Delbert Mann

Director

About

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Also Known As

Delbert Martin Mann Jr.

Birth Place

Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Born

January 30, 1920

Died

November 11, 2007

Cause of Death

Pneumonia

Biography

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Working in TV from 1947, Mann directed over 100 live plays, the best known of which was Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" (1953). The following year he directed a big-screen version, starring Ernest Borgnine as the lonely Bronx butcher in search of love. The success of the film--it took the Palme d'Or at Cannes--paved the way for a number of low-budget films on "small" subjects that flourished i...

Filmography

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Lily in Winter (1994)

Incident in a Small Town (1994)

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992)

Ironclads (1991)

April Morning (1988)

The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story (1986)

Photos & Videos

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Marty (1955) -- (Movie Clip) I'm The Stocky One

Lover Come Back (1961) -- (Movie Clip) It Looks Down On Madison Avenue

Family & Companions

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Ann Caroline Mann

Wife

Mother is second wife; survived him.

Ann Caroline Mann

Wife

Met while both attended Vanderbilt University.

Bibliography

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"Looking Back ... at Live Television and Other Matters"

Delbert Mann; edited by Ira Skutch, Directors Guild of America (1998)

Biography

Working in TV from 1947, Mann directed over 100 live plays, the best known of which was Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty" (1953). The following year he directed a big-screen version, starring Ernest Borgnine as the lonely Bronx butcher in search of love. The success of the film--it took the Palme d'Or at Cannes--paved the way for a number of low-budget films on "small" subjects that flourished in the mid-1950s.

Mann's other successes include the finely acted "The Bachelor Party" (1956), also scripted by Chayefsky, and "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs" (1960). He made some deft comedies in the 1960s and later directed several competent TV adaptations, such as "Jane Eyre" (1972) and "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1979).

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

Lily in Winter (1994)

Incident in a Small Town (1994)

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992)

Ironclads (1991)

April Morning (1988)

The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story (1986)

The Last Days of Patton (1986)

The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983)

Night Crossing (1981)

To Find My Son (1980)

Torn Between Two Lovers (1979)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1979)

Love's Dark Ride (1978)

Home to Stay (1978)

Breaking Up (1978)

Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery (1978)

Tell Me My Name (1977)

Birch Interval (1976)

Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident (1976)

A Girl Named Sooner (1975)

The Man Without a Country (1973)

She Waits (1972)

No Place to Run (1972)

Jane Eyre (1971)

Kidnapped (1971)

David Copperfield (1970)

The Pink Jungle (1968)

Fitzwilly (1967)

Mister Buddwing (1966)

Quick, Before It Melts (1965)

Dear Heart (1964)

A Gathering of Eagles (1963)

That Touch of Mink (1962)

Lover Come Back (1961)

The Outsider (1961)

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960)

Middle of the Night (1959)

Desire Under the Elms (1958)

Separate Tables (1958)

The Bachelor Party (1957)

Cast (Feature Film)

Burt Lancaster: Daring To Reach (1996)

Grace Kelly: The American Princess (1987)

The Iron Horse (1925)

Charles Crocker

Producer (Feature Film)

Incident in a Small Town (1994)

Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore (1992)

April Morning (1988)

She Waits (1972)

Mister Buddwing (1966)

Quick, Before It Melts (1965)

Production Companies (Feature Film)

Mister Buddwing (1966)

Quick, Before It Melts (1965)

Director (Special)

The Member of the Wedding (1982)

All the Way Home (1981)

Tom and Joann (1978)

The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975)

The Petrified Forest (1955)

Cast (Special)

Deborah Kerr: Getting to Know Her (2000)

Rock Hudson: The E! True Hollywood Story (1999)

Angela Lansbury: A Balancing Act (1998)

Producer (Special)

The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975)

Cast (Short)

Searchers for a Special City (1966)

Milton Fox, Esq. (1964)

Director (TV Mini-Series)

Love Leads the Way (1984)

Life Events

1941

Worked for General Shoe Corporation

1949

Invited by Coe to NYC to direct TV dramas

1949

Helmed live programs for "Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse"

1953

Helmed the well-received TV drama "Marty", starring Rod Steiger and Nancy Marchand

