Gordon Weisenborn

Gordon Weisenborn (March 20, 1923 – October 4, 1987) was an American director, producer, writer, and cinematographer. He won over 70 awards for films and productions. He was listed as one of the top 20 makers of specialized film by the Directors Guild.[1][2]

Early life

Weisenborn was born in Chicago to Rudolph and Fritzie Weisenborn. Weisenborn's father was a Chicago Modernist painter. His mother, Fritizie, was an art critic. The Weisenborns had a good friendship with John Grierson who was known as the father of documentary. At the age of 19, Gordon Weisenborn was taken along to work with Grierson as his assistant in Canada. Under Grierson's wing, Weisenborn got to work at the National Film Board.[3][4] Weisenborn attended the University of Chicago.

Career

Weisenborn's films were highly influenced by his father's works. The young filmmaker had a significant friendship with John Barnes. Together they created several films, the most notable being People Along the Mississippi and The Living City, which was nominated for an Academy award. People Along the Mississippi was considered the first educational film to present children of diverse races interacting with each other.[5] Weisenborn and Barnes ended up splitting ways after a while of working together. The split directed Weisenborn towards the path of sponsored films as well as industrial ones. Weisenborn began teaching at Columbia College Chicago in the 1960s.[6] In 1970, Weisenborn started his own production company, Gordon Weisenborn Productions, Inc. Under his company, Weisenborn continued to produce sponsored and educational films.[1]

Personal life

Weisenborn married Selma Revsin who occasionally participated in the making of some of his films including Facing Up to Vandalism, Water is Wet, Girls are Better than Ever, etc. The pair did not have children.[1]

Death

Weisenborn died at Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center, at 64 years of age. Before his death, Weisenborn gave the rights to his films to Jack Behrend, an industrial filmmaker who he was good friends with. The rights to both Weisenborn's films and Behrend's films are currently held by the Chicago Film Archives.[7]

Filmography

  • When Asia Speaks (1944)
  • People Along the Mississippi (1955)[8]
  • Flying a Kite (1952)
  • The Living City (1953)
  • Surprise for Jean (1954)
  • The Prime Time (1960)
  • Girls are Better Than Ever (1967)
  • Water is Wet (1968)
  • Sit Down (1969)
  • Facing Up to Vandalism (1973)
  • The Chicago Eye of Rudolph Weisenborn (1976)

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Gordon Weisenborn". Academic Film Archive of North America.
  2. ↑ Heise, Kenan. "Gordon Weisenborn, Film Director". chicagotribune.com.
  3. ↑ Engelbrecht, Lloyd; Dryer, Joel. "Rudolph Weisenborn". Illinois Art Project.
  4. ↑ Ellis, Jack (1968). "The Young Grierson in America (1924-1927)". Cinema Journal. 8 (1): 12–21. doi:10.2307/1225223. JSTOR 1225223.
  5. ↑ Alexander, Geoff (2014). Academic Films for the Classroom : A History. McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers. p. 21.
  6. ↑ "Columbia College Newsletter". Columbia College Chicago. 1964.
  7. ↑ "All Collections".
  8. ↑ Lev, Peter (2003). Transforming the Screen, 1950-1959. University of California Press. p. 261. ISBN 9780520249660. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
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