born April 29, 1907, Vienna, Austria
died March 14, 1997, London, Eng.
Austrian-born U.S. film director.
After studying law in his native Vienna, he learned cinematography in Paris and worked in Berlin. In 1929 he moved to Hollywood, and in 1934 he codirected his first feature, The Wave , which was initially followed largely by documentaries and short subjects. His feature films, many of which focus on the crisis of moral courage, include The Search (1948), The Men (1950), the classic western High Noon (1952), From Here to Eternity (1953, Academy Award), Oklahoma! (1955), The Nun's Story (1959), A Man for All Seasons (1966, Academy Award), The Day of the Jackal (1973), and Julia (1977).