Jacques Tourneur (; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French film director known for the classic

film noir Film noir (; ) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of American ' ...

Out of the Past ''Out of the Past'' (billed in the United Kingdom as ''Build My Gallows High'') is a 1947 film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Daniel Mainwaring (using the pseu ...

'' and a series of low-budget

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

s he made for

RKO Studios RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

, including '' Cat People'', ''

I Walked with a Zombie ''I Walked with a Zombie'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Pictures. It stars James Ellison (actor), James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway, and follows a Canadian nurse who trave ...

'', and ''

The Leopard Man ''The Leopard Man'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and starring Dennis O'Keefe, Jean Brooks, and Margo (actress), Margo. Based on the book ''Black Alibi'' by Cornell Woolrich, it follows a series of violent murders ...

''. He is also known for directing ''

Night of the Demon ''Night of the Demon'' (in the United States, released as ''Curse of the Demon'') is a 1957 British horror film, produced by Hal E. Chester and Frank Bevis, directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummins and Niall MacG ...

'', which was released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...

. While in Hollywood, he was usually addressed by his anglicized name "Jack Turner", a literal and phonetic translation of his name in English.

Life

Born in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, Tourneur was the son of Fernande Petit and

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

Maurice Tourneur Maurice may refer to: People *Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr *Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and Lo ...

.Earnshaw 2004, p. 102. At age 10, Jacques moved to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

with his father. He started a career in cinema while still attending

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

as an extra and later as a script clerk in various

silent films A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, whe ...

. Both Maurice and Jacques returned to

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

after his father worked on the film ''

The Mysterious Island ''The Mysterious Island'' (french: L'Île mystérieuse) is a novel by Jules Verne, published in 1875. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains a number of illustrations by Jules Férat. The novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's fam ...

'' in 1925. Tourneur died in 1977, aged 73, in Bergerac,

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; oc, Dordonha ) is a large rural department in Southwestern France, with its prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and the Pyrenees, it is named af ...

, France.

Career

Tourneur began work as an

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

and

assistant director The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to tak ...

. He made his debut as a director on the French film ' in 1931. Tourneur went to Hollywood in 1934 where he had a contract with

MGM Studios Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

. While working as the

second unit director Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...

on the film ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the ...

'' he met film producer

Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pain ...

. Tourneur made his feature debut as director in the 1939 film ''They All Come Out''. After Tourneur was dropped by MGM in 1941, he was picked up by Lewton to film several acclaimed low-budget

horror films Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoc ...

for

including '' Cat People'' and ''

''. ''Cat People'', although considered a B movie and made on a limited budget, was distinguished by a style of lighting and cinematography that has been imitated countless times. Tourneur was promoted to the A-list at RKO, directing films including ''

'' and ''

Berlin Express ''Berlin Express'' is a 1948 American drama film starring Robert Ryan, Merle Oberon and Paul Lukas, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Thrown together by chance, a group of people search a city for a kidnapped peace activist. Set in Allied-occupi ...

''. In the 1950s, Tourneur became a freelance director, filming various genre films including '' Wichita'', ''

Anne of the Indies ''Anne of the Indies'' is a 1951 Technicolor adventure film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by George Jessel. The film stars Jean Peters and Louis Jourdan, with Debra Paget, Herbert Marshall, Thom ...

'', '' Way of a Gaucho'', '' Nightfall'', ''

The Flame and the Arrow ''The Flame and the Arrow'' is a 1950 American Technicolor swashbuckler film made by Warner Bros. and starring Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo and Nick Cravat. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Harold Hecht and Frank Ross from a ...

'', '' Stars In My Crown'' and ''

''. His last two films, made for

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

and starring

Vincent Price Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...

, were ''

The Comedy of Terrors ''The Comedy of Terrors'' is a 1963 American International Pictures horror comedy film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Basil Rathbone, Boris Karloff, and (in a cameo) Joe E. Brown in his final film appeara ...

