Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American film director. Though he directed many television movies, his best known feature-length works were arguably the action movie '' White Lightning'' starring

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor, considered a sex symbol and icon of 1970s American popular culture. Reynolds first rose to prominence when he starred in television series such as ' ...

, the biopic '' MacArthur'' starring

Gregory Peck Eldred Gregory Peck (April 5, 1916 – June 12, 2003) was an American actor and one of the most popular film stars from the 1940s to the 1970s. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Peck the 12th-greatest male star of Classic Hollywood ...

, and the horror anthology ''

Nightmares A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety or great sadness. The dream may contain situations of d ...

''. His most popular feature film was the subway thriller '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three''. Sargent won four

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s over his career. He is the father of voice actress

Lia Sargent Lia Sargent is an American voice actress. She is known for extensive anime and video game voice work and has also done ADR directing and script writing for Animaze.. iNC. She is the daughter of movie and TV director Joseph Sargent and actres ...

Life and career

Sargent was born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.U.S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, where he fought in the

Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive (military), offensive military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted fr ...

.Joseph Sargent dies at 89; prize-winning film and TV movie director
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' via

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Joseph Sargent, Emmy-winning director of TV and film productions, dies at 89
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' via

. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Emmy-Winning Director Joseph Sargent Dies at 89
''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

''. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Sargent, Joseph 1925 - (Joe Sargent, Joseph D. Sargent) PERSONAL

Encyclopedia.com Encyclopedia.com (also known as HighBeam Encyclopedia) is an online encyclopedia. It aggregates information from other published dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference works including pictures and videos. History The website was launched by ...

. Retrieved March 12, 2022. Sargent began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous films and television programs. He appeared in an uncredited role as a soldier in the film ''

From Here to Eternity ''From Here to Eternity'' is a 1953 American drama romance war film directed by Fred Zinnemann, and written by Daniel Taradash, based on the 1951 novel of the same name by James Jones. The picture deals with the tribulations of three U.S. Arm ...

'' (1953) where he also met his first wife

Mary Carver Mary Carvellas (May 3, 1924 – October 18, 2013), better known as Mary Carver, was an American actress whose career spanned more than 60 years. She may be best known for her role as matriarch Cecilia Simon on the series ''Simon & Simon'' appearin ...

on the set. In the mid 1950s Sargent switched to directing; over the next 15 years his directing credits would include episodes of television series '' Lassie'', ''

The Invaders ''The Invaders'' is an American science-fiction television series created by Larry Cohen that aired on ABC for two seasons, from 1967 to 1968. Roy Thinnes stars as David Vincent, who after stumbling across evidence of an in-progress invasion ...

'' (four episodes), ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

'' and the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' episode "

The Corbomite Maneuver "The Corbomite Maneuver" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Jerry Sohl and directed by Joseph Sargent, it first aired on November 10, 1966. In the episode, the ' ...

". He appeared in the Western series ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'', once in 1957 as a man, turned drunk, who lost his drive to live, in the episode “Skid Row” (S2E22); then again as a drunk cowboy who gets killed in The Longbranch Saloon in the 1959 episode “”There Never Was A Horse” (S4 E35). In 1969, he directed his first feature, the science fiction thriller '' Colossus: The Forbin Project''. In 1971, he was hired to direct ''

Buck and the Preacher ''Buck and the Preacher'' is a 1972 American Western film released by Columbia Pictures, written by Ernest Kinoy and directed by Sidney Poitier. Poitier also stars in the film alongside Harry Belafonte and Ruby Dee. This is the first film Sid ...

'' but, after a few days of shooting, was replaced by

Sidney Poitier Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...

who cited creative differences. The next year, however, he directed '' The Man'', starring

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (born January 17, 1931) is an American actor. He has been described as "one of America's most distinguished and versatile" actors for his performances in film, television, and theater, and "one of the greatest actors in America ...

, which was begun as a television movie. He alternated between television movies and feature films during the 1970s. Sargent's directorial work from this period includes; '' The Taking of Pelham One Two Three'', the TV movies ''

Hustling Hustling is the deceptive act of disguising one's skill in a sport or game with the intent of luring someone of probably lesser skill into gambling (or gambling for higher than current stakes) with the hustler, as a form of both a confidence tri ...

'' with

Lee Remick Lee Ann Remick (December 14, 1935 – July 2, 1991) was an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the film '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962), and for the 1966 Tony Award for Best Actress in ...

and

Jill Clayburgh Jill Clayburgh (April 30, 1944 – November 5, 2010) was an American actress known for her work in theater, television, and cinema. She received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Act ...

, ''

Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring ''Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring'' is a 1971 American made-for-television drama film directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Sally Field, Eleanor Parker, Jackie Cooper, Lane Bradbury and David Carradine. The film originally premiered as th ...

'' with

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has received many awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, three Primetime Emmy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Cannes Film F ...

and ''

Tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

'' with

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor known for portraying helicopter pilot Stringfellow Hawke in the TV series ''Airwolf'' (1984–1987) and the protagonist, Matt Johnson, in the 1978 film ''Big W ...

and

Darren McGavin Darren is a masculine given name of uncertain etymological origins. Some theories state that it originated from an Anglicisation of the Irish first name Darragh or Dáire, meaning "Oak Tree". According to other sources, it is thought to come from ...

, as well as international award-winning ABC film ''

The Night That Panicked America '' The Night That Panicked America'' is an American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film that was originally broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company, ABC network on October 31, 1975. The telefilm dram ...

''. In 1974, he won his first

Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merge ...

