Frank Capra

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May 18, 1897

September 3, 1991

Francesco Rosario Capra

Helen Howell (1923-1927)

Lu Capra (1932-1984) (4 children)

Director

Pocketful of Miracles (1961) (producer)

A Hole in the Head (1959) (producer)

The Unchained Goddess (1958) (TV) (producer)

The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays (1957) (TV) (writer, producer)

Hemo the Magnificent (1957) (TV) (writer, producer)

Our Mr. Sun (1956) (TV) (writer, producer)

Here Comes the Groom (1951) (producer)

Riding High (1950) (producer)

State of the Union (1948) (producer)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) (writer, producer)

War Comes to America (1945) (producer)

Two Down and One to Go (1945) (producer)

Know Your Enemy: Japan (1945) (writer, producer)

Your Job in Germany (1945)

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) (producer)

Tunisian Victory (1944)

The Battle of China (1944)

The Battle of Russia (1943) (producer)

Prelude to War (1943) (uncredited) (producer)

Divide and Conquer (1943) (uncredited) (producer)

The Battle of Britain (1943) (producer)

The Nazis Strike (1943) (producer)

Meet John Doe (1941) (producer)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (producer)

You Can't Take It with You (1938) (producer)

Lost Horizon (1937) (producer)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936) (producer)

Broadway Bill (1934) (producer)

It Happened One Night (1934) (producer)

Lady for a Day (1933)

The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

American Madness (1932) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

Forbidden (1932) (as Frank R. Capra) (writer, producer)

Platinum Blonde (1931) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

The Miracle Woman (1931) (as Frank R. Capra)

Dirigible (1931) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

Rain or Shine (1930) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

Ladies of Leisure (1930) (as Frank R. Capra)(producer)

Flight (1929) (as Frank R. Capra) (writer, producer)

The Donovan Affair (1929) (as Frank R. Capra)

The Younger Generation (1929) (as Frank R. Capra)

The Burglar (1928) (writer)

The Power of the Press (1928)

Submarine (1928) (as Frank R. Capra)

Say It with Sables (1928) (writer)

The Way of the Strong (1928)

The Matinee Idol (1928) (as Frank R. Capra) (producer)

So This Is Love? (1928)

That Certain Thing (1928) (writer)

For the Love of Mike (1927)

Long Pants (1927)

The Strong Man (1926)

Fultah Fisher's Boarding House (1922) (writer)

Writer

It Happened One Christmas (1977) (TV) (screenplay "It's a Wonderful Life")

Westward the Women (1951) (story)

Uncle Tom (1929) (story)

The Swim Princess (1928) (writer)

Fiddlesticks (1927) (writer)

His First Flame (1927) (writer)

Soldier Man (1926) (writer)

Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (1926) (story) (uncredited)

Saturday Afternoon (1926) (story and scenario)

Love and Kisses (1925) (writer)

Cold Turkey (1925) (writer)

Lucky Stars (1925) (writer)

The Iron Nag (1925) (writer)

Cupid's Boots (1925) (writer)

Sneezing Beezers (1925) (writer)

Super-Hooper-Dyne Lizzies (1925) (writer)

Good Morning, Nurse (1925) (scenario) (story)

The Marriage Circus (1925) (writer)

Breaking the Ice (1925) (scenario)

Plain Clothes (1925) (writer)

Boobs in the Wood (1925) (uncredited)

The Wild Goose Chaser (1925) (writer)

All Night Long (1924) (story)

The Reel Virginian (1924) (uncredited)

Every Man for Himself (1924) (uncredited)

Riders of the Purple Cows (1924) (uncredited)

Little Robinson Corkscrew (1924) (uncredited)

High Society (1924) (uncredited)

Jubilo, Jr. (1924) (scenario)

Producer

San Pietro (1945) (co-supervising producer) (uncredited)

Attack! Battle of New Britain (1944) (producer)

The Negro Soldier (1944) (producer) (as Col. Frank Capra)

Know Your Ally: Britain (1944) (producer) (uncredited)

That Certain Thing (1928) (producer)

Appearances

Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life': A Personal Remembrance (1991)

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)

The 56th Annual Academy Awards (1984) (TV)

"The Moviemakers" (1 episode)

"Cinéma cinémas" (1 episode, 1983)

The American Film Institute Salute to Frank Capra (1982) (TV)

High Hopes: The Capra Years (1981) (TV)

The American Film Institute Salute to James Stewart (1980) (TV)

