Franklin Schaffner
Encyclopedia
Franklin James Schaffner (May 30, 1920 - July 2, 1989) was an American
film director
best known for such films as Planet of the Apes
(1968), Patton
(1970), Papillon
(1973), and The Boys from Brazil
(1978).
and graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
, where he was active in drama. He studied law at Columbia University
in New York City
but his education was interrupted by service with the United States Navy
in World War II
during which he served with American amphibious
forces in Europe
and North Africa
. In the latter stages of the war he was sent to the Pacific Far East
to serve with the United States Office for Strategic Services
.
network. He won directing Emmys for his work on the original 1954 CBS
teleplay, Twelve Angry Men. Schaffner earned two more Emmy awards for his work on the 1955 TV adaptation of the Broadway
play, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, shown on the anthology series Ford Star Jubilee
. He won his fourth Emmy Award for his work on the series, The Defenders.
In 1960, he directed Allen Drury
's stage play Advise and Consent
. His first motion picture The Stripper
was praised, and he later made The Best Man
, The War Lord
, and The Double Man
. They were followed by the critical and commercial hit Planet of the Apes
. His next film, Patton
was a major success for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director and the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director. Later works included Nicholas and Alexandra
, Papillon
, Islands in the Stream
and The Boys from Brazil
.
Jerry Goldsmith
composed the music
for seven of his films, including Planet of the Apes, Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream and The Boys from Brazil. Four of them were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Score
.
Schaffner was elected President of the Directors Guild of America in 1987.
Schaffner died on July 2, 1989, at the age of 69. He was released 10 days before his death from a hospital where he was being treated for lung cancer.
identified Schaffner in 1981 as being one of the three best directors (then living) at handling 'scope' (a gift for screen epics) in films. The other two were David Lean
and Richard Attenborough
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
best known for such films as Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
(1968), Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
(1970), Papillon
Papillon (film)
Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega...
(1973), and The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil (film)
The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
(1978).
Early life
Schaffner was born in Tokyo, Japan, the son of missionaries Sarah (née Swords) and Paul Franklin Schaffner, and was raised in Japan. He returned to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Lancaster is a city in the south-central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the county seat of Lancaster County and one of the older inland cities in the United States, . With a population of 59,322, it ranks eighth in population among Pennsylvania's cities...
, where he was active in drama. He studied law at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
but his education was interrupted by service with the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
during which he served with American amphibious
Amphibious warfare
Amphibious warfare is the use of naval firepower, logistics and strategy to project military power ashore. In previous eras it stood as the primary method of delivering troops to non-contiguous enemy-held terrain...
forces in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. In the latter stages of the war he was sent to the Pacific Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
to serve with the United States Office for Strategic Services
Office of Strategic Services
The Office of Strategic Services was a United States intelligence agency formed during World War II. It was the wartime intelligence agency, and it was a predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency...
.
Career
Returning home after the war, he found work in the television industry with March of Time and then joined the CBSCBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network. He won directing Emmys for his work on the original 1954 CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
teleplay, Twelve Angry Men. Schaffner earned two more Emmy awards for his work on the 1955 TV adaptation of the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, shown on the anthology series Ford Star Jubilee
Ford Star Jubilee
Ford Star Jubilee was a usually live, ninety minute, color anthology series that aired once a month on Saturday nights on CBS at 9:00 P.M., E.S.T. from the fall of 1955 to the fall of 1956...
. He won his fourth Emmy Award for his work on the series, The Defenders.
In 1960, he directed Allen Drury
Allen Drury
Allen Stuart Drury was a U.S. novelist. He wrote the 1959 novel Advise and Consent, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1960.- Early life & ancestry :...
's stage play Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent
Advise and Consent is a 1959 political novel by Allen Drury that explores the United States Senate confirmation of controversial Secretary of State nominee Robert Leffingwell who is a former member of the Communist Party...
. His first motion picture The Stripper
The Stripper (film)
The Stripper is a drama film about a struggling, aging actress turned stripper and the people she knows, played by Joanne Woodward. It is based on the play A Loss of Roses by William Inge. The film was the feature film debut of director Franklin J. Schaffner, and costarred Carol Lynley, Robert...
was praised, and he later made The Best Man
The Best Man (1964 film)
The Best Man is a 1964 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, the film details the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a presidential candidate...
, The War Lord
The War Lord
The War Lord is a 1965 film starring Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Guy Stockwell, Maurice Evans, Niall MacGinnis, Henry Wilcoxon and James Farentino, with Jon Alderson, Allen Jaffe, Sammy Ross, and Woodrow Parfrey. The film was directed by the future Oscar winning Director...
, and The Double Man
The Double Man (1967 film)
The Double Man is a 1967 British spy film which was directed by Franklin Schaffner and based on the novel Legacy of a Spy by writer Henry Maxfield.-Cast:* Yul Brynner as Dan Slater / Kalmar* Britt Ekland as Gina* Clive Revill as Frank Wheatley...
. They were followed by the critical and commercial hit Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
. His next film, Patton
Patton (film)
Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H...
was a major success for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director and the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director. Later works included Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra
Nicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra....
