Happy Birthday, Don Siegel! Born today in 1912, this American writer, producer and film director's four-decade career generated some of the most enjoyable and mature crime dramas to come from Hollywood.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Siegel, years later, for a short time, studied at Beaux Arts in Paris, France. When he turned twenty, he left and went to Los Angeles, California.
There, Siegel found work in the Warner Bros. film library. This was after meeting American film producer Hal Wallis.
Afterwards, Seigel rose to head of the Montage Department, where he directed thousands of montages.
Most notably, this included the opening montage for Hungarian-born American film director Michael Curtiz's ' ('Captain Blood', 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', 'Angels with Dirty Faces', 'Mildred Pierce', 'Yankee Doodle Dandy') 'Casablanca'.
Three years later, Sigel directed two short films. The following year, both of these shorts won Oscars. This occurred at the 18th Academy Awards in early March 1946.
Afterwards, Sigel then directed whatever material came his way, often transcending the limitations of budget and script to produce interesting and adept works.
Siegel was also later important to the career of future director Sam Peckinpah.
In the mid-1950s, Peckinpah was hired as a dialogue coach for Siegel's 1954 American black and white noir/crime film 'Riot in Cell Block 11'.
Two years later, Siegel directed the first film of which he is best known. This was the 1956 American black and white sci-fi/horror film 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'. Peckinpah had a small part as Charlie, a meter reader.
The film had been adapted from American author Jack Finney's 1955 science fiction novel of the same name. Shot in Superscope, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' was partially done in a film noir style.
The slang expression "pod people" that arose in late 20th century American culture references the emotionless duplicates seen in the film.
On a budget of $416,000 the film went on to gross $3.5 million at the box office.
Sigel later directed two episodes of the CBS American black and white anthology television series "The Twilight Zone" (1959–1964).
The first was 'Uncle Simon" (S05E08), airing on November 15, 1963. The second was "The Self-Improvement of Salvadore Ross" (S05E16), airing on January 17, 1964.
In the early 1970s, Siegel began directing a series of five films with Clint Eastwood included five policiers.
Of these, Siegel is best known for co-producing and directing the second film of which he is best known. It was also the second film installment of the series.
This was the 1971 American neo-noir action/thriller film 'Dirty Harry'. In the film, Siegel has a cameo as a pedestrian walking past Harry Callahan's car.
Earlier that same year before the release of 'Dirty Harry, Siegel had a bit part as Murphy (a bartender) in Eastwood's 1971 American drama thriller/crime film 'Play Misty For Me'.
Upon release, 'Dirty Harry' caused controversy when it was released, sparking debate over issues ranging from police brutality to victims' rights and the nature of law enforcement.
Feminists in particular were outraged by the film. At the 44th Academy Awards in early April 1972, they protested outside of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, holding up banners which read messages such as "Dirty Harry is a Rotten Pig".
Despite this, on a budget of $4 million, 'Dirty Harry' went on to gross $36 million at the box office.
The film was a critical and commercial success. It had set the style for a whole genre of police films, and was followed by four sequels: 'Magnum Force' (1973), 'The Enforcer' (1976), 'Sudden Impact' (1983) (directed by Eastwood himself), and 'The Dead Pool' (1988).
Four years later after the Oscar ceremony, Peckinpah was all but banished from the industry due to his troubled film productions.
However, Siegel gave the director a chance to return to filmmaking. Peckinpah immediately accepted, and his earnest collaboration with his longtime friend was noted within the industry.
Two years later, Siegel had a cameo in Philip Kaufman's ('The Right Stuff' 1978 American sci-fi/horror film 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' This was in a cameo as a "pod" taxi driver. Kevin McCarthy also has a cameo, credited as Running Man.
While Peckinpah's work was uncredited, it would eventually lead to Siegel's hiring as the director of his final film in the early 1980s.
Peckinpah's job entailed acting as an assistant to the director. The film was shot on location at Folsom Prison. Siegel's location work and his use of actual prisoners as extras in the film made a lasting impression on Peckinpah.
In the end credits of Eastwood’s 1992 American Revisionist Western film ‘Unforgiven’, he dedicated the film to Siegel.
Eastwood had also dedicated it to Italian film director, producer and screenwriter, Sergio Leone (‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’, ‘Once Upon a Time in America’).
One year later, American filmmaker Abel Ferrara ('King of New York') remade 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' as the 1993 American science fiction horror/drama adaptation film 'Body Snatchers'.
Unfortunately, on a budget of $13 million, it only made a domestic profit of $428,000.
Premiering at the 46th Cannes Film Festival in May 1993, it later received very positive reviews from some critics.
However, Roger Ebert considered it superior to the previous adaptations of Finney's famous novel. He gave it four stars out of four, praising it for psychological realism and social criticism.
Ebert stated "as sheer moviemaking, it is skilled and knowing, and deserves the highest praise you can give a horror film: It works".
Dirty Harry' later received recognition from the American Film Institute (AFI). It made appearances on their other lists.
These included:
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Thrills – #41
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains – Harry Callahan – #17
AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movie Quotes: "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"– #51
'Dirty Harry' was also on the ballot for several other AFI's 100 series lists including 100 Years ... 100 Movies, 100 Years ... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition). The film was also listed on 100 Years of Film Scores.
In 1994, 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
In the late 2000s, another remake of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' was made. This was the 2007 American science fiction horror/thriller adaptation film 'The Invasion'. The film starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.
The film starred Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, and was co-written The Wachowski Brothers ('The Matrix').
The film was co-directed by German film director Oliver Hirschbiegel ('Downfall') and Australian film director James McTeigue.
On a budget of $65–80 million, the film only grossed back $40.2 million at the box office. Ebert later called it "the fourth, and the least, of the movies made from Jack Finney's classic science fiction novel."
In 2012, 'Dirty Harry' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant."
An untitled fourth remake of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' from Warner Bros is in development. American screenwriter David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick was signed write the screenplay.
Among his credits, Siegel is also known for directing 'Escape from Alcatraz' (1975) and 'The Shootist' (1976). This was John Wayne's final film.
With his name variously appearing in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel, the filmmaker was truly a director of taut plots centered on individualistic loners within tough, cynical and forthright action-adventure features.
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