"Hollywood" (1980) TV mini-series (unknown episodes)

"The Hollywood Greats" (2 episodes, 1977-1979)

Bing Crosby: His Life and Legend (1978) (TV)

"ABC's Wide World of Entertainment" (1 episode, 1975)

"The Merv Griffin Show" (1 episode, 1973)

"Film Night" (1 episode, 1973)

The Men Who Made the Movies: Frank Capra (1973) (TV)

The 44th Annual Academy Awards (1972) (TV)

"The Dick Cavett Show" (1 episode, 1972)

"The David Frost Show" (1 episode, 1971)

Today (2 episodes, 1971)

"The Irv Kupcinet Show" (1 episode, 1971)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1 episode, 1971)

Dear Mr. Gable (1968)

"This Is Your Life" (1 episode, 1959)

"Lux Video Theatre" (1 episode, 1956)

The 25th Annual Academy Awards (1953) (TV)

The Screen Director (1951) (uncredited)

Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 12 (1938)

Screen Snapshots Series 17, No. 9 (1938)

Another Romance of Celluloid (1938) (uncredited)

Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 9 (1937)

Screen Snapshots Series 16, No. 8 (1937)

The Academy Awards

1947 Nominated Oscar Best Director for: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

1940 Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

1939 Won Oscar Best Director for: You Can't Take It with You (1938)

1937 Won Oscar Best Director for: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

1935 Won Oscar Best Director for: It Happened One Night (1934)

1934 Nominated Oscar Best Director for: Lady for a Day (1933)

American Film Institute

1982 Life Achievement Award

Directors Guild of America

1962 Nominated DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for: Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

1960 Nominated DGA Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures for: A Hole in the Head (1959)

1959 Lifetime Achievement Award

1941 DGA Honorary Life Member Award

Golden Globe Awards

1947 Won Golden Globe Best Motion Picture Director
for: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Laurel Awards

1962 Nominated Golden Laurel Top Producer/Director
7th place

Venice Film Festival

1982 Career Golden Lion

1936 Won Special Recommendation for: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

1936 Nominated Mussolini Cup for: Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

1934 Nominated Mussolini Cup for: It Happened One Night (1934)

Walk of Fame (Hollywood)

1960 Star on the Walk of Fame Motion Picture At 6614 Hollywood Blvd

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There are no rules in film making, only sins and the cardinal sin is dullness.

My advice to young filmmakers is this: Don't follow trends. Start them!

Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream, it takes over as the number one hormone; it bosses the enzymes; directs the pineal gland; plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to film is more film.

Behind every successful man there stands an astonished woman.

Compassion is a two-way street.

I thought drama was when the actors cried. But drama is when the audience cries.

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Francesco Rosario Capra was the youngest of seven children of Salvatore Capra, a fruit grower, and the former Sarah Nicolas.

Capra's family was Roman Catholic.

Capra first entered America in 1903, aged six, when his family arrived from Sicily, eventually settling in California. After numerous odd jobs he double-talked his way into directing a one-reel adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling ballad “Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House” (1922) for a small San Francisco film company.

He worked his way through college at the California Institute of Technology, playing banjo at nightclubs and taking odd jobs, which included working at the campus laundry facility, waiting tables, and cleaning engines at a local power plant. He studied chemical engineering and graduated in the spring of 1918.

He served as President of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

He was head of the Directors Guild of America.

He enlisted in the Army during World War I after graduating college, and again in World War II at the peak of his career, when he directed 11 documentary war films for the U.S. government's “Why We Fight” series.

On the set he was said to be gentle and considerate, "a director who displays absolutely no exhibitionism."

Capra's films often carry a message about basic goodness in human nature, and show the value of unselfishness and hard work, his wholesome, feel-good themes have led some to term his style "Capra-corn." However, those who hold his vision in higher regard prefer the term "Capraesque".

He enjoyed outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, and mountain climbing. In his later years, he spent time writing short stories and songs, along with playing guitar.

He was once a gag man for the Keystone Film Company (best known for its Keystone Kops shorts).

He was a staunch opponent of abortion and donated funds to support the Human Life Amendment.

Frank Capra died in La Quinta, California, of a heart attack in his sleep in 1991 at the age of 94. He is interred in the Coachella Valley Public Cemetery in Coachella, California. Plot Lot 289, Unit 8, Block 77.

Salary

Fultah Fisher’s Boarding House (1922) $75

That Certain Thing (1928) $1,000

Must-see Movies

It Happened One Night (1934)

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

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