, Papillon
Papillon (film)
Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega...
, Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream (film)
Islands in the Stream is a 1977 American drama film, an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel of the same name. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starred George C...
and The Boys from Brazil
The Boys from Brazil (film)
The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles...
.
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerry Goldsmith
Jerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
composed the music
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for seven of his films, including Planet of the Apes, Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream and The Boys from Brazil. Four of them were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Score
Academy Award for Best Original Score
The Academy Award for Original Score is presented to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting composer.-Superlatives:...
.
Schaffner was elected President of the Directors Guild of America in 1987.
Personal life
Schaffner married Helen Jane Gilchrist in 1948. The couple had two children, Jennie and Kate.Schaffner died on July 2, 1989, at the age of 69. He was released 10 days before his death from a hospital where he was being treated for lung cancer.
Critical perception
Screenwriter William GoldmanWilliam Goldman
William Goldman is an American novelist, playwright, and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.-Early life and education:...
identified Schaffner in 1981 as being one of the three best directors (then living) at handling 'scope' (a gift for screen epics) in films. The other two were David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
and Richard Attenborough
Richard Attenborough
Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough , CBE is a British actor, director, producer and entrepreneur. As director and producer he won two Academy Awards for the 1982 film Gandhi...
.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Academy Award Wins | Academy Award Nominations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Stripper The Stripper (film) The Stripper is a drama film about a struggling, aging actress turned stripper and the people she knows, played by Joanne Woodward. It is based on the play A Loss of Roses by William Inge. The film was the feature film debut of director Franklin J. Schaffner, and costarred Carol Lynley, Robert... |
1 | feature film debut | |
| 1964 | The Best Man The Best Man (1964 film) The Best Man is a 1964 film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner with a screenplay by Gore Vidal based on his play of the same title. Starring Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, and Lee Tracy, the film details the seamy political maneuverings behind the nomination of a presidential candidate... |
1 | film adapted from a stage play by Gore Vidal Gore Vidal Gore Vidal is an American author, playwright, essayist, screenwriter, and political activist. His third novel, The City and the Pillar , outraged mainstream critics as one of the first major American novels to feature unambiguous homosexuality... |
|
| 1965 | The War Lord The War Lord The War Lord is a 1965 film starring Charlton Heston, Richard Boone, Rosemary Forsyth, Guy Stockwell, Maurice Evans, Niall MacGinnis, Henry Wilcoxon and James Farentino, with Jon Alderson, Allen Jaffe, Sammy Ross, and Woodrow Parfrey. The film was directed by the future Oscar winning Director... |
|||
| 1967 | The Double Man The Double Man (1967 film) The Double Man is a 1967 British spy film which was directed by Franklin Schaffner and based on the novel Legacy of a Spy by writer Henry Maxfield.-Cast:* Yul Brynner as Dan Slater / Kalmar* Britt Ekland as Gina* Clive Revill as Frank Wheatley... |
|||
| 1968 | Planet of the Apes Planet of the Apes (1968 film) Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison... |
1 | 2 | film won an Honorary Academy Award |
| 1970 | Patton Patton (film) Patton is a 1970 American biographical war film about U.S. General George S. Patton during World War II. It stars George C. Scott, Karl Malden, Michael Bates, and Karl Michael Vogler. It was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner from a script by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H... |
7 | 10 | won Academy Award for Best Director and the Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director |
| 1971 | Nicholas and Alexandra Nicholas and Alexandra Nicholas and Alexandra is a 1971 biographical film which tells the story of the last Russian monarch, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra.... |
2 | 6 | |
| 1973 | Papillon Papillon (film) Papillon is a 1973 film based on the best-selling novel by the French convict Henri Charrière.This motion picture was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, starring Steve McQueen as Henri Charrière , and Dustin Hoffman as Louis Dega... |
1 | ||
| 1976 | Islands in the Stream Islands in the Stream (film) Islands in the Stream is a 1977 American drama film, an adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel of the same name. The film was directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starred George C... |
1 | ||
| 1978 | The Boys from Brazil The Boys from Brazil (film) The Boys from Brazil is a 1978 British/American science fiction/thriller film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. It stars Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier, with James Mason, Lilli Palmer, Uta Hagen and Steve Guttenberg in supporting roles... |
3 | film stars Laurence Olivier Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright... in his final Academy Award-nominated acting role |
|
| 1980 | Sphinx Sphinx (film) Sphinx is a 1981 American adventure film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner. The screenplay by John Byrum is based on the 1979 novel of the same title by Robin Cook.-Plot:... |
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| 1982 | Yes, Giorgio Yes, Giorgio Yes, Giorgio is a 1982 musical/comedy film starring Luciano Pavarotti, his only venture in film acting. Michael J. Lewis provided the original music for the film with cinematography by Fred J. Koenekamp... |
1 | ||
| 1987 | Lionheart Lionheart (1987 film) Lionheart is a 1987 adventure film directed by Academy Award-winner Franklin J. Schaffner... |
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| 1989 | Welcome Home | final feature film |