Award for ''

The Marcus-Nelson Murders This is a list of episodes for the television series '' Kojak''. The first five seasons ( Pilot + 118 ep.) were aired on CBS from 1973 until 1978. CBS also commissioned a pair of TV movies in 1985 and 1987. ABC revived ''Kojak'' in 1989 for five ...

'' (1973), which was the TV movie pilot for the ''

Kojak ''Kojak'' is an American action crime drama television series starring Telly Savalas as the title character, New York City Police Department Detective Lieutenant Theodopolis "Theo" Kojak. Taking the time slot of the popular ''Cannon'' series, it ...

'' series. In the 1980s, Sargent directed mini-series '' Manions of America'', which featured

Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (; born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He is best known as the fifth actor to play secret agent James Bond in the Bond film series, starring in four films from 1995 to 2002 (''GoldenEye'', ''Tomorrow ...

, and ''

Space Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

''. In 1987 he directed '' Jaws: The Revenge'', the third sequel to

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...

's 1975 classic. The film received entirely negative reviews.

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

called his directing of the climactic sequence "incompetent," and he was nominated for Worst Director in the 1987 Golden Raspberry Awards. He concentrated on TV movies after ''Jaws: The Revenge'', including ''

The Karen Carpenter Story ''The Karen Carpenter Story'' is an American made-for-television biographical film about singer Karen Carpenter and the brother-and-sister pop music duo of which she was a part, The Carpenters. The film aired on CBS on January 1, 1989. Directed ...

'', ''

The Long Island Incident ''The Long Island Incident'' is a 1998 American made-for-television drama film produced by Barbra Streisand's Barwood Films. The teleplay by Maria Nation is based on the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting. Plot On December 7, 1993, Jamaican é ...

'', '' Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment'' and the 2007 remake of

docudrama ''

Sybil Sibyls were oracular women believed to possess prophetic powers in ancient Greece. Sybil or Sibyl may also refer to: Films * ''Sybil'' (1921 film) * ''Sybil'' (1976 film), a film starring Sally Field * ''Sybil'' (2007 film), a remake of the 19 ...

''. Joseph Sargent and his wife Carolyn Nelson Sargent laid the groundwork for

Deaf West Theatre Deaf West Theatre is a non-profit arts organization based in Los Angeles, California, USA. It is most well known for its Tony Award-nominated productions of '' Big River'' and '' Spring Awakening''. Deaf West Theatre is led by Artistic Director, ...

. Sargent spent time as the Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence for the Directing program at the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

Conservatory in Los Angeles. Sargent died of complications from

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

at his home in

Malibu, California Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malibu ...

, on December 22, 2014. He was 89.

Filmography

One Spy Too Many ''One Spy Too Many'' starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum is the 1966 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s two-part season two premiere " Alexander the Greater Affair". It is the third such feature film that used as its ...

''Re-edit of a two-part ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' episodes ''Alexander the Greater Affair'' with different shots and dialog. ''

The Spy in the Green Hat ''The Spy in the Green Hat'' is a 1967 feature-length film version of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.''s third season two-part episode " The Concrete Overcoat Affair". The episodes were originally broadcast in the United States on November 25, 1966 and D ...

''Re-edit of a two-part ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' episodes ''The Concrete Overcoat Affair'' with new scenes added.

Awards

Sargent was nominated for several Emmy awards. He won four. Early in his career, he won a

award for the ''Kojak'' pilot. Sargent was nominated for eight DGA awards for television movies, more than any other director in this category.

20th century

''Tribes'' * Nominated for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series, Movie, or Dramatic Special This is a list of the winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Chronology of category names Over the years, the scope of this award has evolved and the name with which ...

''The Marcus-Nelson Murders'' * Winner of

* Won the

Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film The Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Limited Series is one of the annual Directors Guild of America Awards given by the Directors Guild of America. It was first awarded at the 24 ...

''Amber Waves'' * Nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single Program ''Nightmares'' * Won the

Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film (french: Festival international du film fantastique de Bruxelles, nl, Internationaal Festival van de Fantastische Fil ...

''Love Is Never Silent'' * Won the

''Space'' * Emmy Award, Outstanding Film Sound Mixing for a Limited Series or a Special * Emmy Award nominee, Outstanding Limited Series * Artios Award nominee, Best Casting for TV Miniseries ''Jaws: The Revenge'' * Nominated—

Razzie Award The Golden Raspberry Awards (also known as the Razzies and Razzie Awards) is a parody award show honoring the worst of cinematic under-achievements. Co-founded by UCLA film graduates and film industry veterans John J. B. Wilson and Mo Murphy, ...

for

Worst Picture The Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture is an award given out at the annual Golden Raspberry Awards to the worst film of the past year. Over the 39 ceremonies that have taken place, there have been 202 films nominated for Worst Picture and 42 ...

Nominated—

for Worst Director
Final theatrical film as director ''Caroline?'' * Won the

''Miss Rose White'' * Won the

''World War II: When Lions Roared'' * Nominated for the

''Miss Evers' Boys'' * Nominated for

''A Lesson Before Dying'' * Nominated for the

21st century

''For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story'' * Nominated for

''Something the Lord Made'' *

Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Catego ...

for Outstanding Directing in a Television Film * Nominated for the

''Warm Springs'' * Won the

* Nominee for a

Primetime Emmy The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...

for

References

External links

* * Includes details of awards. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sargent, Joseph 1925 births 2014 deaths Film producers from New Jersey American television directors Artists from Jersey City, New Jersey Directors Guild of America Award winners Primetime Emmy Award winners Film directors from New Jersey