László Benedek (; March 5, 1905 – March 11, 1992; sometimes ''Laslo Benedek'') was a Hungarian-born

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 ...

and cinematographer, most notable for directing ''

The Wild One ''The Wild One'' is a 1953 American crime film directed by László Benedek and produced by Stanley Kramer. The picture is most noted for the character of Johnny Strabler, portrayed by Marlon Brando, whose persona became a cultural icon of the 1 ...

'' (1953). He gained recognition for his direction of the film version of ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a montag ...

'' (1951), for which he won the

Golden Globe Award for Best Director The Golden Globe Award for Best Director – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award that has been presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization composed of journalists who cover the United States film industry fo ...

and a Best Director nomination from the

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 ...

. However, it was for his directorial efforts on his next project that Benedek is best remembered. His

motorcycle gang An outlaw motorcycle club is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, ...

film ''

'' (1953) caused a storm of controversy and was banned in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

until 1968.

Biography

European career

He was born in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. He intended to be a psychiatrist and studied at Vienna and Berlin. He worked in the film industry to pay his bills and ended up deciding to focus on that instead.Laslo Benedek, 87, Film Director Known for 'Wild One,' Is Dead: iography; Obituary (Obit) Honan, William H. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y. ew York, N.Y4 Mar 1992: 1.12.Rejecting Hollywood Formula: Hollywood Letter By Richard Dyer MacCann. The Christian Science Monitor 5 Sep 1951: 4 In Germany, Benedek was cinematographer on '' The Mistress'' (1927). He was assistant director on ''

The Great Longing ''The Great Longing'' (german: Die große Sehnsucht) is a 1930 German comedy film directed by Steve Sekely in his directorial debut and starring Camilla Horn, Theodor Loos, and Harry Frank. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin. The film's se ...

'' (1929), directed by

Steve Sekely Steve Sekely (February 25, 1899– March 9, 1979) was a Hungarian film director. Born István Székely, he was known by several names, based on his changing professional and immigration status, including Stefan Szekely. He directed films in Hun ...

, and edited and assisted directed ''

The Man Who Murdered ''The Man Who Murdered'' (german: Der Mann, der den Mord beging) is a 1931 German crime drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Conrad Veidt, Trude von Molo and Heinrich George.Grange p. 357 It is adapted from the play by Pierre Fro ...

'' (1931) for director

Curtis Bernhardt Curtis Bernhardt (15 April 1899 – 22 February 1981) was a Jewish film director born in Worms, Germany, under the name Kurt Bernhardt. He trained as an actor in Germany, and performed on the stage, before starting as a film director in 1924, wi ...

. He worked at UFA for

Joe Pasternak Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a Hungarian-American film producer in Hollywood. Pasternak spent the Hollywood "Golden Age" of musicals at MGM Studios, producing many successfu ...

until 1933. He assisted on ''

Hyppolit, the Butler ''Hyppolit, the Butler'' ( hu, Hyppolit, a lakáj) is a 1931 black-and-white Hungarian film comedy of manners about an upwardly mobile family hiring a butler who previously worked for aristocratic families. It was the second full sound film pro ...

'' (1931) and edited '' Die Wasserteufel von Hieflau'' (1932), and '' Miss Iza'' (1933). When the Nazis came to power, Benedek followed Pasternak to Vienna then Hungary where he edited ''

A Precocious Girl ''A Precocious Girl'' (German title: ''Csibi, der Fratz'' aka ''Früchtchen'') is a 1934 Austrian comedy film directed by Max Neufeld and Richard Eichberg and starring Franciska Gaal, Leopoldine Konstantin and Herbert Hübner. The film's sets we ...

'' (1934) starring

Franciska Gaal Franciska Gaal (born Franciska Silberspitz, 1 February 1903 – 13 August 1972) was a Hungarian cabaret artist and film actress of Jewish heritage. Gaal starred in a popular series of European romantic comedies during the 1930s. After attracting ...

and ''

Temptation Temptation is a desire to engage in short-term urges for enjoyment that threatens long-term goals.Webb, J.R. (Sep 2014). Incorporating Spirituality into Psychology of temptation: Conceptualization, measurement, and clinical implications. Sp ...

