Los Angeles – Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter made the following statement upon learning of the passing of Director Norman Jewison:
“Today we mourn the loss of a legendary Director. Known for his influential and impactful filmography over many decades, Norman was also one of our DGA heroes – a warrior and champion always ready to defend his fellow Directors, their creative rights and the craft of directing.
Norman’s cinematic range was truly remarkable—few filmmakers can so fluidly and eloquently move between romantic comedies, dramas and musicals as he did. But his most powerful films, and those he said were his ‘dearest,’ tackled racism and injustice, including In the Heat of the Night and A Soldier's Story, both of which brought DGA Awards nominations. For his outstanding representation of the Director’s craft, we awarded him in 2010 with the Guild’s top honor, the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to directing, the importance of guilds and unions and the fight for racial justice and equality was central to Norman’s work and life. A dedicated and passionate member of the Guild, Norman served on the National Board, the DGA Western Directors Council and on many Committees, always mentoring others and working to preserve and expand the creative rights of DGA members.
He will forever be remembered by his fellow Directors as a vibrant force—bringing depth, insight and a necessary dose of humor to everything he touched. Our thoughts are with his wife Lynne, his family and the many Directors and directorial team members fortunate to have been influenced by him.”
DGA Service and Awards:
Norman Jewison was a Guild member for more than six decades, originally joining the Radio and Television Directors Guild in 1958, which merged with the Screen Directors Guild in 1960 to form today’s Directors Guild of America. He served on the National Board from 1969-71 and 1979-85, as well as on the Western Directors Council from 1978-83. He was a member of many DGA committees, including the 1981 Negotiating Committee, the Committee on Goals and Purposes, the Creative Rights Committee and the Credits Committee. He was a founding member of the Franco-American Cultural Fund and was a longtime Trustee of the Directors Guild Foundation.
In 2010, the DGA honored Jewison with the Guild’s most prestigious Award, The Lifetime Achievement Award in Feature Film for his extensive filmography. He was also a four-time DGA Award nominee, three times in the Feature Film category for A Soldier’s Story (1984) and In the Heat of the Night (1967), The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming (1966), and once in the Television category for Belafonte New York (1960).
Career Biography:
Jewison began his career in show business as an actor on stage and radio in Canada. After graduating from the University of Toronto in 1949, he participated in a two-year work/study program with the BBC in London, followed by a return to Canada, where his directing career began with seven years as a director, writer and producer for CBC-TV in Canada. In the late 1950s, Jewison moved to New York where he directed CBS series Your Hit Parade as well as The Andy Williams Show, Tonight with Belafonte, The Fabulous Fifties, Danny Kaye's television debut and several Judy Garland specials, collecting three Emmys along the way.
His film debut as a Director came with the 1962 comedy 40 Pounds of Trouble, followed quickly by several more romantic comedies. With The Cincinnati Kid, Jewison broke out of the romantic comedy genre as he began exploring a wide range of styles as well as the complex social issues such as racism and corruption that would characterize a number of his films throughout the coming years. 1966's The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming, garnered Jewison his first DGA nomination. The following year’s In the Heat of the Night brought another DGA nomination and won five Academy Awards including Best Picture in 1967. A Soldier’s Story brought his third DGA nomination; additional Academy Award nominations for Best Director followed for Fiddler on the Roof and Moonstruck.
In addition to directing, Jewison and his Yorktown Productions have produced many projects, including Hal Ashby's first film, The Landlord, and the television series Picture Windows. He has been an active supporter of the Canadian film industry, founding the Canadian Film Centre in 1986 to give Canadian filmmakers the opportunity to hone their skills. In 1992 he was made a Companion to The Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honor. In 2004, his autobiography This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me was published, a candid memoir of his life in film and television.
