Sidney Lumet: A Life

by Maura Spiegel

Overview

The first-ever biography of the seminal American director whose remarkable life traces a line through American entertainment history

Acclaimed as the ultimate New York movie director, Sidney Lumet began his astonishing five-decades-long directing career with the now classic 12 Angry Men, followed by such landmark films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network. His remarkably varied output included award-winning adaptations of plays by Anton Chekhov, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O’Neill, whose Long Day’s Journey into Night featured Katharine Hepburn and Ralph Richardson in their most devastating performances.

Renowned as an “actor’s director,” Lumet attracted an unmatched roster of stars, among them: Henry Fonda, Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Ethan Hawke, and Philip-Seymour Hoffman, accruing eighteen Oscar nods for his actors along the way.

With the help of exclusive interviews with family, colleagues, and friends, author Maura Spiegel provides a vibrant portrait of the life and work of this extraordinary director whose influence is felt through generations, and takes us inside the Federal Theater, the Group Theatre, the Actors Studio, and the early “golden age” of television.

From his surprising personal life, with four marriages to remarkable women—all of whom opened their living rooms to Lumet’s world of artists and performers like Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson—to the world of Yiddish theater and Broadway spectacles, Sidney Lumet: A Life is a book that anyone interested in American film of the twentieth century will not want to miss.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250030153
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	12/10/2019
Pages:	416
Sales rank:	542,904
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.50(d)

About the Author

Maura Spiegel is a born and bred New Yorker, and has been teaching literature and film at Columbia University for over two decades. She is co-director of the Division of Narrative Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, where she teaches film to first year medical students. She has published articles on many subjects including the history of the emotions, Charles Dickens, Victorian fashion and film, and diamonds in the movies.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Preface 1

1 Yiddish Roots 5

2 Family Stories 15

3 Mother and Son 31

4 A Broadway Education 41

5 Brother and Sister 66

6 A Second Home: The Group Theatre 81

7 What the Camera Sees 97

8 GI Jew: Eating Ham for Uncle Sam 108

9 Coming Home 129

10 Marriage Take One: A Season in Bohemia 137

11 Television: Worlds Within Worlds 153

12 Marriage Take Two: Mr. and Mrs. Mouse 169

13 The Making of 12 Angry Men 183

14 Career Moves 199

15 Marriage Take Three: Maybe This Time … 227

16 Men at Work 251

17 Marriage Take Four: Print It 272

18 Acquainted with the Night 285

19 Parents and Children 299

20 Make It Personal 314

21 Life All Around 337

22 All in All 361

Filmography and Sources 365

Bibliography 369

Index 383

Editorial Reviews

"This revealing and entertaining biography provides a sensitive look at one of Hollywood’s most humanistic and socially aware filmmakers." —Publishers Weekly

"Spiegel does a yeoman's job of telling those stories in this illuminating biography . . . . Essential reading for movie fans." —Booklist

"A likely definitive exploration of the director's distinguished career—of great interest to budding filmmakers and film enthusiasts." —Kirkus (starred review)

"An insightful biography, perfect for film buffs." —Library Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2019-10-14
A well-grounded biography of the American director's expansive career.

Throughout a prolific career, Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) emerged as one of the most acclaimed directors of his time, recognized for his accomplishments in theater, TV, and, especially, film (Twelve Angry Men, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, etc.). In this first significant biography of Lumet, Spiegel (Literature and Film/Columbia Univ.; co-author: The Breast Book: An Intimate and Curious History, 2002, etc.) offers a comprehensive study of this multifaceted filmmaker, thoughtfully examining the creative and personal forces that influenced his work. The author traces his early years as a child actor performing in Yiddish theater at age 5 through his work on Broadway as a teenager and his enlistment in the Army during World War II. After the war, Lumet's interest quickly shifted from acting to directing for the theater. In the early days of TV, he firmly hit his stride, mastering the quickly evolving technical craft of directing for live TV, which included directing diverse groups of actors while remaining mindfully efficient with tight schedules and budgets. These skills would benefit his later work on film. Spiegel comfortably weaves elements of Lumet's personal life into her narrative, touching on his complex relationship with his father, Baruch, also a theater actor in his day; his four marriages (Gloria Vanderbilt was his second wife); two children; and his expansive network of show business friends. Yet the author shines brightest in her illumination of Lumet's skills as a director. Beyond offering knowledgeable film summaries, she deftly examines the technical artistry he brought to each project. "Sidney never stopped experimenting," writes Spiegel. "He was constantly working with new actors, new equipment, new genres, and new techniques. Throughout his career he drew upon his earlier experiences in radio, theater, television, and film to expand beyond his comfort zones and break new ground as both an artist and a citizen."

A likely definitive exploration of the director's distinguished career—of great interest to budding filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

Kirkus Reviews

10/01/2019

Sidney Lumet (1924–2011) directed some of the most iconic films of the 1970s including Dog Day Afternoon, Serpico, and Network. Known as an "actor's director" who loved to collaborate with his cast and crew, he taught courses on filmmaking and wrote Making Movies, which detailed the technical aspects of filmmaking. With this biography, Spiegel (narrative medicine, Columbia Univ. Coll. of Physicians and Surgeons) uses passages from an unfinished memoir and interviews with friends, family, and actors to create a portrait of a strong, complicated, but compassionate man who created classics with a strong New York City atmosphere. Unlike Making Movies, this title does not dwell too much on the technical. Instead, Spiegel focuses on the humanity involved in each film, Lumet's relationships, and the presence of Lumet's home, New York City. VERDICT Though some readers may find the book at times too congratulatory (there are no juicy tidbits), it does provide a strong perspective of a talented but uncompromising director. An insightful biography, perfect for film buffs.—Leah Huey, Dekalb P.L., IL

Library Journal