'' (1934), both directed by Max Nuefeld; he was assistant director on the latter.New Directors – Where From? Leonard, Harold. Sight and Sound; London. Vol. 17, Iss. 66, (Summer 1948): 103. He went to England where he worked as a writer on ''

The Secret of Stamboul ''The Secret of Stamboul'', also known as ''The Spy in White'', is a 1936 British thriller film, taken from the 1935 novel ''The Eunuch of Stamboul'' by Dennis Wheatley, directed by Andrew Marton and starring Valerie Hobson, James Mason and Fr ...

'' (1936), directed by fellow Hungarian expatriate

Andrew Marton Andrew Marton (born Endre Marton; 26 January 1904 – 7 January 1992) was a Hungarian-American film director. In his career, he directed 39 films and television programs, and worked on 16 as a second unit director, including the chariot race in ...

. In 1937 he moved to the US.

Early US career

In the US, Benedek worked on the montage scenes of ''

Test Pilot A test pilot is an aircraft pilot with additional training to fly and evaluate experimental, newly produced and modified aircraft with specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques.Stinton, Darrol. ''Flying Qualities and Flight Testing ...

'' (1938) at MGM. He edited '' A Little Bit of Heaven'' (1940) for Pasternak at Universal. At MGM he was assistant director on ''

Song of Russia ''Song of Russia'' is a 1944 American war film made and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The picture was credited as being directed by Gregory Ratoff, though Ratoff collapsed near the end of the five-month production, and was replaced by Lás ...

'' (1944) and worked as an associate producer under

. Among his jobs included doing screen tests, second unit directing, and supervising the animated dance sequence in ''

Anchors Aweigh "Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy and unofficial march song of the United States Navy. It was composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmermann with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. When he composed "Anchors Aweigh", Zim ...

'' (1945). In 1946 he was linked with communist front organisations.

Director

Benedek made his feature film directing debut with '' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948) at MGM, produced by Pasternak; it was a notorious flop.. He went to Eagle Lion where he directed a noir, '' Port of New York'' (1949) starring

Yul Brynner Yuliy Borisovich Briner (russian: link=no, Юлий Борисович Бринер; July 11, 1920 – October 10, 1985), known professionally as Yul Brynner, was a Russian-born actor. He was best known for his portrayal of King Mongkut in the ...

. For

Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...

he then made ''

'' (1951) which was a financial disappointment. He produced but did not direct '' Storm Over Tibet'' (1952) (Marton directed), started to direct television, notably episodes of ''

Footlights Theater ''Footlights Theater'' is a 30-minute American television anthology series that aired on CBS on Fridays in the summers of 1952 and 1953 as a replacement for ''Our Miss Brooks''. The program was broadcast on Friday nights from July 4, 1952, to S ...

'', and ''

The Ford Television Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

''. Kramer gave him the job of ''

'' (1953) with Marlon Brando, originally called ''The Cyclist's Raid''. He went over to Universal to do '' Bengal Rifles'' (1954) with

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

Return to Europe

Benedek returned to Germany to write and direct ''

Sons, Mothers and a General ''Children, Mother, and the General'' (german: Kinder, Mütter und ein General, and also released as ''Sons, Mothers, and a General'') is a 1955 West German war film directed by László Benedek and starring Hilde Krahl, Therese Giehse and Ewald ...

'' (1955). Back in the US he made a short with

Richard Widmark Richard Weedt Widmark (December 26, 1914March 24, 2008) was an American film, stage, and television actor and producer. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role as the villainous Tommy Udo in his debut film, '' Kiss of Death'' (1947) ...

