Henry King (director)

Henry King (January 24, 1886 – June 29, 1982) was an American actor and film director. Widely considered as one of the finest and most successful filmmakers of his era, King was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Director, and directed seven films nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Henry King
Born(1886-01-24)January 24, 1886
Christiansburg, Virginia, United States[1]
DiedJune 29, 1982(1982-06-29) (aged 96)
Toluca Lake, California, United States
OccupationActor, film director
Spouse(s)
  • Gypsy Abbott
    (m. 1915; died 1952)
  • Ida (m. 1959)
    (died 2001)
Children3
RelativesLouis King (brother)

Biography

Before coming to film, King worked as an actor in various repertoire theatres and first started to take small film roles in 1912. Between 1913 and 1925, he appeared as an actor in approximately sixty films. He directed for the first time in 1915 and grew to become one of the most commercially successful Hollywood directors of the 1920s and '30s. He was twice nominated for the Best Director Oscar. In 1944, he was awarded the first Golden Globe Award for Best Director for his film The Song of Bernadette. He worked most often with Tyrone Power and Gregory Peck and for 20th Century Fox.

Henry King was one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which awards excellence of cinematic achievements every year, and was the last surviving founder. He directed more than 100 films in his career.

In 1955, King was awarded The George Eastman Award,[2] given by the George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film.

During World War II, King served as the deputy commander of the Civil Air Patrol coastal patrol base in Brownsville, Texas, holding the grade of captain. In his final years, he was the oldest licensed private pilot in the United States, having obtained his license in 1918.

Henry King died of a heart attack while asleep at his home.[3]

Partial filmography

Academy Awards
Year Award Film Result
1943 Best Director The Song of Bernadette Nominated
1944 Best Director Wilson Nominated

References
  1. West, Richard (1 July 1982). "Henry King - Hollywood Star Walk -". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  2. "Awards Granted by George Eastman House International Museum of Photography & Film". GeorgeEastmanHouse. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  3. Maslin, Janet (July 1, 1982). "Henry King, Movie Director Known for Book Adaptations". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  4. Workman, Christopher; Howarth, Troy (2016). "Tome of Terror: Horror Films of the Silent Era". Midnight Marquee Press. p. 222.ISBN 978-1936168-68-2.
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