Lewis Milestone

Director
Lewis Milestone

About

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Also Known As
Lewis Milstein
Birth Place
Russia
Born
September 30, 1895
Died
September 25, 1980

Biography

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Former assistant to cinematographer Lucien Andriot (with the US Army Signal Corps) who moved to Hollywood in 1919 and began working as an assistant cutter the following year. Milestone began directing in 1925 and assured himself a place in cinema history with "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930), a landmark anti-war work, and "The Front Page" (1931), still considered a yardstick of fi...

Filmography

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Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Director
Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Director
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
Director
La Vedova X (1955)
Director
They Who Dare (1954)
Director
Melba (1953)
Director

Photos & Videos

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Les Miserables (1952) -- (Movie Clip) On The Rocks
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Front Page, The (1931) -- (Movie Clip) L For Listerine!

Family & Companions

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Kendall Lee Glaezner
Wife
Actor. Married 1935 until her death in 1978.

Biography

Former assistant to cinematographer Lucien Andriot (with the US Army Signal Corps) who moved to Hollywood in 1919 and began working as an assistant cutter the following year. Milestone began directing in 1925 and assured himself a place in cinema history with "All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930), a landmark anti-war work, and "The Front Page" (1931), still considered a yardstick of films about journalism. Milestone was one of Hollywood's most technically accomplished early directors and had a reputation for meticulous pre-production planning and preparation; he continued directing until the 1960s (mostly, by then, in TV), though he too frequently squandered his talents on inferior vehicles. Later works of note include: "The General Died at Dawn" (1936), a flawed but complex and visually compelling tale of spy intrigue; "Of Mice and Men" (1939), notable for a rare "straight" performance by Lon Chaney Jr; "Our Russian Front" (1941), a documentary co-directed with Joris Ivens; and "A Walk in the Sun" (1945), another poignant study of war. Married to actress Kendall Lee Glaezner from 1935 until her death in 1978.

Filmography

 

Director (Feature Film)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)
Director
Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Director
Pork Chop Hill (1959)
Director
La Vedova X (1955)
Director
They Who Dare (1954)
Director
Melba (1953)
Director
Kangaroo (1952)
Director
Les Miserables (1952)
Director
Halls of Montezuma (1951)
Director
The Red Pony (1949)
Director
No Minor Vices (1948)
Director
Arch of Triumph (1948)
Director
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)
Director
A Walk in the Sun (1946)
Director
The Purple Heart (1944)
Director
Guest in the House (1944)
Director
Edge of Darkness (1943)
Director
The North Star (1943)
Director
My Life with Caroline (1941)
Director
The Westerner (1940)
Director of addl footage
Lucky Partners (1940)
Director
The Night of Nights (1939)
Director
Of Mice and Men (1939)
Director
The General Died at Dawn (1936)
Director
Anything Goes (1936)
Director
Paris in Spring (1935)
Director
The Captain Hates the Sea (1934)
Director
Hallelujah I'm a Bum (1933)
Director
Rain (1932)
Director
The Front Page (1931)
Director
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
Director
New York Nights (1929)
Director
Betrayal (1929)
Director
The Garden of Eden (1928)
Director
The Racket (1928)
Director
Two Arabian Knights (1927)
Director
The Caveman (1926)
Director
The New Klondike (1926)
Director
Seven Sinners (1925)
Director
The Foolish Age (1921)
Assistant Director

Cast (Feature Film)

Fascinating Youth (1926)

Writer (Feature Film)

Arch of Triumph (1948)
Screenwriter
Cock of the Air (1932)
Contract Writer
Seven Sinners (1925)
Adaptation
Bobbed Hair (1925)
Scen
The Teaser (1925)
Adaptation
Dangerous Innocence (1925)
Adaptation
The Mad Whirl (1925)
Screenplay trmt
Seven Sinners (1925)
Story
The Yankee Consul (1924)
Adaptation
Up and At 'Em (1922)
Story

Producer (Feature Film)

Ocean's Eleven (1960)
Producer
The Red Pony (1949)
Producer
No Minor Vices (1948)
Producer
A Walk in the Sun (1946)
Producer
My Life with Caroline (1941)
Producer
Of Mice and Men (1939)
Producer

Editing (Feature Film)

Scarface (1932)
Editor for alternate versions
Cock of the Air (1932)
Addl Editor
Main Street (1923)
Assistant film Editor

Production Companies (Feature Film)

Arch of Triumph (1948)
Company
Of Mice and Men (1939)
Company
The Captain Hates the Sea (1934)
Company
Hallelujah I'm a Bum (1933)
Company
Rain (1932)
Company
The Front Page (1931)
Company

