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Elia Kazan Biography

Birth Name:Elias Kazanjoglou

Birth Place:Istanbul, Turkey

Profession Director, Producer, Writer, Actor, Soundtrack

Fast Facts

When he won his Honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement, some attendees at the ceremony refused to applaud due to his cooperation with the House Un-American Activities Committee while others stood and clapped for his creative work
President Ronald Reagan presented him with the Kennedy Center honors award in 1982 for his life of achievement in the arts
Paid his way through Williams College by waiting tables, washing dishes and bartending at various fraternities
Quote: "In my own view, the solution is to talk about human beings and not about abstracts, to reveal the culture and the social moment as it is reflected in the behavior and the lives of individual people․ Not to be 'correct․' To be total․"
Not willing to give up his career to defend a cause he no longer believed in, he agreed to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities, listing eight actors who had been members of the Communist Party during the Depression
His films addressed social and political issues that he felt strongly about, such as anti-Semitism, racism and corruption
Was one of the first to introduce Method acting to the American stage and cinema
Introduced actors Warren Beatty, Carroll Baker, Julie Harris, Andy Griffith, Rip Torn, Eli Wallach, Eva Marie Saint, Martin Balsam, Fred Gwynn, Pat Hingle and others to audiences
At one time, regularly played handball with actor Harry Morgan
Wrote four best-selling novels, two of which were based on the lives of his Greek immigrant ancestors

Awards

1940Photoplay Award-Best Performances of the Month (December): winner
1947Award-Feature films: nominated
1947NBR Award-Best Director: winner
1947NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1948Oscar-Best Director: winner
1948Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1948Grand International Award-: nominated
1950Golden Lion-: nominated
1950International Award-: winner
1951NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1951Golden Lion-: nominated
1951Special Jury Prize-: winner
1952Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1952Grand Prize of the Festival-: nominated
1952DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1953Special Prize of the Senate of Berlin-: winner
1953DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1954NYFCC Award-Best Director: winner
1954Silver Lion-: winner
1954Pasinetti Award-: winner
1954Golden Lion-: nominated
1954OCIC Award-: winner
1955Oscar-Best Director: winner
1955Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): winner
1955Award-Best Dramatic Film: winner
1955Palme d'Or-: nominated
1955DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: winner
1955Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1955Silver Ribbon-Best Foreign Film (Miglior Film Straniero): winner
1955Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: nominated
1956Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1956Blue Ribbon Award-Best Foreign Language Film: winner
1956DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1956Kinema Junpo Award-Best Foreign Language Film: winner
1956NYFCC Award-Best Director: nominated
1957Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1958Bodil-Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film): winner
1958DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1959CEC Award-Best Foreign Director (Mejor Director Extranjero): winner
1960Golden Berlin Bear-: nominated
1962Top 10 Film Award-Best Film: nominated
1962DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1964Oscar-Best Picture: nominated
1964Oscar-Best Director: nominated
1964Oscar-Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen: nominated
1964Boxoffice Blue Ribbon Award-Best Picture of the Month for the Whole Family (February): winner
1964Top 10 Film Award-Best Film: nominated
1964DGA Award-Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures: nominated
1964Golden Globe-Best Director: winner
1964Golden Seashell-: winner
1964WGA Award (Screen)-Best Written American Drama: nominated
1965Sant Jordi-Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera): winner
1972Palme d'Or-: nominated