major portion of The Last of the Mohicans after Tourneur was injured in a fall.
Brown moved to Universal
Universal Studios
Universal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
in 1924, and then to MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, where he stayed until the mid-1950s. At MGM he was one of the main directors of their female stars–he directed both Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
and Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
six times. Garbo called Brown her favorite director.
He not only made the difficult transition from silent cinema to sound cinema, but thrived there, proving himself to be a 'actor's director': listening to his actors', respecting their instincts, and often incorporating their suggestions into scenes. In doing so, Brown created believable, under-played, naturalistic dialogue scenes stripped of melodrama, pulsing with the honest rhythms of real-life conversation. He was nominated five times (see below) for the Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
as a director, and once as a producer, but never received an Oscar. However, he did win Best Foreign Film for Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina (1935 film)
Anna Karenina is a 1935 film directed by Clarence Brown. The film stars Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Basil Rathbone and Maureen O'Sullivan. It is the most famous and critically acclaimed film adaptation of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. There are several other film adaptations of the novel.In New...
at the 1935 Venice International Film Festival.
Brown's films gained a total of 38 Academy Award nominations and earned nine Oscars. Brown himself received six Academy Award nominations and in 1949 won the British Academy Award for the film version of William Faulkner
William Faulkner
William Cuthbert Faulkner was an American writer from Oxford, Mississippi. Faulkner worked in a variety of media; he wrote novels, short stories, a play, poetry, essays and screenplays during his career...
's Intruder in the Dust
Intruder in the Dust (1949 film)
Intruder in the Dust is a 1949 drama film produced and directed by Clarence Brown and starring David Brian and Claude Jarman, Jr. The film is based on the novel Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner.-Cast:* David Brian – John Gavin Stevens...
.
Brown retired a wealthy man due to his real estate investments, but refused to watch new movies, as he feared they might cause him to restart his career. In the 1970s, Brown became a much-sought guest lecturer on the film-festival circuit, thanks in part to his connection with Garbo.
The Clarence Brown Theater, on the campus of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, is named in his honor. He is tied with Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
and Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
for the most Academy Award nominations for best director without a single win.
Filmography
- The Great Redeemer (1920)
- The Last of the Mohicans (1920)
- The Foolish Matrons (1921)
- The Light in the DarkThe Light in the DarkThe Light in the Dark is a 1922 American film directed by Clarence Brown.The film is also known as The Light of Faith.- Cast :*Hope Hampton as Bessie MacGregor*E.K. Lincoln as J.Warburton Ashe*Lon Chaney as Tony Pantelli...
(1922) - Don't Marry for Money (1923)
- The Acquittal (1923)
- The Signal Tower (1924)
- Butterfly (1924)
- The Eagle (1925)
- The Goose WomanThe Goose WomanThe Goose Woman is a 1925 silent film drama directed by Clarence Brown and starring Louise Dresser with Jack Pickford as her son. The film was released by Universal Pictures...
(1925) - Smouldering FiresSmouldering Fires (film)Smouldering Fires is a 1925 Universal silent drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Pauline Frederick. Its plot is similar to the 1933 talking picture Female, starring Ruth Chatterton....
(1925) - Flesh and the DevilFlesh and the DevilFlesh and the Devil is an MGM romantic drama silent film. It stars Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Lars Hanson, and Barbara Kent, directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the play The Undying Past by Hermann Sudermann....
(1926) - KikiKiki (1926 film)Kiki is a 1926 silent comedy film directed by Clarence Brown. The film is based upon a 1920 novel of the same name by André Picard, which was later adapted by David Belasco and performed on Broadway to great success in 1921 by his muse Lenore Ulric....
(1926) - A Woman of AffairsA Woman of AffairsA Woman of Affairs is a 1928 drama film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Lewis Stone...
(1928) - The Trail of '98The Trail of '98The Trail of '98 is a 1928 silent drama film featuring Harry Carey. The film was originally released by MGM in a short-lived widescreen process called Fanthom Screen.-Cast:* Dolores del Río as Berna* Ralph Forbes as Larry* Karl Dane as Lars Petersen...
