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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Frank Borzage (April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor, known for directing 7th Heaven (1927), Street Angel (1928), Bad Girl (1931), A Farewell to Arms (1932), Man's Castle (1933), History Is Made at Night (1937), The Mortal Storm (1940) and Moonrise (1948). In 1912 Borzage found employment as an actor in Hollywood; he continued to work as an actor until 1917. His directorial debut came in 1915 with the film The Pitch o' Chance. He was a successful director throughout the 1920s, but reached his peak in the late silent and early sound era. Absorbing visual influences from the German director F.W. Murnau, who was also resident at Fox at this time, Borzage developed his own style of lushly visual romanticism in a hugely successful series of films starring Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell, including 7th Heaven (1927), for which he won the first Academy Award for Best Director, Street Angel (1928) and Lucky Star (1929). He won a second Oscar for 1931's Bad Girl. He directed 14 films between 1917 and 1919 alone. His greatest success in the silent era was with Humoresque, a box office winner starring Vera Gordon. Borzage's trademark was intense identification with the feelings of young lovers in the face of adversity, with love in his films triumphing over such trials as World War I (7th Heaven and A Farewell to Arms), disability (Lucky Star), the Depression (Man's Castle), a thinly disguised version of the Titanic disaster in History Is Made at Night, and the rise of Nazism, a theme which Borzage had virtually to himself among Hollywood filmmakers from Little Man, What Now? (1933) to Three Comrades (1938) and The Mortal Storm (1940). His work took a spiritual turn in such films as Green Light (1937), Strange Cargo (1940) and The Big Fisherman (1959). Of his later work only the film noir Moonrise (1948) has enjoyed much critical acclaim. After 1948, Borzage's output was sporadic. In 1955 and 1957, he was awarded The George Eastman Award, given by George Eastman House for distinguished contribution to the art of film. Frank Borzage died of cancer in 1962, aged 68.

Known For

🎬

7.0

Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

Murnau, Borzage and Fox

2008

6.3

Self (uncredited)

Jeanne Eagels

1957

🎬

6.0

Self

Hollywood Preview

1955

7.0

The Oscars

1953

6.5

Self

This Is Your Life

1952

0.0

The Atom

1918

0.0

Franklin Shirley

Fear Not

1917

🎬

0.0

Roger O'Reilly

Wee Lady Betty

1917

5.0

Tom Rigdon

A Mormon Maid

1917

0.0

Hugh Aslam

A School for Husbands

1917

Credits

🎬

Murnau, Borzage and Fox

as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)

2008

7.0

Jeanne Eagels

as Self (uncredited)

1957

6.3

🎬

Hollywood Preview

as Self

1955

6.0

The Oscars

1953

7.0

This Is Your Life

as Self

1952

6.5

The Atom

1918

0.0

Fear Not

as Franklin Shirley

1917

0.0

🎬

Wee Lady Betty

as Roger O'Reilly

1917

0.0

A Mormon Maid

as Tom Rigdon

1917

5.0

A School for Husbands

as Hugh Aslam

1917

0.0

Immediate Lee

as Immediate Lee

1916

0.0

Land O' Lizards

as The Stranger

1916

0.0

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages

as Extra (uncredited)

1916

7.1

The Courtin' of Calliope Clew

as Calliope Clew

1916

0.0

Nugget Jim's Pardner

as Hal

1916

4.5

The Pilgrim

as The Pilgrim

1916

5.2

🎬

Realization

1916

0.0

A Flickering Light

as Jim

1916

0.0

The Pitch o' Chance

as Rocky Scott

1915

4.5

🎬

The Clean-Up

as George Prescott

1915

0.0

Knight of the Trail

as Bill Carey

1915

4.8

🎬

The Secret of Lost River

as Tom Hornby - Prospector

1915

0.0

🎬

The Tavern Keeper's Son

as Juan Capella

1915

0.0

🎬

The Cup of Life

as Dick Ralston

1915

0.0

In the Switch Tower

as Joel Wharton

1915

0.0

In the Land of the Otter

as Joe Eagle

1915

0.0

🎬

The Panther

as David Brandt

1914

0.0

The Typhoon

as Renard Bernisky

1914

0.0

The Wrath of the Gods

as Tom Wilson

1914

6.2

🎬

Love's Western Flight

1914

0.0

Samson

as Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited)

1914

10.0

🎬

A Flash in the Dark

1914

0.0

🎬

The Wheel of Life

1914

0.0

In the Sage Brush Country

1914

0.0

🎬

A Hopi Legend

1913

0.0

🎬

A Cracksman Santa Claus

1913

0.0

🎬

Retribution

1913

0.0

🎬

Loaded Dice

1913

0.0

Silent Heroes

1913

5.0

🎬

In the Toils

1913

0.0

🎬

The Gratitude of Wanda

1913

0.0

🎬

The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine

1913

0.0

Granddad

as Mildred's Father

1913

5.5

The Drummer of the 8th

as Jack Durand

1913

5.8

On Secret Service

1912

5.0