Jacques Tourneur

Director

About

Birth Place

Paris, FR

Born

November 12, 1904

Died

December 19, 1977

Biography

Filmography

The Comedy of Terrors (1963)

Director

Fury River (1961)

Director

The Giant of Marathon (1960)

Director

Timbuktu (1959)

Director

Mission Of Danger (1959)

Director

Frontier Rangers (1959)

Director

Photos & Videos

View All

Nightfall (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Five Dollars

Nightfall (1957) -- (Movie Clip) A Few Honest Words

Family & Companions

Christianne Tourneur

Wife

Actor.

Bibliography

"Jacques Tourneur"

Michael Henry (1974)

Biography

Master of macabre suspense who hit his peak in the 1940s with such atmospheric gems as the Val Lewton-produced horror classic "Cat People" (1942), the quietly absorbing psychodrama "Experiment Perilous" (1944) and one of the masterworks of film noir, "Out of the Past" (1947). Tourneur worked on the films of his father, the gifted visual stylist Maurice Tourneur, in the US and then in Paris, where he made his directorial debut in 1931. He returned to America in 1935, making shorts and B features at MGM before hitting his stride with several brilliantly understated features for producer Val Lewton at RKO: "Cat People," "I Walked With a Zombie" (1942), and "The Leopard Man" (1943).

Tourneur inherited his father's gift for atmospheric, evocative compositions and put it to good use in westerns ("Canyon Passage" 1946), films noirs ("Out of the Past" 1947) and thrillers ("Berlin Express" 1948). His films from the mid-1950s, for various studios, were less effective, though the British-made "Curse of the Demon" (1957) marked a notable return to his earlier form.

Filmography

Life Events

1914

Moved to USA with father; grew up in CA

1923

Began working as office boy at MGM

1924

Signed as actor with MGM; first film, "Scaramouche"

1928

Returned to Paris with father; worked as his editor

1931

Directed first feature, "Un Vieux Garcon"

1935

Moved back to USA; began working on shorts and as second unit director at MGM

1935

Met Val Lewton when both worked as special unit directors for Jack Conway on "A Tale of Two Cities" (together they staged the "storming of the Bastille" sequence for that film)

1936

Directed over 20 short sujects for MGM

1939

First US feature as director, "They All Came Out"

1942

Joined RKO where he began directing for producer Val Lewton; helmed "Cat People"

1966

Retired to France

Photo Collections

Out of the Past - Behind-the-Scenes Photos

Here are several Behind-the-Scenes photos taken during production of the classic Film Noir, Out of the Past (1947).

Berlin Express - Lobby Card Set

Here is a set of Lobby Cards from RKO's Berlin Express (1948), starring Merle Oberon, Robert Ryan, and Paul Lukas. Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

I Walked with a Zombie - Movie Posters

Here are a few original American movie posters for Val Lewton's I Walked with a Zombie (1943).

Out of the Past - Pressbook

Here is the campaign book (pressbook) for RKO's Out of the Past (1947). Pressbooks were sent to exhibitors and theater owners to aid them in publicizing the film's run in their theater.

Cat People - Behind-the-Scenes Photo

Here is a photo taken behind-the-scenes during production of RKO's Cat People (1942), directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Simone Simon.

Out of the Past - Movie Posters

Here are a few movie posters from the classic Film Noir, Out of the Past (1947).

Curse of the Demon - Movie Poster

Here is the American one-sheet movie poster for Curse of the Demon (1957, aka Night of the Demon). One-sheets measured 27x41 inches, and were the poster style most commonly used in theaters.

The Leopard Man - Scene Stills

Here are a number of scene stills from Val Lewton's The Leopard Man (1943).