Anatole Litvak

Director

About

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Also Known As

Mikhail Anatol Litvak

Birth Place

Ukraine

Born

May 10, 1902

Died

December 15, 1974

Biography

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Began his film career at Leningrad's Nordkino studios in 1923, moved to Germany in 1925 and began directing for UFA in 1930. Following the international success of the French production, "Mayerling" (1936), Litvak moved to the US where he signed with Warner Bros. in 1937. He earned a reputation as a capable handler of urban dramas ("City for Conquest" 1940, "Blues in the Night" 1941, "So...

Filmography

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The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun (1970)

The Night of the Generals (1967)

Five Miles to Midnight (1963)

Goodbye Again (1961)

The Journey (1959)

Anastasia (1956)

Photos & Videos

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Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Some Slight Mental Aberration

Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The (1938) -- (Movie Clip) You Make The Perfect Target

Family & Companions

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Miriam Hopkins

Wife

Actor. Married 1937-39.

Sophie Steur

Wife

Fashion designer. Designed costumes for some of Litvak's films.

Biography

Began his film career at Leningrad's Nordkino studios in 1923, moved to Germany in 1925 and began directing for UFA in 1930. Following the international success of the French production, "Mayerling" (1936), Litvak moved to the US where he signed with Warner Bros. in 1937. He earned a reputation as a capable handler of urban dramas ("City for Conquest" 1940, "Blues in the Night" 1941, "Sorry, Wrong Number" 1948) and received critical acclaim for "The Snake Pit" (1948), a harrowing, realistic account of life in a mental institution. Litvak's post-1950s work--all European--consisted primarily of glossy, somewhat turgid star vehicles. He was married to actress Miriam Hopkins (from 1937 to 1939) and costume designer Sophie Steur, who worked on some of his films.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun (1970)

The Night of the Generals (1967)

Five Miles to Midnight (1963)

Goodbye Again (1961)

The Journey (1959)

Anastasia (1956)

The Deep Blue Sea (1955)

Act of Love (1953)

Decision Before Dawn (1951)

The Snake Pit (1948)

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

The Long Night (1947)

This Above All (1942)

Out of the Fog (1941)

Blues in the Night (1941)

Castle on the Hudson (1940)

City for Conquest (1940)

All This, and Heaven Too (1940)

Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939)

The Amazing Doctor Clitterhouse (1938)

The Sisters (1938)

Tovarich (1937)

The Woman I Love (1937)

Mayerling (1935)

Be Mine Tonight (1933)

Sleeping Car (1933)

La Chanson d'une nuit (1932)

Nie Wieder Liebe (1931)

Dolly Macht Karriere (1929)

Assistant Direction (Feature Film)

Napoleon (1929)

Assistant Director

Casanova (1927)

Assistant Director

Writer (Feature Film)

Meet Me at Dawn (1947)

Play As Source Material ("Le Tueur")

Nie Wieder Liebe (1931)

Nie Wieder Liebe (1931)

Producer (Feature Film)

The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun (1970)

10:30 P.M. Summer (1966)

Five Miles to Midnight (1963)

Goodbye Again (1961)

The Journey (1959)

The Deep Blue Sea (1955)

Act of Love (1953)

Decision Before Dawn (1951)

Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)

The Snake Pit (1948)

The Long Night (1947)

Editing (Feature Film)

The Joyless Street (1925)

Production Companies (Feature Film)

The Lady in the Car With Glasses and a Gun (1970)

Goodbye Again (1961)

The Long Night (1947)

All This, and Heaven Too (1940)

Castle on the Hudson (1940)

The Sisters (1938)

The Amazing Doctor Clitterhouse (1938)

Tovarich (1937)

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Going Hollywood: The War Years (1988)

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982)

Life Events

1923

Began film career at Nordkino studios, Leningrad

1925

Moved to Germany

1936

Moved to USA

1937

Signed contract with Warner Bros.

Photo Collections

City for Conquest - Behind-the-Scenes Still

Here is a photo taken behind-the-scenes during production of Warner Bros' City for Conquest (1940), starring Ann Sheridan and directed by Anatole Litvak.

Sorry, Wrong Number - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Sorry, Wrong Number (1948), starring Barbara Stanwyck and Burt Lancaster. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Videos

Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The (1938) -- (Movie Clip) Some Slight Mental Aberration Loyal nurse Randolph (Gale Page) tries to keep up as her employer (Edward G. Robinson), who’s just informed her that he committed a series of big jewel heists, explains his reasoning, which is getting near science fiction, in the Warner Bros. crime drama The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, 1938.

Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The (1938) -- (Movie Clip) You Make The Perfect Target It’s nowhere near clear what Edward G. Robinson’s angle is, but he’s the title character, at a society party, interrupting a burglary by Billy Wayne, Humphrey Bogart escaping, as hostess Mrs. Updyke (Georgia Caine) twitters, Anatole Litvak directing, in Warner Bros.’ The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, 1938.

Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The (1938) -- (Movie Clip) The Guy's A Ghost Edward G. Robinson (title character, dabbling in jewel thievery to satisfy his scientific curiosity) has bluffed his way in to meet fence Jo Keller (Claire Trevor), surprised to find out she’s a girl, Maxie Rosenbloom her goon, Humphrey Bogart her cohort “Rocks,” in The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, 1938.

