George Fitzmaurice

Birth Name:

George Fitzmaurice

Birth Place:

Paris, France

Profession

Director, Producer, Actor, Writer, Production designer, Art department

Before settling in America, he studied fine arts in his native Paris
Between set designing and directing, he dabbled in screen writing
Broke into films in 1908, still working as a set designer
Started his Hollywood career as a set designer for stage productions
Co-founded Astra Film Corp, which was active from 1916 to 1920, and owned George Fitzmaurice Productions
Directors in Europe and America strove to duplicate his innovative techniques and lavish sets
Early stars that made a name for themselves through his films included Rudolph Valentino, Vima Banky, Mae Murray and Cary Grant
Made a name for himself as a specialist in romantic dramas
Some of his best known works are "The Son o the Sheik," "Raffles" and "Mata Hari․"
Many of the silent films he made decomposed or were lost

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