Frank Capra
Italian-born American film director (1897–1991) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-born American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind some of the major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five, his rags-to-riches story has led film historians such as Ian Freer to consider him the "American Dream personified".[5]
Frank Capra | |
|---|---|
 Capra, c. 1930s | |
| Born | Francesco Rosario Capra (1897-05-18)May 18, 1897 |
| Died | September 3, 1991(1991-09-03) (aged 94) La Quinta, California, U.S. |
| Burial place | Coachella Valley Public Cemetery |
| Other names | Frank Russell Capra |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | California Institute of Technology |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1922–1964 |
| Title | President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 1935–1939 |
| Political party | Republican[1] |
| Spouses | Helen Howell
(m. 1923; div. 1928)Lucille Warner
(m. 1932; died 1984) |
| Children | 4, including Frank Jr. |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918 1941–1945[2] |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Army Signal Corps[3][4] |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal Legion of Merit World War I Victory Medal American Defense Service Medal American Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal |
Capra became one of America's most influential directors during the 1930s, winning three Academy Awards for Best Director from six nominations, along with three other Oscar wins from nine nominations in other categories. Among his leading films were It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During World War II, Capra served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and produced propaganda films, such as the Why We Fight series.[3][4]
After World War II, Capra's career declined as his later films, such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), performed poorly when they were first released.[6] Beginning in 1950, his cinematic output slowed, and he retired from filmmaking in the mid-1960s. In the ensuing decades, however, It's a Wonderful Life and other Capra films were revisited favorably by critics. Outside of directing, Capra was active in the film industry, engaging in various political and social activities. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America.