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John Sturges
Life Time
3 January 1910 - 18 August 1992
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John Eliot Sturges was born on January 3, 1911 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. He began his career in cinema in 1932 at the RKO studio, where he worked as an assistant artist and editorial assistant. Then Sturges appeared in the film crew of David Salznick as a production designer and editor. He became a director in the U.S. Army Air Force, where he served as a captain. During the service, Sturges made more than forty documentary and educational films, one of which, Thunderbolt (1945), was staged with
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John Eliot Sturges was born on January 3, 1911 in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. He began his career in cinema in 1932 at the RKO studio, where he worked as an assistant artist and editorial assistant. Then Sturges appeared in the film crew of David Salznick as a production designer and editor. He became a director in the U.S. Army Air Force, where he served as a captain. During the service, Sturges made more than forty documentary and educational films, one of which, Thunderbolt (1945), was staged with William Wyler. On his return to Hollywood, John Sturges, who had a hand in directing, began making feature films. However, he gained fame only in 1954, when he directed "Bad Day in Black Rock" with Spencer Tracy, as well as Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan and Anne Frances. The director managed to create a bright thriller in which he touched upon the topical topic of racism and violence that became in those years. For this work, John Sturges was nominated for an Oscar in the nomination “best director”. In 1957, the film "Shootout in the O.K. Coral" was released on the screens, which turned out to be a new success of Sturges. His directorial reputation was confirmed by The Old Man and the Sea (1958) and The Last Train from Gun Hill (1959), in which Spencer Tracy and Kirk Douglas starred. In 1960, John Sturges based on Akira Kurosawa’s film “Seven Samurai” staged one of the best westerns of world cinema – “The Magnificent Seven”. The main roles starred Yul Brynner and Eli Wallach, and actors Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, James Coburn film brought to the "star" orbit. The basis of the military film “The Great Escape” (1963), considered the pinnacle of Sturges’ work, lay the real events of the Second World War. Among the director's subsequent films are the adventure films "Ice Station Zebra" (1968) and "Marooned" (1969), the westerns "Joe Kidd" (1972) with Clint Eastwood and "Horses of Valdez" (1973) with Charles Bronson, the military film "The Eagle Landed" (1976) with Michael Kane and Donald Sutherland. After filming "Eagle" John Sturges retired only once, in 1991, returning to the cinema: then a special issue of the film "The Great Escape" was created. He died of a heart attack on August 18, 1992 in San Luis Obispo (California, USA).