Matinee Classics - Edward Dmytryk Biography & Filmography

Edward Dmytryk DIRECTOR

PHOTOS

EDWARD DMYTRYK BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Edward Dmytryk was born September 4, 1908, in British Columbia, Canada. However, he grew up San Francisco, California, in America. After his mother died when he was only six, his father began beating him, causing him to run away quite often in his early teens. Eventually, authorities granted him emancipation and helped him find a job at Paramount as a messenger boy. Dmytryk was very talented in physics and mathematics, and was given a scholarship to the California Institute of Technology. He dropped out within a year and returned to Paramount, where he tried his hand at editing.

His began as assistant editor on “The Dance of Life” (1929), but moved up to editor beginning with “Only Sap Works” (1930), although he continued to have both titles in works such as “The Royal Family of Broadway” (1930), “Three Cheers for Love” (1936), and his final, “Some Like it Hot” (1939). Dmytryk became a director in 1935, his debut being the westerner “Hawk”. Over the following eight years, he directed a total of twenty three films, with credits that included the war drama “Mystery Sea Raider” (1940), musical “Her First Romance” (1940), sci-fi horror “The Devil Commands” (1941), mystery “Secrets of the Lone Wolf” (1941), and crime drama “Confessions of a Boston Blackie” (1941). In 1942, the director’s career really took off, as he moved to RKO and specialized in probably his most successful genre: action thrillers. Some of his hits include “Seven Miles From Alcatraz” (1942), which followed two convict escapees, his first try at also being producer , “Behind the Rising Sun” (1943), “The Falcon Strikes Back” (1943), about a man who is framed for robbery and murder and must hide away, only to discover an even worse conspiracy, and the deception filled “Cornered” (1945). Dmytryk additionally perfected the film noir picture, with successes such as “Murder, My Sweet” (1944). Furthermore, he came out with the wartime saga “Back to Bataan” (1945) and “Till the End of Time” (1946), a dramatic look into the re-introduction of war veterans into civilization.

Dmytryk joined the Communist Party in 1944, and consequently also began making several political motion pictures. Such films consist of the anti-fascist “Hitler’s Children” (1943), the anti-Semitic, “Crossfire” (1947) in which he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar, and the socialist “So Well Remembered” (1947). While these pictures were successful, his career came to a halt in 1947 when he was called before Congress’ House Un-American Activities Committee, because of a communist accusation made against him by fellow director Sam Wood. Dmytryk plead the fifth, was quickly fired by RKO, and was sentenced to a year in federal prison, making him a part of the legendary “Hollywood 10”. Later, he finally admitted to his membership in the Communist Party. As he was shunned in Hollywood, he moved to England and completed the two films “The Hidden Room” (1949) and “Give Us This Day” (1949). In 1951 he returned to America, but only upon identifying twenty six other communist members. After, he was free to again participate in Hollywood filmmaking.

Dmytryk resumed his career, producing three films and directing twenty five movies. His most notable include the westerns “Broken Lance” (1954) and “Warlock” (1959), the World War II dramas “The Caine Mutiny” (1954) and “The Young Lions” (1958), as well as “Walk on the Wild Side” (1962), “The Carpetbaggers” (1963), “Where Love Has Gone” (1964), and “Mirage” (1965). His final efforts, “The ‘Human’ Factor” (1975) and “He is My Brother” (1975), were complete unnoticed flops. His last work was the short drama “Not Only Strangers” (1979).

In his retirement, Dmytryk became the interviewee for many documentary films, taught film at the University of Southern California and University of Texas, and wrote a plethora of books on the art. The director died from kidney and heart failure on July 1, 1999 in Encino, California. He was ninety years old. For his involvement in the motion picture industry, Dmytryk was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Filmography

1979 Not Only Strangers

1975 The 'Human' Factor

1975 He Is My Brother

1972 Bluebeard

1968 Shalako

1968 Anzio

1966 Alvarez Kelly

1965 Mirage

1964 Where Love Has Gone

1964 The Carpetbaggers

1962 The Reluctant Saint