Biography

Franklin J. Schaffner

Jump to

Overview

Born
May 30, 1920 · Tokyo, Japan
Died
July 2, 1989 · Santa Monica, California, USA (lung cancer)
Birth name
Franklin James Schaffner
Nickname
- Frank

Biography

Franklin J. Schaffner was one of the most innovative creative minds in the early days of American network television, utilizing a moving camera in the days when most television directors kept the camera static. His eye for visuals was developed in the dozens of live television programs he directed on prestigious shows such as Studio One (1948) and Playhouse 90 (1956), not to mention his work in news and public affairs on "March of Time" and as one of the directors of TV coverage of the 1948 political conventions in Philadelphia. His visual sense came to be one of the important attributes of his work in feature films, such as the trek taken across the desert by the astronauts at the start of Planet of the Apes (1968). In addition to his Oscar and DGA Awards for Patton (1970), Schaffner also won Sylvania Awards in 1953 and 1954, Emmy Awards in 1954, 1955 and 1962 and a Variety Critics Poll Award in 1960.
- IMDb mini biography by: rtvf (qv's & corrections by A. .Nonymous)
Franklin spent the first six years of his life in Japan with his missionary parents. When his father died, he and his mother returned to America. After graduating, he enlisted in the navy and during WWII served as an officer on landing craft and convoys, seeing action in Africa, Sicily, Normandy, Burma and China.. Returning to civilian life, he got a job as an assistant director on 'The March of Time', then joined CBS television where he gained valuable experience in covering public events, sports and political conventions. After working on Studio One for four years, he spent anther two years on 'Playhouse 90', during which he directed the 1961 Broadway play 'Advise and Consent'. This won him the Variety Critics Poll for direction, which led him to 'The Stripper', his film direction debut. He went on to direct 'Patton', one of the most successful films of 1970-71, which won him the Acadeny Award for direction, a Director's Guild of America Award and NATO director of the Year.
- IMDb mini biography by: Tonyman 5

Family

Spouse

Trademark

He often used Jerry Goldsmith to compose the scores (Planet of the Apes, Patton, Papillon, etc.)
Frequently directed films based off books.
His films usually have a scene of a character getting smacked/slapped (most notably Patton (1970)).
His films are often about people who are out of their place and time.

Trivia

He died only nine days before Laurence Olivier, whom he directed in both Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) and The Boys from Brazil (1978).
Directed four different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: George C. Scott, Janet Suzman, Lee Tracy and Laurence Olivier. Scott won (and refused) the award for his performance in Patton (1970).
He served as TV counselor to President John F. Kennedy in 1961-1963.
He directed two science fiction thrillers: Planet of the Apes (1968) and The Boys from Brazil (1978).
Schaffner was a member of the Directors Guild of America (president 1987-1989), the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Phi Beta Kappa, the Center Theater Group of the Music Center in Los Angeles, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, the National Council of the Arts, the Presidential Task Force on the Arts and Humanities, and the American Film Institute.