Life Events

1913

Immigrated to US

1917

With US Army Signal Corps as assistant cameraman and cutter

1919

Changed name to Milestone

1925

Contracted to Warner Bros. as director

1932

Made head of production at United Artists

Videos

Movie Clip

Les Miserables (1952) -- (Movie Clip) On The Rocks Following a prologue truncating Victor Hugo, we meet Robert Newton as Javert enforcing regulations during panic amidships, and slaves Jean Valjean (Michael Rennie) and Genflou (Joseph Wiseman) performing a rescue, in Lewis Milestone's production of Les Miserables, 1952.
Front Page, The (1931) -- (Movie Clip) L For Listerine! The boys in the press room tangle then we meet editor Walter Burns (Adolphe Menjou), hunting Hildy (Pat O'Brien, not seen), with some remarkable shots from director Lewis Milestone, early in The Front Page 1931, from the play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.
Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, The (1946) -- (Movie Clip) All Life Is A Gamble Walter (Kirk Douglas) receives unexpected old pal rogue Sam (Van Heflin), when his wife Martha (Barbara Stanwyck) arrives, buttons being pushed immediately, in Lewis Milestone's The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, 1946.
Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, The (1946) -- (Movie Clip) A Realistic Man Kirk Douglas (as Walter, in his opening scene), referring to scandalous history and losing his will, his chilly wife Martha (Barbara Stanwyck) not having any of it, in Lewis Milestone's The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers, 1946.
Of Mice And Men (1939) -- (Movie Clip) A Place Like That... Disabled Candy (Roman Bohnen) wonders if he can join new farm-hand pals George (Burgess Meredith) and Lenny (Lon Chaney Jr.) in their fantasy of buying their own place, in director Lewis Milestone's Of Mice And Men, 1939, from the Steinbeck novel.
Of Mice And Men (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Opening, Lenny And George California migrant farm workers Lenny (Lon Chaney Jr.) and George (Burgess Meredith) are fleeing angry citizens of "Weed" in the opening of Lewis Milestone's Of Mice And Men, 1939, from the John Steinbeck novel.
Of Mice And Men (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Them New Guys Candy (Roman Bohnen) introduces farm workers George (Burgess Meredith) and Lenny (Lon Chaney Jr.) to his skeptical boss Jackson (Oscar O'Shea) in Lewis Milestone's Of Mice And Men, 1939, from John Steinbeck's novel.
Of Mice And Men (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Seen It The Other Night Pouting Mae (Betty Field) is disgusted by the dining habits of her despicable ranch-hand spouse Curley (Bob Steele) and his boss Jackson (Oscar O'Shea), in this near-pantomime from Lewis Milestone's Of Mice And Men, 1939, from John Steinbeck's novel.
Of Mice And Men (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Down By The River Ranch-hand George (Burgess Meredith) is making sure slow-witted pal Lenny (Lon Chaney Jr.) doesn't get in trouble with vampy Mae (Betty Field) or her husband Curley (Bob Steele) in Of Mice And Men, 1939, from John Steinbeck's novel.
Captain Hates The Sea, The (1934) -- (Movie Clip) Down To The Sea In Ships Opening with extensive use of a real ocean liner, which director Lewis Milestone persuaded Columbia studio boss Harry Cohn to spring-for, we meet Walter Connolly in the title role, Frederic Howard and Fredric Santly his audience, Leon Errol the steward, in the all-star comic-melodrama, The Captain Hates The Sea, 1934, with Victor McLaglen and John Gilbert.
Captain Hates The Sea, The (1934) -- (Movie Clip) Could I Slit Your Throat And Love It? We discover here that Fred Keating (as thief Danny) is actually in league with Helen Vinson (posing as Janet, a librarian) over the stolen bonds, Victor McLaglen the friendly private eye Schulte, Alison Skipworth as Mrs Magruder, buying drinks for Wynne Gibson as reformed party girl “Goldie,” John Wray her indignant husband, John Gilbert her ex-pal Steve, Walter Catlett the barkeep Joe, in The Captain Hates The Sea, 1934.
Captain Hates The Sea, The (1934) -- (Movie Clip) To Part Is To Die A Little Just away from Los Angeles, Akim Tamiroff as Salazaro misses his family, with new shipmates, John Gilbert as ex-reporter Steve, Victor McLaglen as gumshoe Schulte, who, while Helen Vinson introduces herself, predicts that their other pal, Danny (Fred Keating), his suspect in a big bond theft, will turn up, in The Captain Hates The Sea, 1934.

Trailer

All Quiet On The Western Front - (Re-release trailer) The third Academy Award for Best Picture went to this searing saga of a young German soldier in World War I.
Red Pony, The - (Original Trailer) A rancher's son learns a valuable lesson when he's given a pony in Lewis Milestone's film version of John Steinbeck's novel, The Red Pony (1949).
Mutiny On The Bounty (1962) - (Original Trailer) Marlon Brando is mutineer Fletcher Christian in the Technicolor, Ultra-Panavision version of Mutiny On The Bounty (1962).
Lucky Partners - (Original Trailer) Ronald Colman and Ginger Rogers are the Lucky Partners (1940) who win the Irish Sweepstakes. But will they win each other?
Edge of Darkness - (Original Trailer) Errol Flynn is a Norwegian fisherman turned resistance leader in Lewis Milestone's excellent wartime adventure, Edge of Darkness (1943).
Ocean's Eleven (1960) - (Original Trailer) The original movie and the ultimate "Rat Pack" adventure, Ocean's Eleven (1960) starring Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

Companions

Kendall Lee Glaezner
Wife
Actor. Married 1935 until her death in 1978.

Bibliography

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