1954

Made feature film debut as director with "Marty", starring Ernest Borgnine; won Best Director Academy Award

1956

Earned Emmy nomination for directing "Our Town" (NBC)

1958

Guided David Niven and Wendy Hiller to Oscars in "Separate Tables"

1960

Helmed "The Dark at the Top of the Stairs"

1961

First teaming with Doris Day and Rock Hudson, "Lover Come Back"

1962

Reunited with Day and Hudson for the comedy "That Touch of Mink"

1964

Helmed the effective romance "Dear Heart", pairing Glenn Ford and Geraldine Page

1968

Was director of the notorious TV production of "Heidi" (NBC), which caused controversy when the network cut away from a football game in progress to air the movie

1970

Helmed a well-received TV adaptation of "David Copperfield" (NBC)

1973

Won acclaim for direction of "The Man Without a Country" (ABC)

1975

First of four TV-movies featuring actress Lee Remick, "A Girl Named Sooner" (ABC)

1976

Was director of the NBC drama "Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Spy Incident"

1976

Returned to feature filmmaking with "Birch Interval", about a young girl sent to live with the Amish

1978

Helmed the well-acted drama about a crumbling marriage, "Breaking Up" (NBC), starring Remick; received Emmy nomination

1979

Reunited with Remick for "Torn Between Two Lovers" (CBS)

1979

Garnered good critical notices for direction of the CBS movie remake "All Quiet on the Western Front"; received third career Emmy nomination

1981

Directed a live NBC telecast of the play "All the Way Home", starring Sally Field and William Hurt

1982

Helmed the NBC live telecast of the small screen remake of "The Member of the Wedding", starring Pearl Bailey

1983

Last collaboration with Lee Remick, "The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story" (CBS)

1983

Last feature film, "Bronte", a one-woman show about Charlotte Bronte starring Julie Harris

1985

Helmed the ABC miniseries "A Death in California"

1986

Was director of the NBC biopic "The Ted Kennedy Jr. Story"

1987

Directed the documentary "Grace Kelly -- The American Princess" for Cinemax's "Crazy About the Movies"

1988

Produced and directed the TV adaptation of Howard Fast's novel "April Morning"

1991

Was director of the TNT period drama "Ironclads"

1992

Produced and directed the CBS sequel "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore", with Walter Matthau reprising his role as laywer Horace Cobb

1994

Directed and produced the second sequel, "An Incident in a Small Town" (CBS), with Matthau again playing Cobb

1994

Last TV film (to date), "Lily in Winter", a USA Network drama that marked the acting debut of singer Natalie Cole

Photo Collections

That Touch of Mink - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for That Touch of Mink (1962), starring Cary Grant and Doris Day. One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

Videos

Marty (1955) -- (Movie Clip) I'm The Stocky One Unmarried butcher Ernest Borgnine (title character), in one of the scenes that doubtless won him his Academy Award, having grown alarmed over proposed changes in his domestic status, calls up a girl he hardly knows, Delbert Mann directing from Paddy Chayefsky's screenplay, in Marty, 1955.

Lover Come Back (1961) -- (Movie Clip) It Looks Down On Madison Avenue Carol (Doris Day) has forced a hearing before the Madison Avenue ethics-enforcing “Advertising Council,” not knowing that her target, Jerry Webster (Rock Hudson, not seen) has tricked her witness, dishy model Rebel (Edie Adams) into hiding his dubious practices, in Lover Come Back, 1961.

Lover Come Back (1961) -- (Movie Clip) I Wish I Were A Man Right Now! Ad man Jerry (Rock Hudson) is managing his neurotic boss and buddy Peter (Tony Randall), legacy owner of the agency, who's worried that competitor Carol (Doris Day) has filed a complaint, director Delbert Mann using the split-screen phone gimmick from Pillow Talk, 1959, early in Lover Come Back, 1961.

Marty (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Blind Date With A Dog Visiting the "Stardust Ballroom" in the Bronx, having grown desperate about his bachelor status, Ernest Borgnine (title character) meets callous "Herb," (Nick Brkch), whose treatment of Clara (Betsy Blair), whom we've just met, displeases him, in director Delbert Mann's Marty, 1955.

