Naftuli Hertz "Nathan" Juran (September 1, 1907 – October 23, 2002) was a Romanian film art director, and later film and television director. As an art director, he won the

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for Best Art Direction in 1942 for ''

How Green Was My Valley ''How Green Was My Valley'' is a 1939 novel by Richard Llewellyn, narrated by Huw Morgan, the main character, about his Welsh family and the mining community in which they live. The author had claimed that he based the book on his own persona ...

'', along with Richard Day and

Thomas Little Thomas Little (August 27, 1886 in Ogden, Utah – March 5, 1985 in Santa Monica, California) was a United States set decorator who worked on more than 450 Hollywood movies between 1932 and 1953. He won a total of 6 Oscars for art direction and r ...

. His work on '' The Razor's Edge'' in 1946 also received an Academy nomination. In the 1950s, he began to direct, and was known for science fiction and fantasy films such as ''

Attack of the 50 Foot Woman ''Attack of the 50 Foot Woman'' is a 1958 independently made American science fiction horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran (credited as Nathan Hertz) and starring Allison Hayes, William Hudson and Yvette Vickers. It was produced by Berna ...

''. He was also the brother of quality guru

Joseph M. Juran Joseph Moses Juran (December 24, 1904 – February 28, 2008) was a Romanian-born American engineer and management consultant. He was an evangelist for quality and quality management, having written several books on those subjects. He was the brot ...

Life and career

Early life

Juran was born to a Jewish family in Gura Humorului, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Romania). In 1912, he emigrated to America with his family, settling in

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

. He earned a bachelor's degree in

Architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

. He also spent a summer studying at the

École des Beaux-Arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth centur ...

before earning a master's degree in Architecture from the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

. He passed the architect's exam and set up his own office as an architect.

Art department

With the construction industry at a standstill due to the Great Depression, Juran moved to Los Angeles. He sought architecture work at the studios and got a job doing a drawing of the Brooklyn Bridge for

RKO Radio Pictures 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-Orph ...

. He managed to get a permanent job as a draftsman in the art department. He was an assistant art director on '' Quality Street'' (1937). Juaran later moved to

MGM 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 ...

, where he assisted in designing Juliet's bedroom in '' Romeo and Juliet'' (1936). He then joined

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

, assisting art department head Richard Day on ''

'' (1941). Fox liked his work and put Juran under contract. His early credits as art director included '' Charley's American Aunt'' (1941), and ''

Belle Starr Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr (February 5, 1848 – February 3, 1889), better known as Belle Starr, was an American outlaw who gained national notoriety after her violent death. She associated with the James–Younger Gang and other outlaw ...

'' (1941), and he and Day won an Oscar for their work on ''Valley''. Juran also worked on ''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of G ...

'' (1941), ''

A Gentleman at Heart A, or a, is the first Letter (alphabet), letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name ...

'' (1942), ''

Ten Gentlemen from West Point ''Ten Gentlemen from West Point'' is a 1942 American Western film directed by Henry Hathaway and starring George Montgomery, Maureen O'Hara and John Sutton. Its cinematography was nominated for an Academy Award in 1943. George Montgomery replac ...

'' (1942), ''

The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe ''The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe'' is a 1942 drama film directed by Harry Lachman, starring Linda Darnell and Shepperd Strudwick. The film is a cinematic biography of Edgar Allan Poe that examines his romantic relationships with Sarah Elmira Roys ...

'' (1942), '' Dr. Renault's Secret'' (1942), ''It's Everybody's War'' (1942, a short), and ''

That Other Woman ''That Other Woman'' is a 1942 American comedy film directed by Ray McCarey, written by Jack Jungmeyer, and starring Virginia Gilmore, James Ellison, Dan Duryea, Janis Carter, Alma Kruger and Lon McCallister. It was released on November 13, 19 ...

'' (1942). Juran enlisted in the Navy during the Second World War in July 1942 and was assigned to first the Office of Strategic Services and then to the

Royal Air Force 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) an ...

Intelligence Center. After the war, Juran returned to Fox, winning an

nomination for his work on '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946). Juran accepted a seven-year contract to be head of the art department for Enterprise Productions. While there he was credited on '' The Other Love'' (1947) and '' Body and Soul'' (1947).Swires, April 1989 p 59 When Enterprise collapsed, Juran did ''

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands ''Kiss the Blood Off My Hands'' is a 1948 American noir-thriller film directed by Norman Foster. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Gerald Butler, it stars Joan Fontaine, Burt Lancaster and Robert Newton. The film faced minor ...