(1929) - Navy BluesNavy Blues (1929 film)Navy Blues is a 1929 romance film starring William Haines as a sailor and Anita Page as the girl he romances and leaves. This was Haines' first talking picture.-Cast:*William Haines as Jack Kelly*Anita Page as Alice Brown* Karl Dane as Sven Swanson...
(1929) - Wonder of Women (1929)
- Anna ChristieAnna Christie (1930 film)Anna Christie is a 1930 MGM Pre-Code drama film adaptation of the 1922 play by Eugene O'Neill. It was adapted by Frances Marion, produced and directed by Clarence Brown with Paul Bern and Irving Thalberg as co-producers. The cinematography was by William H...
(1930) - Academy Award nomination for Best Director (see NOTE below) - RomanceRomance (1930 film)Romance is a 1930 film which tells the story of a bishop sharing a cautionary tale with a young man, who is going against the wishes of his family, of the dangers of falling in love with "fallen women", by using a story of naivete from his past...
(1930) - Academy Award nomination for Best Director (see NOTE below) - InspirationInspiration (1931 film)Inspiration is a 1931 English language film adapted from the Alphonse Daudet short novel Sappho . It was adapted by Gene Markey, directed by Clarence Brown and produced by Irving Thalberg. The cinematography was by William H...
(1931) - PossessedPossessed (1931 film)Possessed is a Pre-Code 1931 drama film directed by Clarence Brown, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film is the story of Marian Martin, a factory worker who rises to the top as the mistress of a wealthy attorney. The screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee...
(1931) - A Free SoulA Free SoulA Free Soul is a 1931 Pre-Code film which tells the story of an alcoholic defense attorney who must defend his daughter's ex-boyfriend on a charge of murdering the mobster she had started a relationship with; a mobster whom her father had previously got an acquittal for on a murder charge...
(1931) - Academy Award nomination for Best Director - EmmaEmma (1932 film)Emma 1932 is a feature film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer starring Marie Dressler and directed by Clarence Brown.Inventor Frederick Smith's wife dies during the birth of their fourth baby, Ronnie, leaving the family in the care of their faithful housekeeper Emma...
(1932) - Letty LyntonLetty LyntonLetty Lynton is a 1932 MGM drama film starring Joan Crawford, Robert Montgomery and Nils Asther. The film was directed by Clarence Brown, and based on the 1931 novel of the same name by Marie Adelaide Belloc Lowndes. Crawford plays the title character, in a tale of love and blackmail.The film has...
(1932) - The Son-Daughter (1932)
- Looking Forward (1933)
- Night Flight (1933)
- Sadie McKeeSadie McKeeSadie McKee is a 1934 motion picture, directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford, Gene Raymond, Franchot Tone and Edward Arnold. In the film, Crawford plays the title character—a young working girl suffering through three troubled relationships on her road to prosperity.-Synopsis:Sadie...
(1934) - ChainedChained (1934 film)Chained is a 1934 motion picture directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford, Clark Gable and Otto Kruger. The plot concerns a kept woman who finds herself drawn to a charismatic South American rancher while aboard a cruise, all the while still harboring feelings for her married lover...
(1934) - Ah, Wilderness!Ah, Wilderness! (film)Ah, Wilderness! is a 1935 screen adaptation of the Eugene O'Neill play of the same name starring Wallace Beery. The movie was filmed in Grafton, Massachusetts and directed by Clarence Brown. Beery plays the drunken uncle later portrayed on Broadway by Jackie Gleason, and the film features Lionel...
(1935) - Anna KareninaAnna Karenina (1935 film)Anna Karenina is a 1935 film directed by Clarence Brown. The film stars Greta Garbo, Fredric March, Basil Rathbone and Maureen O'Sullivan. It is the most famous and critically acclaimed film adaptation of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. There are several other film adaptations of the novel.In New...
(1935) - Wife vs. SecretaryWife vs. SecretaryWife vs. Secretary is a comedy film directed and co-produced by Clarence Brown. It stars Clark Gable as a successful businessman, Jean Harlow as his secretary, and Myrna Loy as his wife, supported by May Robson as his mother and James Stewart, in one of his first memorable roles, as the...
