Hall Bartlett is an American actor, director, film producer, and screenwriter. Born November 27, 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. He died on September 7, 1993 in Los Angeles, California, USA at the age of 70.
Biography
Hall Bartlett was born in Kansas City, the largest city in Missouri. Educated at Yale University in the humanities. He was a member of the "Phi Beta Kappa" society - the oldest American student community, known for its selectivity and exactingness towards its members. Membership in this society is considered a recognition of the highest merit by American students. On average, only one in a hundred applicants are honored to join.
Laureate of the International Rhodes Scholarship. After completing his studies, he served on conscription for 5 years in the naval intelligence of the US Army.
Career
Hall Bartlett's career began in 1952, when he directed his first documentary, Navajo, as a producer. The film tells about the plight of American Indians in the 40s and 50s of the XX century. Hall became not only the producer of this film, but also played the main role of the Indian school counselor in it. The film is nominated for 2 Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Documentary.
The next film, Mad Men (1953), is the story of American football superstar Elroy Hirsch. It was the first American football motion picture in the United States, and for Hall it was the first film that he not only produced, but also directed. It is worth noting that the film was released at Hall Bartlett Productions, which Hall had registered shortly before.
Unchained is a 1955 prison film filmed in just 6 months at the California Institute for Men, the name of the men's prison in Chino, California. In this film, Hall was the producer, director, and screenwriter. The theme song "Unchained Melody", written for this film, has since become an international classic.
Bartlett Productions Hall soon acquired the rights to the first novel by British Canadian novelist Arthur Haley, Zero Hour! and filmed it. The film would have remained unknown, but in 1980 a film-parody-disaster "Airplane!" Was shot on it, copying some parts of the original film almost completely.
Drango is a 1957 American film about the end of the American Civil War.
All Young Men is a 1961 feature film that tackles the issue of segregation in the US Marine Corps. Sgt. Tauler, an African American, is unexpectedly given command of a platoon of all white soldiers. Tauler will have to gain the trust and respect of his subordinates and withdraw a platoon from their combat zone.
The Caretakers is a 1963 American drama about life in a mental hospital. At the request of President John F. Kennedy, it was first shown on the floor of the US Senate.
The Global Cause is a 1964 film, the story of the first child found at UN headquarters and whose nationality cannot be determined.
Sol Madrid is a 1968 film about heroin mafias.
Change is a 1969 drama about the problems of the student generation.
Generals of the Sand Quarries is Hall Bartlett's first internationally acclaimed film to be included in the Seventh Moscow International Film Festival. This film, dedicated to the street gangs of poor homeless youth, has become a cult film in the USSR.
Jonathan Livingston's Seagull became Hall Bartlett's most famous directorial achievement. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Film Reduction. The soundtrack recorded for the film received widespread popularity and critical acclaim. However, the painting itself barely covered the cost of its production.
In addition, Jonathan Livingston's Seagull has been subject to lawsuits from the very beginning: for a large number of discrepancies between the film and the book, for the fact that Hall cut too much music from the film, and others.
The Children of Sánchez is a 1978 film about the fate of a Mexican family and its struggle against the culture of poverty around it. In this film, the main role was played by Lupita Ferrer, then the wife of Hall Bartlett. The soundtrack for the film won a Grammy Award. The film was shown at the Eleventh Moscow International Film Festival in 1979.
Bartlett's last film was the 1983 television movie Love Forever. The film tells about the love of two young people John and Laura, one of whom (John) was expelled from the country, and the other (Laura) was imprisoned. To be reunited, John must formulate and execute an unforgettable, gripping and life-threatening plan to kidnap Laura.
The film tells about the communist Laos, turned into a police state. Filming took place in Thailand. Bartlett became the first filmmaker to receive permission to shoot on the Mekong River, which separates Thailand and Laos. A large number of problems during the filming forced Hall to edit the film in an atmosphere of extreme secrecy.
Achievements
In his hometown of Los Angeles, Hall Bartlett founded the Music Center, was director of the James Doolittle Theater, patron of the Museum of Art and the American Youth Symphony Orchestra, board member of the virtual digital TV channel KCET, organizer of the Los Angeles Rams professional football club and basketball club Los Angeles Lakers Basketball Club.
After the end of his film career, he began writing novels. His first novel, Rest in Our Lives, released in 1988, became a bestseller. Also widely known were the novels "Face to Face", published in 1993 by the American publishing house "Random House".
In collaboration with Michael J. Lasky, he wrote scripts for 12 projects. One of the scripts after Hall's death was sold by his widow Steven Spielberg and used for the film Catch Me If You Can.
Awards
Hall Bartlett's films have won 10 first prizes at various international film festivals, 17 Academy Awards nominations, 8 Golden Oscars from the Hollywood Foreign Press and over 75 awards and prizes from various national and international organizations and publications.
Personal life
Hall Bartlett has been married three times.
First wife - Rhonda Fleming, née Marilyn Louins, American singer, film and television actress. She starred in more than 40 films and gained fame as the most glamorous actress of her time, nicknamed the "Queen of Technicolor", as she turned out well in pictures and films shot using this technology. The marriage was formalized in 1966 and dissolved in 1972.
The second wife is Lupita Ferrera, a Venezuelan film, theater and television actress. She became famous for her beauty, especially for her large expressive eyes, as well as for her strong theatrical talent. The marriage was short-lived - they got married and divorced in 1978.
The third wife is Lois Butler, an American film actress. The date of the wedding is unknown. The marriage lasted until Lois's death in 1989.
No children.