'' (1948) for

Harold Hecht Harold Adolphe Hecht (June 1, 1907 – May 26, 1985) was an American film producer, dance director and talent agent. He was also, though less noted for, a literary agent, a theatrical producer, a theatre director and a Broadway actor. He was a m ...

and ''

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

'' (1948) for

Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...

Universal

Juran then signed a long-term contract with

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

, where he was the art director on '' Free for All'' (1949), '' Undertow'' (1949), ''

Winchester '73 ''Winchester '73'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea and Stephen McNally. Written by Borden Chase and Robert L. Richards, the film is about the journey of a pr ...

'' (1950), ''

Deported Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...

'' (1950), ''

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

'' (1950), ''

Bright Victory ''Bright Victory'' is a 1951 American drama romance war film directed by Mark Robson and starring Arthur Kennedy and Peggy Dow. Plot During World War II, American sergeant Larry Nevins is blinded by a German sniper while fighting in North Afr ...

'' (1951), ''

Thunder on the Hill ''Thunder on the Hill'' is a 1951 American film noir crime film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Claudette Colbert and Ann Blyth. The picture was made by Universal-International Pictures and produced by Michael Kraike from a screenplay b ...

'' (1951), '' Reunion in Reno'' (1951), '' Cave of Outlaws'' (1951), '' The Strange Door'' (1951), '' Meet Danny Wilson'' (1951), ''

Bend of the River ''Bend of the River'' is a 1952 American Western film directed by Anthony Mann and starring James Stewart, Arthur Kennedy, Julie Adams, and Rock Hudson. Based on the 1950 novel ''Bend of the Snake'' by Bill Gulick, the film is about a tough cow ...

'' (1952) and '' Untamed Frontier'' (1952).

Director

Juran was assigned as art department head for ''

The Black Castle ''The Black Castle'' is a 1952 American horror film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Richard Greene, Boris Karloff, Stephen McNally, Rita Corday and Lon Chaney Jr. It was produced by William Alland. The film was made in the United State ...

'' (1952), when director Joseph Pevney dropped out shortly before filming. Juran was asked to take over as director two weeks prior to filming. Universal were happy with Juran's work and signed him to a one-year directing contract. He made an

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

Western '' Gunsmoke'' (1952), and a Ronald Reagan Western ''

Law and Order In modern politics, law and order is the approach focusing on harsher enforcement and penalties as ways to reduce crime. Penalties for perpetrators of disorder may include longer terms of imprisonment, mandatory sentencing, three-strikes laws a ...

'' (1953), then did ''

The Golden Blade ''The Golden Blade'' is a 1953 American adventure film directed by Nathan Juran and starring Rock Hudson as Harun Al-Rashid and Piper Laurie as Princess Khairuzan. It is set in ancient Bagdad and borrows from the Arabic fairy tales of ''One Thousa ...

'' (1953), an "Eastern" 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 ...

and ''

Tumbleweed A tumbleweed is a structural part of the above-ground anatomy of a number of species of plants. It is a diaspore that, once mature and dry, detaches from its root or stem and rolls due to the force of the wind. In most such species, the tumbl ...

'' (1953) with Murphy. Juran went to Italy in 1954 to direct a swashbuckler, '' Knights of the Queen'' (1954), based on ''

The Three Musketeers ''The Three Musketeers'' (french: Les Trois Mousquetaires, links=no, ) is a French historical adventure novel written in 1844 by French author Alexandre Dumas. It is in the swashbuckler genre, which has heroic, chivalrous swordsmen who fight ...

''. He then directed some episodes of a TV series based on the movie. Juran returned to Hollywood to direct an independent film, ''

Highway Dragnet ''Highway Dragnet'' is a 1954 American film noir B film crime film directed by Nathan Juran from a story by U.S. Andersen and Roger Corman. The film stars Richard Conte, Joan Bennett and Wanda Hendrix. It was the first feature film on which Rog ...

'' (1954) based on a story by

Roger Corman Roger William Corman (born April 5, 1926) is an American film director, producer, and actor. He has been called "The Pope of Pop Cinema" and is known as a trailblazer in the world of independent film. Many of Corman's films are based on works t ...