'' (1963) and ''

War-Gods of the Deep ''City Under the Sea'' (released as ''War-Gods of the Deep'' in the US) is a 1965 British-American adventure horror science fiction film. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur (his final film) and starred Vincent Price, Tab Hunter, Susan Hart a ...

'' (1965). After his final days working for film, Tourneur began directing television episodes. Tourneur filmed episodes of ''

The Barbara Stanwyck Show ''The Barbara Stanwyck Show'' is an American anthology drama television series which ran on NBC from September 1960 to September 1961. Barbara Stanwyck served as hostess, and starred in all but four of the half-hour productions. The four in which ...

'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 13, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 432 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running western, the second-longest-running western series on U ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'', and ''

The Alaskans ''The Alaskans'' is a 1959–1960 ABC/Warner Bros. western television series set during the late 1890s in the port of Skagway, Alaska. The show features Roger Moore as "Silky Harris" and Jeff York as "Reno McKee", a pair of adventurers intent ...

''. Tourneur's final director credit was for an episode of '' T.H.E. Cat'' in 1966. Tourneur then retired and returned to France.

Filmography

Director

Feature films * ''

All That's Not Worth Love ''All That's Not Worth Love'' (French: ''Tout ça ne vaut pas l'amour'') is a 1931 French comedy drama film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Marcel Lévesque, Jean Gabin and Josseline Gaël.Harriss p.195 It was shot at Pathé's Joinvill ...

'' (1931, French) * '' Toto'' (1933, French) * ''

To Be Loved ''To Be Loved'' is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer, Michael Bublé. The album was released on April 15, 2013, by 143 Records and Reprise Records. The album was preceded by the release of the lead single, " It's a Beautiful Day", rel ...

'' (1933, French) * ''

The Concierge's Daughters ''The Concierge's Daughters'' (French: ''Les filles de la concierge'') is a 1934 French comedy film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Jeanne Cheirel, Paul Azaïs and Josette Day.Waldman p.135 The film's sets were designed by the art di ...

'' (1934, French) * ''

They All Come Out ''They All Come Out'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Jacques Tourneur, written by John C. Higgins, and starring Rita Johnson, Tom Neal, Bernard Nedell, Edward Gargan, John Gallaudet and Addison Richards. It was released on August 4, ...

'' (1938) * ''

Nick Carter, Master Detective ''Nick Carter, Master Detective'' was a Mutual radio crime drama based on tales of the fictional private detective Nick Carter from Street & Smith's dime novels and pulp magazines. Nick Carter first came to radio as ''The Return of Nick Carte ...

'' (1939) * ''

Phantom Raiders ''Phantom Raiders'' is a 1940 film, the second in the series starring Walter Pidgeon as detective Nick Carter. The film was part of a movie trilogy based on original stories featuring the character from the long-running ''Nick Carter, Detective'' ...

'' (1940) *''

Doctors Don't Tell ''Doctors Don't Tell'' is a 1941 American drama film directed by Jacques Tourneur and written by Theodore Reeves and Isabel Dawn. The film stars John Beal, Florence Rice, Edward Norris, Ward Bond, Douglas Fowley and Grady Sutton. Plot Med stu ...

'' (1941) * '' Cat People'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * ''

'' (1943) * '' Days of Glory'' (1944) * ''

Experiment Perilous ''Experiment Perilous'' is a 1944 melodrama set at the turn of the 20th century. The film is based on a 1943 novel of the same name by Margaret Carpenter, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Albert S. D'Agostino, Jack Okey, Darrell Silvera, and Cl ...

'' (1944) * ''

Canyon Passage ''Canyon Passage'' is a 1946 American Western film directed by Jacques Tourneur and set in frontier Oregon. It stars Dana Andrews, Susan Hayward and Brian Donlevy. Featuring love triangles and an Indian uprising, the film was adapted from the 1 ...

