Anatole Litvak

ANATOLE LITVAK d1974. Russian-born American filmmaker who wrote, directed and produced films in various countries and languages.He was notable for directing little-known foreign actors to early fame and is believed to have contributed to several actors winning Academy Awards. In 1936 he directed Mayerling, a film which made French actors Charles Boyer and Danielle Darrieux international stars. He returned Swedish star Ingrid Bergman to popularity with American audiences in 1956 with Anastasia in which she won her second Oscar. He directed Olivia de Havilland to an Academy Award nomination for The Snake Pit (1948). He directed Jean Gabin in his screen debut and directed Elia Kazan in his earliest acting role, City for Conquest. He directed Confessions of a Nazi Spy in 1939 (starring Edward G Robinson) which used actual newsreel footage from US Nazi rallies. During WW2, he enlisted and co-directed documentaries with Frank Capra including Why We Fight films. His solo-directed, The Battle of Russia (1943), won numerous awards and was nominated for an Oscar. Because of his ability to speak Russian / German and French, he supervised the filming of the D-Day Normandy landings. He also filmed aerial warfare with the US Eighth Air Force. He died in France aged 72 on December 15th 1974