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Vincent Sherman (born Abraham Orovitz, July 16, 1906 – June 18, 2006) was an American director and actor who worked in Hollywood. His movies include ''
Mr. Skeffington ''Mr. Skeffington'' is a 1944 American drama film directed by Vincent Sherman, based on the 1940 novel of the same name by Elizabeth von Arnim. The film stars Bette Davis as a beautiful but self-centered woman who has many suitors but marries Jo ...
'' (1944), ''
Nora Prentiss ''Nora Prentiss'' is a 1947 American film noir drama film directed by Vincent Sherman and starring Ann Sheridan, Kent Smith, Bruce Bennett, and Robert Alda. It was produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The cinematography is by James Wong Howe a ...
'' (1947), and '' The Young Philadelphians'' (1959). He began his career as an actor on Broadway and later in film. He directed
B-movies A B movie or B film is a low-budget commercial motion picture. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified films intended for distribution as the less-publicized bottom half of a double feature ...
for Warner Bros. and then moved to directing to A-pictures. He was a good friend of actor
Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...
, whom he directed in '' Adventures of Don Juan'' (1949). He directed three
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
movies: '' The Damned Don't Cry'' (1950), ''
Harriet Craig ''Harriet Craig'' is a 1950 American drama film starring Joan Crawford. The screenplay by Anne Froelick and James Gunn was based upon the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1925 play '' Craig's Wife'', by George Kelly. The film was directed by Vincent Sher ...
'' (1950), and ''
Goodbye, My Fancy ''Goodbye, My Fancy'' is a 1948 play by Fay Kanin. A comedy in 3 Acts and 4 scenes, the work premiered at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario on October 21, 1948 for tryout performances before the production moved to Broadway in New York City. ...
'' (1951).


Early life

Sherman was born Abraham Orovitz to Jewish parents. He was born and raised in the small town of Vienna, Georgia, where his father was a dry-goods salesman. Not long after graduating from
Oglethorpe University Oglethorpe University is a private college in Brookhaven, Georgia. It was chartered in 1835 and named in honor of General James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Colony of Georgia. History Oglethorpe University was chartered in 1834 in Mid ...
in Atlanta, he became a professional actor.


Career

Sherman arrived in New York City to sell a play and soon became a stage director and actor. As a stage actor, he made his Broadway debut in the ensemble of
Eugene O’Neill Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier ...
’s ''Marco Millions'' (1928). He arrived in Hollywood during the early sound era, where he appeared in
William Wyler William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a Swiss-German-American film director and producer who won the Academy Award for Best Director three times, those being for '' Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), '' The Best Years o ...
's 1933 film ''
Counsellor at Law ''Counsellor at Law'' is a 1933 American pre-Code drama film directed by William Wyler. The screenplay by Elmer Rice is based on his 1931 Broadway play of the same title. Plot The story focuses on several days in a critical juncture in the lif ...
'' starring
John Barrymore John Barrymore (born John Sidney Blyth; February 14 or 15, 1882 – May 29, 1942) was an American actor on stage, screen and radio. A member of the Drew and Barrymore theatrical families, he initially tried to avoid the stage, and briefly att ...
. In 1938, Sherman signed on at Warner Bros. as a director. His first film as a director was the 1939 horror film '' The Return of Doctor X'', which starred
Humphrey Bogart Humphrey DeForest Bogart (; December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957), nicknamed Bogie, was an American film and stage actor. His performances in Classical Hollywood cinema films made him an American cultural icon. In 1999, the American Film In ...
. The 2006 release of ''The Return of Doctor X'' included a director's commentary that Sherman had recorded that year at the age of 99. Sherman quickly built a reputation for his ability to rewrite any script he was given and turn it into the basis for a successful film. It was these skills that led him to much bigger and star-studded pictures. Sherman was initially known as a "woman's director" during the mid 1940s, but his range expanded as his career developed. After his film career wound up, Sherman ended his career in television. In 2004, he was the oldest of 21 individuals interviewed in the documentary film '' Imaginary Witness'', a work that chronicled 60 years of film-making about the Holocaust.


Personal life

Sherman was married to Hedda Comorau from 1931 until her death in 1984. He had two children with Comorau: a son Eric Sherman and a daughter Hedwin Naimark. He had a number of high-profile affairs during his life, including on-set affairs with
Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her p ...
and a three-year relationship with
Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway. Crawford was signed to a motion pict ...
. In his memoir ''Studio Affairs: My Life as a Film Director'', he described his relationships with Crawford and
Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...
. Until his death in 2006, he had been in a decade-long relationship with actress Francine York.


Death

Sherman died on June 18, 2006, 28 days before his 100th birthday, at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California.


Filmography


Director (feature film)


Actor


References


External links

*
Studio Affairs: My Life as a Film Director
by Vincent Sherman, University Press of Kentucky, 1996, 344 pages {{DEFAULTSORT:Sherman, Vincent 1906 births 2006 deaths Oglethorpe University alumni People from Vienna, Georgia American male film actors Film directors from Georgia (U.S. state)