'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * ''

'' (1948) * '' Easy Living'' (1949) *'' Stars In My Crown'' (1950) * ''

'' (1950) * ''

Circle of Danger ''Circle of Danger'' is a 1951 British thriller film directed by Jacques Tourneur which stars Ray Milland, Patricia Roc, Marius Goring, Hugh Sinclair and Naunton Wayne. An American travels to England to discover the truth behind his brother's d ...

'' (1951) * ''

'' (1951) * '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952) * ''

Appointment in Honduras ''Appointment in Honduras'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Glenn Ford, Ann Sheridan, and Zachary Scott. Plot Taking place in 1910, during a fictional revolution in Honduras, Jim Corbett (Glenn For ...

'' (1953) * ''

Stranger on Horseback ''Stranger on Horseback'' is a 1955 American Anscocolor Western film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Joel McCrea. The screenplay is based on a story by Louis L'Amour. It was filmed in and around Sedona, Arizona. Plot Rick Thorne, a ci ...

'' (1955) * '' Wichita'' (1955) *''

Great Day in the Morning ''Great Day in the Morning'' is a Technicolor Superscope 1956 film.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; May 19, 1956, page 80. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and stars Virginia Mayo, Robert Stack, and Ruth Roman in a story set in 1860s De ...

'' (1956) * '' Nightfall'' (1956) *''

'' (1957) * ''

The Fearmakers ''The Fearmakers'' is a 1958 American film noir crime film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Dana Andrews. The screenplay is based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Darwin Teilhet. The film centers on seemingly nonpartisan political ...

'' (1958) * ''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; french: Tombouctou; Koyra Chiini: ); tmh, label=Tuareg, script=Tfng, ⵜⵏⴱⴾⵜ, Tin Buqt a city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. The town is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrativ ...

'' (1959) * '' Frontier Rangers'' (1959) * ''

Giant of Marathon ''The Giant of Marathon'' ( it, La battaglia di Maratona) is a 1959 international co-production sword and sandal film, loosely based on the Battle of Marathon. It was directed by Jacques Tourneur and Mario Bava. It starred Steve Reeves as Pheidip ...

'' (1959) * ''

'' (1964) * ''

'' (1965) Short films *1936 – ''The Jonker Diamond'' *1936 – ''Harnessed Rhythm'' *1936 – ''Master Will Shakespeare'' *1936 – ''Killer Dog'' *1937 – ''The Grand Bounce'' *1937 – ''The Boss Didn't Say Good Morning'' *1937 – ''The King Without a Crown'' *1937 – ''The Rainbow Pass'' *1937 – ''

Romance of Radium ''Romance of Radium'' is a 1937 American short film directed by Jacques Tourneur, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A brief history of the chemical element, it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (One-Reel) at the 10th ...

'' *1937 – ''The Man in the Barn'' *1937 – ''What Do You Think?'' *1938 – ''What Do You Think? (Number Three)'' *1938 – ''The Ship That Died'' *1938 – ''The Face Behind the Mask'' *1938 – ''What Do You Think?: Tupapaoo'' *1938 – ''Strange Glory'' *1938 – ''Think It Over'' *1939 – ''Yankee Doodle Goes to Town'' *1942 – ''The Incredible Stranger'' *1942 – ''The Magic Alphabet'' *1944 – '' Reward Unlimited''

TV

* 1955-1961 :

General Electric Theater ''General Electric Theater'' was an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations. Radio After an audition show ...

, 4 episodes ** 1955 : ''The Martyr'' ** 1955 : ''Into the Night'' ** 1960 : ''Aftermath'' ** 1961 : ''Star Witness: The Lili Parrish Story'' * 1956 :

Fireside Theater ''Fireside Theatre'' (also known as ''Jane Wyman Presents'') is an American anthology drama series that ran on NBC from 1949 to 1958, and was the first successful filmed series on American television. Productions were low-budget and often based ...

, 3 episodes ** 1956 : ''A Hero Returns'' ** 1956 : ''Kirsti'' ** 1956 : ''The Mirror'' * 1957 :

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playhouse ...