. After ''

The Big Moment ''The Big Moment'' is an American television game show based on the original Japanese version called ''Happy Family Plan''. It aired on ABC in 1999 and was hosted by Brad Sherwood. John Cramer served as announcer. It was originally an hour-long ...

'' (1954) at

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

he went back to Universal to do '' Drums Across the River'' (1954) with Murphy. Juran directed episodes of '' Fury'' (1954), '' Crossroads'' and ''

My Friend Flicka ''My Friend Flicka'' is a 1941 novel by Mary O'Hara, about Ken McLaughlin, the son of a Wyoming rancher, and his mustang horse Flicka. It was the first in a trilogy, followed by ''Thunderhead'' (1943) and ''Green Grass of Wyoming'' (1946). The p ...

'' on TV, and '' The Crooked Web'' (1955) for

Sam Katzman Sam Katzman (July 7, 1901 – August 4, 1973) was an American film producer and director. Katzman produced low-budget genre films, including serials, which had disproportionately high returns for the studios and his financial backers. E ...

at Columbia.

Science fiction and fantasy

Juran's first science fiction film was ''

The Deadly Mantis ''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1957 American science fiction monster film produced by William Alland for Universal-International. The film was directed by Nathan Juran from a screenplay by Martin Berkeley based on a story by producer William Allan ...

'' (1957) at Universal. He followed this with ''

Hellcats of the Navy ''Hellcats of the Navy'' is a 1957 American black-and-white World War II submarine film drama from Columbia Pictures, produced by Charles H. Schneer and directed by Nathan Juran. The film stars Ronald Reagan and his wife, billed under her scre ...

'' (1957) starring Ronald Reagan and his wife (who was billed as

Nancy Davis Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in New ...

). It was his first film for producer Charles H. Schneer. Schneer hired Juran for ''

20 Million Miles to Earth ''20 Million Miles to Earth'' (also known as ''The Beast from Space'') is a 1957 American horror science fiction monster film directed by Nathan Juran and starring William Hopper, Joan Taylor, and Frank Puglia. It was produced by Charles H. S ...

'' (1957) with special effects by

Ray Harryhausen Raymond Frederick Harryhausen (June 29, 1920 – May 7, 2013) was an American-British animator and special effects creator who created a form of stop motion model animation known as "Dynamation". His works include the animation for '' Mi ...

. This film established Juran in the

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

genres. Schneer hired him to do another movie with Harryhausen, ''

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' is a 1958 Technicolor heroic fantasy adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and starring Kerwin Mathews, Torin Thatcher, Kathryn Grant, Richard Eyer, and Alec Mango. It was distributed by Columbia Pictures ...

'' (1957). It was a commercial and critically success. Instead of continuing with A features, he accepted two jobs "for the money", in his own words: '' The Brain from Planet Arous'' (1957) then ''

'' (1957). Both became cult classics. He was unhappy with how ''Arous'' turned out and arranged for his billing to be "Nathan Hertz". Juran did a Western for Schneer, '' Good Day for a Hanging'' (1958) and, for TV, episodes of '' Frances Langford Presents'', '' World of Giants'', and '' Men Into Space'' (1960). Juran got back into features with a motion picture he wrote himself, '' Jack the Giant Killer'' (1962) for producer

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

. He then did ''

Flight of the Lost Balloon ''Flight of the Lost Balloon'' is a 1961 film produced, written and directed by Nathan Juran and stars Mala Powers and Marshall Thompson. The film was inspired by Jules Verne's 1863 novel ''Five Weeks in a Balloon'' and beat the major Irwin Al ...

'' (1961), which was released first, an adventure heavily influenced by Jules Verne, which he co-wrote and directed. Around this time he provided the stories for, but did not direct, ''

Doctor Blood's Coffin ''Doctor Blood's Coffin'' is a 1961 British horror film produced by George Fowler, and directed by Sidney J. Furie. It stars Kieron Moore, Hazel Court, and Ian Hunter. The story is that of young biochemist Dr Peter Blood (Kieron Moore), who re ...