, '' Boy with a Knife'' (1956), then focused on television: ''

The Loretta Young Show ''The Loretta Young Show'' (originally known as ''Letter to Loretta'') is an American anthology drama television series broadcast on Sunday nights from September 2, 1953, to June 4, 1961, on NBC for a total of 165 episodes. The series was hosted ...

'', ''

Telephone Time ''Telephone Time'' is an American anthology drama series that aired on CBS in 1956, and on ABC from 1957 to 1958. The series features plays by John Nesbitt who hosted the first season. Frank C. Baxter hosted the 1957 and 1958 seasons. The prog ...

'', '' Four Star Theatre'', ''

Cavalcade of America ''Cavalcade of America'' is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented musicals, such as an adaptation of ''Show Boat'', and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially ...

'', Benedek returned to features with ''

Affair in Havana ''Affair in Havana'' is a 1957 American film noir crime film directed by László Benedek and written by Maurice Zimm. It stars Raymond Burr and John Cassavetes. The film is about a piano player who falls in love with a crippled man's wife. ...

'' (1957) starring

John Cassavetes John Nicholas Cassavetes ( ; December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as a television and film actor, Cassavetes also helped pioneer American independent cinema, writing and dire ...

. He wanted to make ''Anna'' for Rank in Britain with

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French-American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. She is one ...

and

Louis Jourdan Louis Jourdan (born Louis Robert Gendre; 19 June 1921 – 14 February 2015) was a French film and television actor. He was known for his suave roles in several Hollywood films, including Alfred Hitchcock's ''The Paradine Case'' (1947), '' Lette ...

but requested the script be rewritten and then Caron fell pregnant, causing the film to be abandoned. He also directed '' Malaga'' aka ''Moment of Danger'' (1960) starring

Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 – September 8, 1965) was an American actress, singer and dancer. She is the first African-American film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, which was for her performance in ''Ca ...

and

Trevor Howard Trevor Wallace Howard-Smith (29 September 1913 – 7 January 1988) was an English stage, film, and television actor. After varied work in the theatre, he achieved star status with his role in the film ''Brief Encounter'' (1945), followed by ''T ...

. This low budget crime drama was the last film made by Dandridge. In France, he wrote and directed '' Recourse in Grace'' (1960) with

Raf Vallone The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

Television

In the 1960s Benedek mostly concentrated on TV, doing episodes of ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', ''

The Naked City ''The Naked City'' (aka ''Naked City'') is a 1948 American film noir directed by Jules Dassin, starring Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart and Don Taylor. The film, shot almost entirely on location in New York City, depicts the poli ...

'', '' Thriller'', ''

Zane Grey Theater ''Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre'' is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until September 20, 1962. Format Many episodes were based on novels by Zane Grey, to all of which Four Star F ...

'', '' The Fugitive'', ''

The Doctors and the Nurses ''The Nurses'' is a serialized primetime medical drama that was broadcast in the United States on CBS from September 27, 1962, to May 11, 1965. For the third and final season, the title was expanded to ''The Doctors and the Nurses'' and it ran un ...

'', '' The Outer Limits'', ''

Mannix ''Mannix'' is an American detective television series that ran from 1967 to 1975 on CBS. It was created by Richard Levinson and William Link, and developed by executive producer Bruce Geller. The title character, Joe Mannix, is a private inves ...

'', ''

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ''Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' is a 1961 American science fiction disaster film, produced and directed by Irwin Allen, and starring Walter Pidgeon and Robert Sterling. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre, Joan Fontaine, Barbara Eden, M ...

'', ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'', ''

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was re ...

'', ''

The Felony Squad ''The Felony Squad'' is a half-hour television crime drama originally broadcast on the ABC network from September 12, 1966, to January 31, 1969, a span encompassing seventy-three episodes. Overview The program starred Howard Duff (as Sergeant Sa ...

'', '' 12 O'Clock High'', ''

Iron Horse ''Iron horse'' is an iconic literary term (considered by the early 21st century to be transitioning into an archaic reference) for a steam locomotive, originating in the early 1800s, when horses still powered most machinery. The term was common ...