, 1 episode ** 1957 : ''Outlaw's Boots'' * 1957 :

The Walter Winchell File ''The Walter Winchell File'' is a television crime drama series that initially aired from 1957 to 1958, dramatizing cases from the New York City Police Department that were covered in the ''New York Daily Mirror''. The series featured columnist an ...

, 3 episodes ** 1957 : ''The Steep Hill'' ** 1958 : ''House on Biscayne Bay'' ** 1958 : ''The Stopover'' * 1958 : ''Cool and Lam'', CBS Productions * 1958 :

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the Arct ...

, 8 episodes ** 1958 : ''The Gunsmith'' ** 1958 : ''The Burning Village'' ** 1958 : ''The Bond Women'' ** 1959 : ''The Break Out'' ** 1959 : ''The Vulture'' ** 1959 : ''The Traitor'' ** 1959 : ''The Assassin'' ** 1959 : ''The Hostage'' * 1959 :

, 1 episode ** 1960 : ''Denver McKee'' * 1959 :

, 1 episode ** 1960 : ''The Devil Makers'' * 1960 :

, 11 episodes ** 1960 : ''The Mink Coat'' ** 1960 : ''Ironbark's Bridge'' ** 1960 : ''The Miraculous Journey of Tadpole Chan'' ** 1961 : ''Frightened Doll'' ** 1961 : ''The Choice'' ** 1961 : ''Sign of the Zodiac'' ** 1961 : ''Adventure on Happiness Street'' ** 1961 : ''The Golden Acres'' ** 1961 : ''Confession'' ** 1961 : ''Dragon by the Tail'' ** 1961 : ''Dear Charlie'' * 1962 : Adventures in Paradise, 1 episode ** 1962 : ''A Bride for the Captain'' * 1962 : Follow the Sun, 1 episode **''Sergeant Kolchak Fades Away'' * 1963 :

, 1 episode ** 1963 : '' Night Call'' * 1966 : T.H.E. Cat, 1 episode ** 1966 : ''The Ring of Anasis''

Assistant director or editor

* 1929 : ''Le Navire des hommes perdus'' (''Das schiff der verlorenen menschen''), directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1930 : ''Accusée, Levez vous,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1931 : ''Maison de danses,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1931 : ''Partir'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1932 : ''Au nom de la Loi'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1932 : ''Les Gaités de l'escadron,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1933 : ''Les Deux Orphelines,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1993 : ''Lidoire,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur. * 1933 : ''Obsession'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (uncredited) * 1933 : ''La Fusée,'' directed by Jacques Natanson (Editor) * 1933 : ''Le Voleur'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1934 : '' Rothchild'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1935 : ''A Tale of Two Cities,'' directed by Jack Conway, war sequences, (séquence de la prise de la Bastille).

Posterity

'' La Mort en direct'' (1980), film by

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French director, screenwriter, actor and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, s ...

is dedicated to deceased film director Jacques Tourneur ”There are films that watch us grow old ”

Serge Daney Serge Daney (June 4, 1944, Paris – June 12, 1992) was a French movie critic. He was a major figure of ''Cahiers du cinéma'' which he co-edited in the late 1970s. He also wrote extensively about films, television, and society in the newspaper ''Li ...

. Quoted by Serge Le Péron in (''Jacques Tourneur Le Médium),'' film by Alain Mazars, 2015. By naming the main character Jessica Holland in his film ''

Memoria Memoria was the term for aspects involving memory in Western classical rhetoric. The word is Latin, and can be translated as "memory". It was one of five canons in classical rhetoric (the others being inventio, dispositio, elocutio, and pronunt ...

'' (2021),

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul ( th, อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล; ; ) is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system ...

pays tribute to Jacques Tourneur’s film ''I Walked with a Zombie.''

References

Bibliography * * * ''Jacques Tourneur, The Cinema of Nightfall,'' Chris Fujiwara, The Johns Hopkins University press 2007.

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Tourneur, Jacques 1904 births 1977 deaths Film directors from Paris French emigrants to the United States Horror film directors