(1935) - The Gorgeous HussyThe Gorgeous HussyThe Gorgeous Hussy is a 1936 film directed by Clarence Brown, and starring Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor. The film's plot tells a fictionalized account of President of the United States Andrew Jackson and an innkeeper's daughter...
(1936) - Conquest (1937)
- Of Human HeartsOf Human HeartsOf Human Hearts is a 1938 film directed by Clarence Brown and starring Walter Huston, James Stewart and Beulah Bondi. Bondi was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress....
(1938) - Idiot's Delight (1939)
- The Rains CameThe Rains CameThe Rains Came is the title of a novel by Louis Bromfield, published in 1937, as well as the 1939 20th Century Fox film version which followed it...
(1939) - Edison, the ManEdison, the ManEdison, the Man was a 1940 biographical film depicting the life of inventor Thomas Edison, who was played by Spencer Tracy. Hugo Butler and Dore Schary were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story for their work on this film...
(1940) - Come Live with MeCome Live with MeCome Live with Me is a 1941 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy film starring James Stewart and Hedy Lamarr, directed by Clarence Brown.-Plot:...
(1941) - They Met in BombayThey Met in BombayThey Met in Bombay is a 1941 American drama film adventure directed by Clarence Brown. The film stars Clark Gable, Rosalind Russell and Peter Lorre.-Plot:...
(1941) - The Human ComedyThe Human Comedy (film)The Human Comedy is a 1943 drama film directed by Clarence Brown and adapted by Howard Estabrook. It is often thought to be based on the William Saroyan novel of the same name, but actually Saroyan wrote the screenplay first, was fired from the movie project, and quickly wrote the novel and...
(1943) - Academy Award nominations for Best Director and for Best Picture - The White Cliffs of DoverThe White Cliffs of Dover (1944 film)The White Cliffs of Dover is a 1944 film made by Loew's and MGM. It was directed by Clarence Brown and produced by Clarence Brown and Sidney Franklin. The screenplay was by Claudine West, Jan Lustig and George Froeschel, based on the Alice Duer Miller poem titled The White Cliffs with additional...
(1944) - National VelvetNational Velvet (film)National Velvet is a 1944 drama film, in Technicolor, based on the novel by Enid Bagnold, published in 1935. It stars Mickey Rooney, Donald Crisp and a young Elizabeth Taylor....
(1944) - Academy Award nomination for Best Director - The Yearling (1946) - Academy Award nomination for Best Director
- Song of LoveSong of Love (film)Song of Love is a biopic starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Robert Walker, and Leo G. Carroll, directed by Clarence Brown and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer....
(1947) - Intruder in the DustIntruder in the Dust (1949 film)Intruder in the Dust is a 1949 drama film produced and directed by Clarence Brown and starring David Brian and Claude Jarman, Jr. The film is based on the novel Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner.-Cast:* David Brian – John Gavin Stevens...
(1949) - To Please a LadyTo Please a LadyTo Please a Lady is a 1950 drama film produced and directed by Clarence Brown and starring Clark Gable and Barbara Stanwyck. The climactic race scene was shot at the Indianapolis Speedway, Indiana, USA.-Plot synopsis:...
(1950) - Angels in the OutfieldAngels in the Outfield (1951 film)Angels in the Outfield is a 1951 American black-and-white film starring Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh, directed by Clarence Brown, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
(1951) - When in RomeWhen in Rome (1952 film)When in Rome is a film starring Van Johnson, Paul Douglas, and Joseph Calleia. The film was released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and was based on a story by Robert Buckner, Dorothy Kingsley, and Charles Schnee. When in Rome was one of the last films directed by famed MGM director Clarence Brown.-Plot...
(1952) - Plymouth AdventurePlymouth AdventurePlymouth Adventure is a 1952 drama film with an ensemble cast starring Spencer Tracy, Gene Tierney, Van Johnson and Leo Genn, made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, directed by Clarence Brown, and produced by Dore Schary...
(1952)
NOTE: In 1929/1930, Brown received one Academy Award nomination for two films. According to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "As allowed by the award rules for this year, a single nomination could honor work in one or more films."