Frank Borzage
Biography
Frank Borzage was an American film director and actor born on April 23, 1894, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He died on June 19, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. Borzage began his career as an actor in Hollywood in 1912 and continued in that capacity until 1917. He made his directorial debut in 1915 with the film The Pitch o' Chance. Borzage achieved significant recognition as a director, becoming the first person to win the Academy Award for Best Director for his work on the 1927 film 7th Heaven. His notable directing credits include Street Angel, Bad Girl, A Farewell to Arms, Man's Castle, History Is Made at Night, The Mortal Storm, and Moonrise. He was noted for his romantic transcendentalism and technically impeccable filmmaking.
Career overview
Frank Borzage (April 23, 1894 – June 19, 1962) was an Academy Award-winning American film director and actor. He began working as an actor in Hollywood in 1912 and continued in that role until 1917. His directorial debut occurred in 1915 with the film The Pitch o' Chance. Borzage was a successful director throughout the 1920s and reached his peak during the late silent and early sound eras. He was noted for his technically impeccable filmmaking and romantic transcendentalism.
Borzage was the first person to win the Academy Award for Best Director for his film 7th Heaven (1927) at the 1st Academy Awards. His notable directorial credits include Street Angel (1928), Bad Girl (1931), A Farewell to Arms (1932), Man's Castle (1933), History Is Made at Night (1937), The Mortal Storm (1940), and Moonrise (1948). He absorbed visual influences from the German director F.W. Murnau, who was also resident at Fox. Borzage was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, and died in Los Angeles, California. He is also known as Mr. Borza.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full Filmography
207 titles- Murnau, Borzage and Fox (2008) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Journey Beneath the Desert (1961) Co-Director
- The Big Fisherman (1959) Director
- China Doll (1958) Director
- China Doll (1958) Producer
- Jeanne Eagels (1957) as Self (uncredited)
- A Ticket for Thaddeus (1956) Director
- The Day I Met Caruso (1956) Director
- Hollywood Preview (1955) as Self
- The Oscars (1953)
- This Is Your Life (1952) as Self
- Moonrise (1948) Director
- That's My Man (1947) Director
- That's My Man (1947) Producer
- I've Always Loved You (1946) Director
- I've Always Loved You (1946) Producer
- Magnificent Doll (1946) Director
- The Spanish Main (1945) Director
- The Spanish Main (1945) Producer
- Till We Meet Again (1944) Director
- His Butler's Sister (1943) Director
- Stage Door Canteen (1943) Director
- Stage Door Canteen (1943) Producer
- Seven Sweethearts (1942) Director
- Seven Sweethearts (1942) Producer
- The Vanishing Virginian (1942) Director
- Billy the Kid (1941) Co-Director
- Smilin' Through (1941) Director
- Smilin' Through (1941) Producer
- The Mortal Storm (1940) Director
- The Mortal Storm (1940) Producer
- I Take This Woman (1940) Co-Director
- Strange Cargo (1940) Director
- Strange Cargo (1940) Producer
- Flight Command (1940) Director
- Disputed Passage (1939) Director
- The Shining Hour (1938) Director
- The Shining Hour (1938) Producer
- Three Comrades (1938) Director
- Mannequin (1938) Director
- Mannequin (1938) Screenplay
- Mannequin (1938) Producer
- History Is Made at Night (1937) Director
- Big City (1937) Director
- Green Light (1937) Director
- Green Light (1937) Producer
- Desire (1936) Director
- Desire (1936) Producer
- Hearts Divided (1936) Director
- Hearts Divided (1936) Producer
- Stranded (1935) Director
- Stranded (1935) Producer
- Shipmates Forever (1935) Director
- Living on Velvet (1935) Director
- Living on Velvet (1935) Producer
- Little Man, What Now? (1934) Director
- Flirtation Walk (1934) Director
- Flirtation Walk (1934) Producer
- No Greater Glory (1934) Director
- No Greater Glory (1934) Producer
- Secrets (1933) Director
- Man's Castle (1933) Director
- Man's Castle (1933) Producer
- A Farewell to Arms (1932) Director
- A Farewell to Arms (1932) Producer
- Young America (1932) Director
- After Tomorrow (1932) Director
- Bad Girl (1931) Director
- Young as You Feel (1931) Director
- Doctors' Wives (1931) Director
- Song o' My Heart (1930) Director
- Song o' My Heart (1930) Producer
- Liliom (1930) Director
- The River (1929) Director
- They Had to See Paris (1929) Director
- Lucky Star (1929) Director
- Street Angel (1928) Director
- 7th Heaven (1927) Director
- Marriage License? (1926) Director
- Early to Wed (1926) Director