Marty (1955) -- (Movie Clip) I Have A Feeling About You Having unexpectedly hit it off with Clara (Betsy Blair), a schoolteacher dumped on a blind date whom he graciously rescued, bachelor butcher Ernest Borgnine (title character) winds up talking about his life and family, in his Academy Award-winning performance in Marty, 1955.

Marty (1955) -- (Movie Clip) They Get The Married The opening from director Delbert Mann and writer Paddy Chayefsky, Ernest Borgnine in his Academy Award-winning title role, character actress Minerva Urecal his customer, in Marty, 1955, co-starring Betsy Blair.

Separate Tables (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Get Into One Of Your States Opening scene, Delbert Mann directing, from Terence Rattigan’s screenplay based on his international hit play, we meet David Niven in his Academy Award-winning role as Major Pollock, Deborah Kerr as Sibyl, Gladys Cooper her mother, in Separate Tables, 1958.

Separate Tables (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Mayfair From Head To Foot Early evening at the Hotel Beauregard, guests (Felix Aylmer, May Hallatt, Cathleen Nesbitt, Gladys Cooper) are not expecting Rita Hayworth, as Ann Shankland, greeted by proprietor Pat (Wendy Hiller), and seeking a guest we’ve not yet met, in Separate Tables, 1958.

Separate Tables (1958) -- (Movie Clip) Propulsive Powers Of Irish Whiskey Sybil, her mother and Lady Matheson (Debora Herr, Gladys Cooper, Cathleen Nesbitt) react to the first appearance of Burt Lancaster as rogue-ish John Malcolm, whom we quickly learn has important relations with the hotel owner Pat (Wendy Hiller), in Separate Tables, 1958.

Fitzwilly (1967) -- (Movie Clip) I'm Not Your Social Equal With her not knowing he’s hitting on her to cause her to quit her job, or that he’s more a scam artist than butler, or that it’s all to support their eccentric and broke mutual employer, Dick Van Dyke and college-gal/secretary Juliet (Barbara Feldon) visit a restaurant run by Billy Halop, in the Mirisch company’s Fitzwilly, 1967.

Fitzwilly (1967) -- (Movie Clip) The Girl From Columbia Dick Van Dyke (New York butler and title character) receives job applicant Juliet (Barbara Feldon), determined not to reveal that his employer Miss Vicky (Edith Evans) is, unknowingly, broke, in Fitzwilly, 1967.

Fitzwilly (1967) -- (Movie Clip) Among The Godless! Title character Dick Van Dyke, at a New York society bar, demonstrating a basic betting scam, then conspiring with fellow domestic staffers (Sam Waterston, John McGiver) to keep their broke mistress afloat, in Delbert Mann's Ftizwilly, 1967.

Marty (1955) - (Original Trailer) Burt Lancaster, who produced with business partner Harold Hecht, hosts the original trailer the 1955 Best Picture Academy Award-winner, which also won for director Delbert Mann, Paddy Chayefsky’s story and screenplay, and Ernest Borgnine’s performance in the title role, Marty.

Separate Tables - (Original Trailer) Producer (and co-star) Burt Lancaster himself pitches Separate Tables, 1958, featuring Academy Award winners David Niven and Wendy Hiller.

Fitzwilly - (Original Trailer) When an aging philanthropist goes broke, her butler (Dick Van Dyke) robs from the rich so she can give to the poor.

Dear Heart - (Original Trailer) Glenn Ford must decide between his fiancee and a woman he meets at a convention in Dear Heart (1964).

That Touch of Mink - (Original Trailer) For Doris Day it's "I Do" or nothing even if Cary Grant wields That Touch of Mink (1962).

Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine -- (TCM Promo) Promo for the Turner Classic Movies original special Private Screenings: Ernest Borgnine, 2009, featuring the renowned actor and TCM host Robert Osborne.

Family

Delbert M Mann

Father

Second wife; survived him.

Delbert M Mann

Father

Teacher. Worked at Scarritt College.

Companions

Ann Caroline Mann

Wife

Mother is second wife; survived him.

Ann Caroline Mann

Wife

Met while both attended Vanderbilt University.

Bibliography

"Looking Back ... at Live Television and Other Matters"

Delbert Mann; edited by Ira Skutch, Directors Guild of America (1998)

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