Frank Capra

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Overview

Frank Capra
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Director, Producer, Screenwriter
Born:
May 18, 1897 in Bisaquino, Sicily, Italy
Death:
September 3, 1991 in La Quinta, CA
Biography:The most honored and well-liked director of his generation, Sicilian-born "Frank Capra" graduated from the California Institute of Technology as a Chemical Engineering major. Down on his luck after service during World War I, he bluffed his way into the movie business and learned films from the bottom up, from the film lab to the prop department to the editing department. He settled in as a gagman during the 1920s, and soon became a director specializing in comedy. After a stint with "Mack Sennett", Capra moved to Columbia Pictures, where he came into his own as a filmmaker.

Displaying a good feel for drama as well as comedy, and a common touch with which ordinary viewers could resonate, Capra quickly became the star among the tiny studio's stable of directors. His pictures, starting with "American Madness" in 1932, displayed themes that audiences regarded as important and uplifting during the... Full Biography

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