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David Lean Biography

Birth Name:David Lean

Birth Place:Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom

Profession Director, Editor, Writer, Actor, Producer, Assistant director

Fast Facts

The American Film Institute presented him with its Life Achievement Award in 1990, making him one of only three non-Americans to win the award
Worked as an apprentice at his father's chartered accountancy firm as a teenager, but the job bored him and he sought a job with Gaumont Studios, where he started as a teaboy with no pay and quickly became a third assistant director
Quote: "Film is a dramatized reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real․․․ an audience should not be conscious of technique․"
Many of his films, including his acclaimed historical epics, are often set in a distinct time and place and explore opposing cultures and viewpoints
Relies greatly on natural light and almost always keeps the horizon in view in his shots
His tendency toward being a perfectionist sometimes irked his cast and crew
Gave filmmaker Steven Spielberg a live director's commentary during a screening of "Lawrence of Arabia" which Spielberg claims influenced all of his work from that point on

Awards

1942NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1944Silver Condor-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
1946Grand Prize of the Festival-Feature Film: winner
1947Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1947Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: nominated
1948Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1948Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay: nominated
1948Grand International Award-: nominated
1949Grand Prize of the Festival-: nominated
1952NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1952NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1954Golden Berlin Bear-: winner
1955BAFTA Film Award-Best British Screenplay: nominated
1955NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1956Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1957NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1957NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1958Oscar-Best Director: winner
1958DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: winner
1958Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1962NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1963Oscar-Best Director: winner
1963DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: winner
1963Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1964Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1964Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: winner
1965NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1966Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1966Palme d'Or-: nominated
1966Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1967BAFTA Film Award-Best Film from any Source: nominated
1967David-Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero): winner
1971BAFTA Film Award-Best Direction: nominated
1971DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1972Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: nominated
1974Evening Standard British Film Award-Best Film: winner
1984KCFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1984NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1984NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1985Oscar-Best Film Editing: nominated
1985Oscar-Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: nominated
1985Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1985DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1985Golden Globe-Best Screenplay - Motion Picture: nominated
1985Golden Globe-Best Director - Motion Picture: nominated
1985NSFC Award-Best Director: nominated
1985WGA Award (Screen)-Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium: nominated
1986Honorable Mention-Best Foreign Film: winner
1986BAFTA Film Award-Best Film: nominated
1986BAFTA Film Award-Best Screenplay - Adapted: nominated
1996Retro Hugo-Best Dramatic Presentation: nominated