George Stevens: Film Director

A Place In The Sun, Diary of Anne Frank and Greatest Story Ever Told

Feb 25, 2007

Known for inspiring actors such as Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean, Stevens has amassed an impressive filmography.

George Stevens was born in Oakland, California in 1904. When he was a child, his parents (both stage actors), moved to Los Angeles to find work, and it was in Hollywood that Stevens later began his career as a cameraman working on Laurel and Hardy comedy shorts. He directed his first screen success in 1935, the romantic comedy Alice Adams, starring Katherine Hepburn.

Stevens was known for his compassion and ability to instill confidence in actors. Creating a film required collaborative team effort, and he treated actors with respect and dignity to achieve this goal. He worked with many famous Hollywood stars: Cary Grant, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, James Dean, and he directed Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy in their first film together, Woman of the Year (1942).

“I love the adventure of doing things I haven’t done before” Stevens once said. This desire for innovation combined with a love of storytelling helped Stevens create some of his greatest films. In the early 1950’s, during the height of the “Shoot Em’ Up” cowboy craze, Stevens made a film that portrayed the West in a grittier, more realistic light. Paramount Studios, concerned with high production cost and believing the film would be a box office failure, offered to sell it to Howard Hughes. But Stevens finished the picture and Shane became a popular success, nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award in 1953. Today Shane is considered a classic, not only within the Western genre, but also as a work of art.

When the Second World War began, Stevens joined the army, and was assigned a team of cameramen. They recorded the British invasion of Normandy and liberation of Paris; however, it was the Nazi extermination camp Dachau that caused Stevens to look inward and reflect on the human condition. His films A Place in the Sun (1951), The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) are a film trilogy which reflect his inner questioning and exploration of life’s fragile nature and the human need for faith.

George Stevens said: “Life is a journey and it’s always most interesting when you’re not sure where you’re going”. This belief guided Stevens throughout his life and film career. He worked with a clear vision and belief that film has the power to touch the human heart. There is much to learn from George Stevens. His films still deserve our attention today.

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