Happy Birthday, Tay Garnett! Born today in 1894 as William Taylor "Tay" Garnett, this American author, actor, writer and film director was born in Los Angeles, California.
Years later, he attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served as a naval aviator in World War I.
Afterwards, in the 1920s, he entered the film industry as a screenwriter. He wrote for Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, Mack Sennett. He was also known as the 'King of Comedy'.
According to his screenwriting features, Garnett wrote two films produced by American filmmaker Cecil B DeMille ('The Ten Commandments').
After this, Garnett joined Pathé or Pathé Frères (styled as PATHÉ!). This was the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896.
In the 1930s, Pathé eventually merged into RKO, Garnett went there to writer and direct.
Afterwards, he went to Universal Studios, but had a big success at Warner Bros. Garnett also had huge success films at MGM and later directed a film at Columbia Studios.
In the 1935, Garnett announced his own production company. He took off around the world on a cruise to shoot footage for his latest feature. He returned the following year in October 1936.
Later that same year, Garnett signed with 20th Century Fox for American film producer Walter Wagner. While there, he made four features.
Garnet later turned producer as well as director with RKO Pictures. There, he produced and directed then three films of Wanger. Garnett later provided a story for Columbia.
At Universal, Garnett directed a film starring John Wayne and German-American actress and singer Marlene Dietrich.
Back at RKO, Garrett produced but did not direct two films. At United Artists, Garnett directed one feature, another for RKO, and one for Columbia.
Garnett later created a program starring Wayne and Dan O'Brien. After this, Garnett went to MGM where he directed two features. While there, he did some second unit directing and uncredited directing as well.
Garnett later had some big hits with two films featuring British-American actress and singer Greer Garson in 1944 and 1945.
The following year, Garnett directed probably his best known film. This was the 1946 American black and white noir/crime film 'The Postman Always Rings Twice'.
Based off of the eponymous 1934 novel by American author and journalist James M. Cain, the film starred John Garfield and Lana Turner.
The musical score was written by American composer and arranger George Bassman and Austrian-born American composer Erich Zeisl (the latter uncredited).
This version was the third filming of The Postman Always Rings Twice franchise. However, it was the first under the novel's original title and the first in English.
Previously, the novel had been filmed as the 1939 French black and white drama/romance film 'Le Dernier Tournant' ('The Last Turning') and as Italian theatre director Luchino Visconti's ('Senso', 'Rocco and his Brothers', 'The Leopard') 1943 Italian black and white noir/crime film 'Ossessione ('Obsession').
The film was a big hit at the box office, earning $3,741,000 in the United States and Canada and $1,345,000 elsewhere, recording a profit of $1,626,000. Despite this, American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM Louis B. Mayer hated it.
The film, considered a classic example of film noir, showcasing the distinctive features of the genre: the femme fatale, an alienated and tragic antihero figure and a mutual plot against the female character's husband.
The story is narrated by the antihero in the form of a voiceover recollection of events past. The aesthetic quality of the film creates an atmosphere of disorientation, rejection of traditional morality and overall pessimistic tone.
The following year, Garnett went to Paramount Studios and made three features. Afterwards, he went back to MGM to direct two more.
In the 1950s, Garnett went to RKO, then under the ownership of American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer, film director, and philanthropist Howard Hughes to do some directing on two features. Later on, Garnett began working for television with an anthology series and a film in 1953.
The following year, Garnett travelled to England, United Kingdom to make a film with Alan Ladd. Two years later, Garnett co-direct a hugely popular documentary shot in Cinema. This was the 1956 American Eastmancolor documentary/history film 'Seven Wonders of the World'.
Afterwards, Garnett returned to America and worked increasingly on television in directing a handful of shows (for which he also provided some stories).
In the 1960s, Garnett directed a feature in Ireland starring Robert Mitchum. After this, Garnett went back to television.
Most notably, these included many episodes of Gunsmoke (1955–1975), Naked City (1958–1963), The Untouchables (1959–1963), Rawhide (1959–1965) and Bonanza (1959–1973).
Garnett later directed a feature starring American film and television actor Robert Taylor. Afterwards, Garnett also did some government films.
In the 1970s, Garnett co-produced and directed his last three films.
According to his private life, Garnett had been married to three famous film actresses. The first was America film actress Patricia Ruth "Patsy" Miller (1929–1933), the second was South African actress Helga Moray (1934–1942) and the third was Lithuanian American actress Mari Aldon (1953–1977).
Garnett was a man of many talents, who worked hard and lived hard. His life was full of drastic highs and lows.
These included a flying accident that resulted in a lifelong limp, three marriages, two offspring, a fire that burned his beloved but uninsured ranch house to the ground, a bout with alcoholism and more than its share of ironies.
Garnett had been, by his own admission,"several times a millionaire", losing fortunes through carelessness, personal excess and at least one thieving business manager.
Garnett passed from leukemia at the Wadsworth Veterans Administration Hospital in Sawtelle, California. He was survived by his son with Helga Moray, William John Garnett and his daughter with Aldon, Tiela Aldon Garnett.
Garnett has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It is located on the south side of the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard.
Garnett had been active from 1920–1975.
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