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Jean Negulesco – A Romanian at Hollywood
He was not the first Romanian to knock on the gates of Hollywood. Johnny Weissmuller (1904 – 1984), the famous swimmer (winner of 5 Olimpic gold medals) and the actor who played Tarzan in the ’30s and the ‘40s was born in Timisoara (Banat region, that time part of Austria-Hungary Empire). Edward G. Robinson (1893 – 1973) that starred in productions such as Little Caesar, Double Indemnity (the extraordinary 7 Oscar nominations drama by Billy Wilder), Key largo (co-star of Humphrey Bogart) or Soylent Green (co-star of Charlton Heston) and received a posthumous Honorary Academy Award, was born in Bucharest.
Negulesco’s first steps in the movie industry were in 1934, when he worked as an assistant director for Captain Blood and A Farewell to Arms (the cinema adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s novel). He spent the ’30s doing similar activities, including that of screenwriter for the comedy Swiss Miss (starring the great comedians Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy).
He was first entrusted with directing a movie in 1941, with Singapore Woman, from which he was removed but retained credit as a director. His formal debut took place in 1944 with The Mask of Dimetrios, a mystery movie starring Peter Lorre and based upon a novel by Eric Ambler.
In 1948 he directed Johnny Belinda, a drama about the rape of a deaf-mute girl and the scandal triggered by her resulting pregnancy. It was a complete success, the lead actress, Jane Wyman, won an Oscar for her performance, the movie had other 11 nominations (including Best Director for Jean Negulesco and Best Picture) and it was only surpassed by Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet.
This production established Jean Negulesco as an important figure at Hollywood. He befriended stars such as Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman or Humphrey Bogart, had some love affairs with Sophia Loren, Greta Garbo or Marilyn Monroe (about whom he said she is the kind of girl one can’t help but cheat his wife with) and continued his work as a director and writer.
Some of his most appreciated works were: How to Marry a Millionaire (starring Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall and the first movie ever to be shot on Cinemascope), Daddy Long Legs (starring Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron) and Three Coins in a Fountain (winner of 2 Oscars).
Jean Negulesco was a member of The Academy of Motion Picture and in The American-Romanian Academy of Arts and Sciences; he was awarded the Silver Tray by the international Executive Service Corporation and The Laurel Award for his entire work as a director. In 1984 he published his memoirs under the title The Things I Did and Things I Think I Did.
He died in 1993, of a heart failure in Marbella, Spain (where he had been living since the late ‘60s).
Author: Iulian Fira
Pages: Page 1 Page 2
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One Comment to “Jean Negulesco – A Romanian at Hollywood”
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[...] Nascut la Craiova la 1900, romanul Jean Negulescu a avut o viata care ar putea constitui de voie subiectul unui film aparte. A ignorat insistentele parintesti si s-a indreptat spre arte, a bantuit si prin Parisul interbelic, a lucrat la un hotel in Franta, de unde a fost dat afara pentru ca a sedus o clienta. N-a patimit prea mult din cauza asta, pentru ca respectiva, o americanca, era atat de amorezata de chipesul roman, incat l-a luat de barbat si l-a trecut Atlanticul. Asa incepe povestea hollywoodiana a lui Jean Negulescu, care, in timp, a devenit o figura foarte respectata in acest Olimp al cinematografiei si, zica-se, a avut aventuri cu dive grele precum Greta Garbo, Marlyn Monroe sau Sophia Loren (mai multe detalii despre el aveti aici). [...]
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