All This, And Heaven Too (1940) -- (Movie Clip) The Name Of A French Prison Presented by her new employer Miss Haines (Janet Beecher) at a New York girls' school, Henriette (Bette Davis) has trouble with pupils, Emily (Ann Gillis) the ringleader, opening All This, And Heaven Too, from the fact-based novel by Rachel Field.

All This, And Heaven Too (1940) -- (Movie Clip) A Most Attractive Governess Young Raynard (Richard Nichols) and governess Henriette (Bette Davis) are surprised when their father and employer the Duc (Charles Boyer) and daughter Louise (Virginia Wiedler) arrive in Paris from the summer home, proceeding to the opera, in Warner Bros. All This, And Heaven Too, 1940.

City For Conquest (1940) -- (Movie Clip) We Just Look That Way At a neighborhood send-off party, boxer Danny (James Cagney) and dancer Peggy (Ann Sheridan) before a tearful goodbye, in Warner Bros. City For Conquest, 1940.

City For Conquest (1940) -- (Movie Clip) Your Cup Or My Bean With first-time dance partner Murray (Anthony Quinn), Peggy (Ann Sheridan) wins her first contest, celebrations going not so well with boyfriend Danny (James Cagney) and pals (Frank McHugh, George Tobias), in City For Conquest, 1940.

City For Conquest (1940) -- (Movie Clip) These Boys Better Be Good James Cagney as trucker Danny dipping his toe back into fighting, Frank McHugh as corner-man Mutt, Donald Crisp the visiting promoter, George Tobias his wing-man, and Kit Guard as the worse-for-wear ex-fighter, early in Warner Bros.’ City For Conquest, co-starring Ann Sheridan and Arthur Kennedy.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) You've Become Vicious General von Seidlitz-Gabler and his wife (Charles Gray and Coral Browne) host General Tanz (Peter O'Toole) and introduce their daughter (Joanna Pettet) at a reception, in Sam Spiegel's Night of the Generals, 1967.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Holiday Rations Corporal Hartmann (Tom Courtenay) is the tour guide for General Tanz (Peter O'Toole) who is under orders to take one day's leave and enjoy Paris, in Sam Spiegel's Night of the Generals, 1967.

Night Of The Generals, The (1967) -- (Movie Clip) A Remarkable Officer Narration begins the introduction of General Tanz (Peter O'Toole), accompanied by Col. Sandauer (John Gregson) in the Warsaw ghetto, in producer Sam Spiegel's Nazi murder mystery, Night of the Generals, 1967.

Snake Pit, The (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Before It's Too Late Shrink doctor Kik (Leo Genn) with more beaurocratic colleagues (Natalie Shafer as Miss Seifert, Howard Freeman, Frank Conroy, et al) arguing his case in the staff dining hall, in Anatole Litvak's The Snake Pit, 1948.

Goodbye Again (1961) - (Original Trailer) Ingrid Bergman trades Yves Montand for young Anthony Perkins in the Parisian romance Goodbye Again (1961) with fashions by Christian Dior.

Five Miles to Midnight - (U.S. Trailer) Sophia Loren tries to free herself from her husband by helping him fake his own death in the thriller Five Miles to Midnight (1963).

Castle on the Hudson - (Original Trailer) A hardened crook (John Garfield) vs. a reform-minded warden in a remake of 20,000 Years In Sing Sing, Castle on the Hudson (1940).

Anastasia - (Original Trailer) A group of exiled Russians claim to have found the living daughter (Ingrid Bergman) of the Tsar in Anastasia (1956).

All This, and Heaven Too - (Original Trailer) A French nobleman falls in love with his children's governess in All This and Heaven Too (1940) starring Bette Davis and Charles Boyer.

Sisters, The - (Original Trailer) Errol Flynn and Bette Davis in love and it's all capped off with the San Francisco earthquake, as promoted by Warner Bros. in the original theatrical trailer for The Sisters, 1938, directed by Anatole Litvak.

Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The - (Original Trailer) A doctor (Edward G. Robinson) plots crimes so he can study criminal psychology in The Amazing Doctor Clitterhouse (1938), directed by Anatole Litvak.

Tovarich - (Original Trailer) Russian nobles flee the revolution and take jobs in Paris as servants in the romantic comedy, Tovarich (1937) starring Claudette Colbert and Charles Boyer.

Journey, The - (Original Trailer) A Communist officer (Yul Brynner) falls for a married woman (Deborah Kerr) during the 1956 Hungarian invasion in The Journey (1959).

Blues in the Night - (Original Trailer) The members of a traveling jazz band try to keep their leader (Richard Whorf) from drinking himself to death in Blues in the Night (1941).

Decision Before Dawn - (Original Trailer) Two German POW's are sent back into Germany to gather intelligence for the U.S. Army in Decision Before Dawn (1951).

Out of the Fog - (Original Trailer) John Garfield is a racketeer who terrorizes a small fishing community until he falls in love with fisherman's daughter Ida Lupino in Out of the Fog (1941).

Companions

Miriam Hopkins

Wife

Actor. Married 1937-39.

Sophie Steur

Wife

Fashion designer. Designed costumes for some of Litvak's films.

Bibliography

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