'', and ''

Custer George Armstrong Custer (December 5, 1839 – June 25, 1876) was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. Custer graduated from West Point in 1861 at the bottom of his class, b ...

''. In 1965 he directed a play ''Belial''.

Final features

He returned to features when he produced and directed ''

Namu, the Killer Whale ''Namu, the Killer Whale'' (re-issued as ''Namu, My Best Friend'') is a 1966 American film about a killer whale (orca) being studied by a local marine biologist after the murder of his mate and initially feared by local townspeople. Plot Hank D ...

'' (1967), for fellow Hungarian

Ivan Tors Ivan Tors (born Iván Törzs; June 12, 1916 – June 4, 1983) was a Hungarian playwright, film director, screenwriter, and film and television producer with an emphasis on non-violent but exciting science fiction, underwater sequences, and s ...

. He directed ''

Daring Game ''Daring Game'' is a 1968 drama film starring Lloyd Bridges and Nico Minardos, filmed at the Ivan Tors studio in Miami and in the Bahamas. The working title was ''The Unkillables''. Plot Survival Devices, Inc., is an organization that employs a t ...

'' (1968) for Tors, then ''

The Night Visitor ''The Night Visitor'' (Swedish title: ''Papegojan'') is a 1971 Swedish psychological thriller film in English, starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Trevor Howard, Per Oscarsson, Rupert Davies and Andrew Keir, and directed by Laslo Benedek. Plot ...

'' (1971) and ''

Assault on Agathon ''Assault on Agathon'' is a 1975 drama film directed by László Benedek and starring Nico Minardos, Nina van Pallandt, Marianne Faithfull and John Woodvine. It is based on a novel by Alan Caillou. Premise Cabot Cain is a Western secret agent ...

'' (1977).

Later career and death

From 1976 to 1980, he was chairman of the graduate film program at New York University's School of the Arts. In 1983, he became a visiting professor of film at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to teach at the Film Academy in Munich, Germany, at Rice University in Houston, and at Columbia University in New York City. Benedek died in 1992 in

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. He was survived by two daughters, Melinda Norton and Barbara Rhodes, and a companion, painter and printmaker Danielle DeMers.'Filmmaker Laslo Benedek, 87' Hackensack ''Record'' 15 March 1992 p. 18; https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=danielle-ginette-demers&pid=167413092

Filmography

Director

*''

'' (1944) *'' The Kissing Bandit'' (1948) *'' Port of New York'' (1949) *''

'' (1951) *''

'' (1953) *''

Bengal Brigade ''Bengal Brigade'' is a 1954 American adventure war film directed by Laslo Benedek and starring Rock Hudson, Arlene Dahl and Ursula Thiess. The film was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures, based on the 1952 novel ''Bengal Tigers'' by ...

'' (1954) *''

Children, Mother, and the General ''Children, Mother, and the General'' (german: Kinder, Mütter und ein General, and also released as ''Sons, Mothers, and a General'') is a 1955 West German war film directed by László Benedek and starring Hilde Krahl, Therese Giehse and Ewald ...

'' (West Germany, 1955) *''

'' (1957) *''Recours en grâce'' (France, 1960) *'' Malaga'' (1960) *''

'' (1966) *''

'' (1968) *''

'' (1971) *''

'' (1975)

Cinematographer

* '' The Mistress'' (1927) * ''

'' (1931) * ''

'' (1934)

Editor

* ''

'' (1934) * ''

Antonia Antonia may refer to: People * Antonia (name), including a list of people with the name * Antonia gens, a Roman family, any woman of the gens was named ''Antonia'' * Antônia (footballer) * Antônia Melo Entertainment * ''Antonia's Line'', or ...

'' (1935)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Benedek, Laszlo 1905 births 1992 deaths Hungarian film directors American film directors English-language film directors German-language film directors Best Director Golden Globe winners Hungarian emigrants to the United States Hungarian expatriates in Austria Hungarian expatriates in Germany Hungarian expatriates in the United Kingdom