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Elia Kazan

Elia Kazan

Highest Rated: 100% A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

Lowest Rated: 14% The Sea of Grass (1947)

Birthday: Sep 7, 1909

Birthplace: Istanbul, Ottoman Sultanate

A rare talent who scaled the heights of two artistic disciplines, Elia Kazan overcame humble roots to establish himself as both a driving force in American theater and as a highly-regarded filmmaker. Along the way, he would win three Academy Awards for directing classics like "On the Waterfront" (1954) and "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) and be the recipient of an equal number of Tony Awards for his direction of such Broadway landmarks as "Death of a Salesman." Kazan would be further lauded as a pioneer of social justice in cinema, and his daring examinations of topics like racial and religious prejudice came during a time when such things were discouraged by movie studios. Such displays of depth, daring and humanity influenced a generation of filmmakers including Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola. Kazan's groundbreaking work with The Actor's Studio also earned him much credit for his promotion of "The Method," and he was instrumental in launching the careers of such practitioners of that craft as Marlon Brando, James Dean and Warren Beatty.

Highest rated movies

100% A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

Photos

BABY DOLL, cinematographer Boris Kaufman (glasses, dark shirt, sitting to the left on the camera dolly), director Elia Kazan (sitting next to the camera), foreground right: Eli Wallach, Carroll Baker, on set, 1956 ON THE WATERFRONT, director Elia Kazan, 1954 THE ARRANGEMENT, Carol Rossen, Elia Kazan, 1969 ARRANGEMENT, THE (1969), L-R: Jack L. Warner, Elia Kazan, Benjamin Kalmenson. Writer/Director/Producer, Elia Kazan, is shaking hands with the Chairman & President of Warner Bros. They agree to pay Kazan a million to make the film from his novel, 6/12/67. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, director Elia Kazan, Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty at the film's press conference, c. 1961 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, Billy Halop, Richard Whorf, Elia Kazan, Joyce Compton, Matt McHugh, 1941 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, Jack Carson, Priscilla Lane, Elia Kazan, Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan, 1941 ON THE WATERFRONT, director Elia Kazan on the set with Eva Marie Saint, 1954 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Billy Halop, Elia Kazan, Richard Whorf, 1941 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Elia Kazan, Jack Carson, Richard Whorf, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, 1941 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, Priscilla Lane, Richard Whorf, Elia Kazan, 1941 BABY DOLL, Director, Elia Kazan, sets up a scene with, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, 1956. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, L-R: Joan Collins, Warren Beatty, Elia Kazan, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, 1961. Wagner & Collins were visiting the set. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, director Elia Kazan, Vivien Leigh, on set, 1951 AMERICA AMERICA, director Elia Kazan, Stathis Giallelis on set, 1963 BABY DOLL, Director, Elia Kazan, sets up a scene with, Carroll Baker, Eli Wallach, 1956. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, Natalie Wood, director Elia Kazan on the set, 1961 BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Elia Kazan, Richard Whorf, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, 1941 SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS, barechested Director, Elia Kazan, with Phyllis Diller and showgirls, 1961. BLUES IN THE NIGHT, from left, Richard Whorf, Billy Halop, Elia Kazan, 1941
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
100% 95% A Personal Journey With Martin Scorsese Through American Movies Himself (archive footage) (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Elia Kazan: A Director's Journey Unknown (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Mist Old man in the coffee house (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Elia Kazan: An Outsider Unknown (Character) - 1982
33% 40% The Last Tycoon Director - 1976
No Score Yet 38% The Visitors Director - 1972
15% 63% The Arrangement Director,
Producer,
Screenwriter 		- 1969
67% 85% America, America Director,
Writer,
Producer 		- 1963
74% 90% Splendor in the Grass Director,
Producer 		- 1961
92% 83% Wild River Director,
Producer 		- 1960
88% 94% A Face in the Crowd Director - 1957
83% 80% Baby Doll Director,
Producer 		- 1956
86% 90% East of Eden Director,
Producer 		- 1955
99% 95% On the Waterfront Director - 1954
No Score Yet 78% Man on a Tightrope Director - 1953
56% 76% Viva Zapata! Director - 1952
97% 90% A Streetcar Named Desire Director - 1951
97% 77% Panic in the Streets Director - 1950
67% 72% Pinky Director - 1949
76% 64% Boomerang! Director - 1947
82% 78% Gentleman's Agreement Director - 1947
14% 35% The Sea of Grass Director - 1947
94% 90% A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Director - 1945
No Score Yet 58% Blues in the Night Nickie Haroyen (Character) - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet The People of the Cumberland Director - 1937
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pie in the Sky Unknown (Character),
Executive Producer 		- 1935