born June 7, 1928, Berkeley, Calif., U.S.
U.S. film director.
While directing a documentary on India in the 1960s, he met a local producer, Ismail N. Merchant (b. 1936), beginning cinema's longest-lasting partnership. They made several films written by Ivory and Ruth Prawer Jhabvala before their first international success, Shakespeare Wallah (1965). It was followed by a series of well-received adaptations of noted literary works, including The Europeans (1979), The Bostonians (1984), A Room with a View (1986, Academy Award), Maurice (1987), Howards End (1992), and The Remains of the Day (1993). Ivory's films were noted for their attention to period detail and excellent acting.