'' (1961) and '' Boy Who Caught a Crook'' (1961) and wrote a draft of '' Son of Captain Blood''. Jurana did some second unit directing on MGM's ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

'' (1962). Schneer hired Juran to direct ''

Siege of the Saxons ''Siege of the Saxons'' is a 1963 British adventure film directed by Nathan H. Juran and released by Columbia Pictures. Starring Janette Scott and Ronald Lewis, the film is set in the time of King Arthur, but, as with many Arthurian themed fil ...

'' (1963) and '' First Men in the Moon'' (1964) (based on the novel by

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

East of Sudan ''East of Sudan'' is a 1964 British adventure film directed by Nathan Juran and featuring Anthony Quayle, Sylvia Syms and Derek Fowlds. The storyline is spliced with various sections of African wildlife. Much of this stock footage makes no s ...

'' (1964) and directed second unit on ''

Cyrano et d'Artagnan ''Cyrano and d'Artagnan'' () is a 1964 French adventure film directed by Abel Gance, starring José Ferrer and Jean-Pierre Cassel. It is set in 1642 and tells the story of how the poet and duelist Cyrano de Bergerac teams up with the musketeer d' ...

'' (1964).

Television

Juran turned to television in 1959. He directed episodes of ''

A Man Called Shenandoah ''A Man Called Shenandoah'' is an American western series that aired Monday evenings on ABC-TV from September 13, 1965 to May 16, 1966. It was produced by MGM Television. Some of the location work for the 34 half-hour black and white episodes we ...

'' and ''

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyond the we ...

'', and episodes of all four of

Irwin Allen Irwin Allen (born Irwin O. Cohen, June 12, 1916 – November 2, 1991) was an American film and television producer and director, known for his work in science fiction, then later as the "Master of Disaster" for his work in the disaster film genr ...

's 1960s science fiction series ''

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 ...

'', ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

'', ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series and ...

'' and ''

Land of the Giants ''Land of the Giants'' is a one-hour American science fiction television series that aired on ABC for two seasons, beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. ''Land of the Gi ...

''.

Last films

He did a feature for Schneer, '' Land Raiders'' (1970), a Western, before an operation for cancer prompted him to retire in 1970. Juran returned from retirement to direct '' The Boy Who Cried Werewolf'' (1973) with his old ''Sinbad'' star,

Kerwin Mathews Kerwin Mathews (January 8, 1926 – July 5, 2007) was an American actor best known for playing the titular heroes in ''The 7th Voyage of Sinbad'' (1958), ''The Three Worlds of Gulliver'' (1960) and ''Jack the Giant Killer'' (1962). Early life ...

. He then returned to his first career, architecture.Swires, May 1989 p 62 In 1999, he was honored with the Lifetime Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA. He died at the age of 95 in

Palos Verdes, California The Palos Verdes Peninsula (''Palos Verdes'', Spanish for "Green Sticks") is a landform and a geographic sub-region of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S. state of California. Located in the S ...

, US.

Partial filmography

;As art director: * ''

'' (1942) * '' The Razor's Edge'' (1946) ;As director: * ''

'' (1952) * ''

'' (1953) * '' Gunsmoke'' (1953) * ''

'' (1953) * ''

'' (1953) * '' Drums Across the River'' (1954) * ''

'' (1954) * '' The Crooked Web'' (1955) * ''

'' (1957) * ''

'' (1957) * '' The Brain from Planet Arous'' (1957) * ''

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1958) * '' Good Day for a Hanging'' (1959) * ''

'' (1961) * '' Boy Who Caught a Crook'' (1961) * '' Jack the Giant Killer'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) * '' First Men in the Moon'' (1964) * ''

'' (1964) * '' Land Raiders'' (1970) * '' The Boy Who Cried Werewolf'' (1973)

References

Notes

* *

External links

*
Obituary
at

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 U ...

Interview with Juran
at Directors Guild of America
Nathan Juran collection
at Margaret Herrick Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Juran, Nathan H. 1907 births 2002 deaths American art directors American people of Romanian-Jewish descent Best Art Direction Academy Award winners Science fiction film directors Fantasy film directors MIT School of Architecture and Planning alumni People from Gura Humorului People from Palos Verdes, California Artists from Minneapolis Romanian Jews Romanian emigrants to the United States University of Minnesota School of Architecture alumni United States Navy sailors United States Navy personnel of World War II People of the Office of Strategic Services Film directors from California American television directors