László Benedek | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benedek László Berger László (1905-03-05)March 5, 1905 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | March 11, 1992(1992-03-11) (aged 87) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery (Bronx, New York) |
| Citizenship | Hungarian American |
| Years active | 1930-1944 editor/assistant director 1944-1976 director |
| Notable work | The Wild One (1953) (director) |
| Spouse(s) | Rejtő Mária (1939-1948) (divorced) Lacerta Weiss (1950-?) (divorced, 2 children)[1] |
| Partner | Danielle DeMers (1944-2013)[2][3] |
| Children | 2[4] |
László Benedek (Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈlaːsloːˈbɛnɛdɛk]; March 5, 1905 – March 11, 1992; sometimesLaslo Benedek) was a Hungarian-bornfilm director and cinematographer, most notable for directingThe Wild One (1953).
He gained recognition for his direction of the film version ofDeath of a Salesman (1951), for which he won theGolden Globe Award for Best Director and a Best Director nomination from theDirectors Guild of America. However, it was for his directorial efforts on his next project that Benedek is best remembered. Hismotorcycle gang filmThe Wild One (1953) caused a storm of controversy and was banned in theUnited Kingdom until 1968.
He was born inBudapest; his half-brother[5] wasGeorge Gerbner.[6] Benedek intended to be a psychiatrist and studied at Vienna and Berlin. He worked in the film industry to pay his bills and ended up deciding to focus on that instead.[7][8]
In Germany, Benedek was cinematographer onThe Mistress (1927). He was assistant director onThe Great Longing (1929), directed bySteve Sekely, and edited and assisted directedThe Man Who Murdered (1931) for directorCurtis Bernhardt. He worked at UFA forJoe Pasternak until 1933. He assisted onHyppolit, the Butler (1931) and editedDie Wasserteufel von Hieflau (1932), andMiss Iza (1933).[9]
When the Nazis came to power, Benedek followed Pasternak to Vienna then Hungary where he editedA Precocious Girl (1934) starringFranciska Gaal andTemptation (1934), both directed byMax Neufeld; he was assistant director on the latter.[10]
He went to England where he worked as a writer onThe Secret of Stamboul (1936), directed by fellow Hungarian expatriateAndrew Marton. In 1937 he moved to the US.[7]
In the US, Benedek worked on the montage scenes ofTest Pilot (1938) at MGM. He editedA Little Bit of Heaven (1940) for Pasternak at Universal.[10]
At MGM he was assistant director onSong of Russia (1944) and worked as an associate producer underJoe Pasternak. Among his jobs included doing screen tests, second unit directing, and supervising the animated dance sequence inAnchors Aweigh (1945).[11]
In 1946 he was linked with communist front organisations.[12]
Benedek made his feature film directing debut withThe Kissing Bandit (1948) at MGM, produced by Pasternak; it was a notorious flop.[13][14]
He went toEagle Lion where he directed a noir,Port of New York (1949) starringYul Brynner. ForStanley Kramer he then madeDeath of a Salesman (1951) which was a financial disappointment.[15][8]
He produced but did not directStorm Over Tibet (1952) (Marton directed), started to direct television, notably episodes ofFootlights Theater, andThe Ford Television Theatre.[16][17]
Kramer gave him the job ofThe Wild One (1953) with Marlon Brando, originally calledThe Cyclist's Raid.[18] He went over to Universal to doBengal Rifles (1954) withRock Hudson.
Benedek returned to Germany to write and directSons, Mothers and a General (1955).[19] Back in the US he made a short withRichard Widmark,Boy with a Knife (1956), then focused on television:The Loretta Young Show,Telephone Time,Four Star Theatre,Cavalcade of America,
Benedek returned to features withAffair in Havana (1957) starringJohn Cassavetes. He wanted to makeAnna for Rank in Britain withLeslie Caron andLouis Jourdan but requested the script be rewritten and then Caron fell pregnant, causing the film to be abandoned.[20]
He also directedMalaga akaMoment of Danger (1960) starringDorothy Dandridge andTrevor Howard. This low budget crime drama was the last film made by Dandridge.
In France, he wrote and directedRecourse in Grace (1960) withRaf Vallone.
In the 1960s Benedek mostly concentrated on TV, doing episodes ofPerry Mason,The Naked City,Thriller,Zane Grey Theater,The Fugitive,The Doctors and the Nurses,The Outer Limits,Mannix,Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,The Untouchables,The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,The Felony Squad,12 O'Clock High,Iron Horse, andCuster.
In 1965 he directed a playBelial.[21]
He returned to features when he produced and directedNamu, the Killer Whale (1967), for fellow HungarianIvan Tors. He directedDaring Game (1968) for Tors,[22] thenThe Night Visitor (1971) andAssault on Agathon (1977).
From 1976 to 1980, he was chairman of the graduate film program at New York University's School of the Arts. In 1983, he became a visiting professor of film at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.[7] He went on to teach at the Film Academy in Munich, Germany, at Rice University in Houston, and at Columbia University in New York City.[23]
Benedek died in 1992 inThe Bronx, New York.[7] He had two daughters, Melinda Norton and Barbara Rhodes, and at the time of his death was partner to painter and printmakerDanielle DeMers.[24]