- The Dixie Merchant (1926) Director
- The First Year (1926) Director
- The Lady (1925) Director
- The Circle (1925) Director
- Daddy's Gone A-Hunting (1925) Director
- Lazybones (1925) Director
- Lazybones (1925) Producer
- Wages for Wives (1925) Director
- Secrets (1924) Director
- The Age of Desire (1923) Director
- The Age of Desire (1923) Producer
- The Nth Commandment (1923) Director
- The Nth Commandment (1923) Producer
- Children of Dust (1923) Director
- The Pride of Palomar (1922) Director
- The Valley of Silent Men (1922) Director
- Back Pay (1922) Director
- The Good Provider (1922) Director
- Billy Jim (1922) Director
- Get-Rich-Quick Wallingford (1921) Director
- The Duke of Chimney Butte (1921) Director
- Humoresque (1920) Director
- Whom the Gods Would Destroy (1919) Director
- Prudence on Broadway (1919) Director
- Toton (1919) Director
- The Shoes That Danced (1918) Director
- The Atom (1918)
- The Atom (1918) Director
- Who Is to Blame? (1918) Director
- The Curse of Iku (1918) as Allan Carroll / Allan Carroll III
- The Curse of Iku (1918) Director
- Society for Sale (1918) Director
- Innocent's Progress (1918) Director
- The Ghost Flower (1918) Director
- An Honest Man (1918) Director
- The Gun Woman (1918) Director
- A School for Husbands (1917) as Hugh Aslam
- Until They Get Me (1917) Director
- A Mormon Maid (1917) as Tom Rigdon
- Fear Not (1917) as Franklin Shirley
- Wee Lady Betty (1917) as Roger O'Reilly
- Flying Colors (1917) Director
- Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) as Extra (uncredited)
- Unlucky Luke (1916) as Luke Drummond
- Unlucky Luke (1916) Director
- Unlucky Luke (1916) Writer
- Matchin' Jim (1916) as Matchin' Jim
- Matchin' Jim (1916) Director
- Matchin' Jim (1916) Writer
- Immediate Lee (1916) as Immediate Lee
- Immediate Lee (1916) Director
- Two Bits (1916) as James Hardeman
- Two Bits (1916) Director
- Nell Dale's Men Folks (1916) as Zeb Dale
- Nell Dale's Men Folks (1916) Director
- Nell Dale's Men Folks (1916) Writer
- The Pilgrim (1916) as The Pilgrim
- The Pilgrim (1916) Director
- Nugget Jim's Pardner (1916) as Hal
- Nugget Jim's Pardner (1916) Director
- Nugget Jim's Pardner (1916) Writer
- Jack (1916) as Jack
- Jack (1916) Director
- That Gal of Burke's (1916) as Charles Percival
- That Gal of Burke's (1916) Director
- The Code of Honor (1916) as Lt. Bob Chase
- The Code of Honor (1916) Director
- The Courtin' of Calliope Clew (1916) as Calliope Clew
- The Courtin' of Calliope Clew (1916) Director
- Land O' Lizards (1916) as The Stranger
- Land O' Lizards (1916) Director
- The Demon of Fear (1916) as Thomas Marsh
- The Demon of Fear (1916) Director
- The Demon of Fear (1916) Writer
- The Quicksands of Deceit (1916) Director
- The Forgotten Prayer (1916) as Dan Page
- The Forgotten Prayer (1916) Director
- Life's Harmony (1916) Director
- A Flickering Light (1916) as Jim
- A Flickering Light (1916) Director
- Realization (1916)
- Enchantment (1916) Writer
- The Silken Spider (1916) Director
- The Cup of Life (1915) as Dick Ralston
- The Hammer (1915) as Donald Barstow
- Aloha Oe (1915) as Dr. John Hawley
- The Mill by the Zuyder Zee (1915) as Dirk Brandt
- The Tavern Keeper's Son (1915) as Juan Capella
- In the Land of the Otter (1915) as Joe Eagle
- The Pitch o' Chance (1915) as Rocky Scott
- The Pitch o' Chance (1915) Director
- The Clean-Up (1915) as George Prescott
- In the Switch Tower (1915) as Joel Wharton
- The Secret of Lost River (1915) as Tom Hornby - Prospector
- The Girl Who Might Have Been (1915) as George Fowler
- Knight of the Trail (1915) as Bill Carey
- Molly of the Mountains (1915) as John Harlow
- The Cactus Blossom (1915) as Dave Foster
- Samson (1914) as Bearded Philistine Extra (uncredited)
- The Desperado (1914)
- The Wheel of Life (1914)
- Love's Western Flight (1914)
- The Panther (1914) as David Brandt
- The Wrath of the Gods (1914) as Tom Wilson
- Parson Larkin's Wife (1914) as Parson James Larkin
- A Flash in the Dark (1914)
- A Crook's Sweetheart (1914) as The 'Dip'
- In the Sage Brush Country (1914)
- The Typhoon (1914) as Renard Bernisky
- Granddad (1913) as Mildred's Father
- Retribution (1913)
- Loaded Dice (1913)
- The Gratitude of Wanda (1913)
- The Days of '49 (1913) as Ben
- A Cracksman Santa Claus (1913)
- The Drummer of the 8th (1913) as Jack Durand
- In the Toils (1913)
- A Hopi Legend (1913)
- The Mystery of Yellow Aster Mine (1913)
- The Crimson Stain (1913)
- Silent Heroes (1913)
- When Lee Surrenders (1912)
- On Secret Service (1912)
- Dollars of Dross Director
- Dollars of Dross Writer
- The Pride and the Man Director
- The Pride and the Man Writer
Frequently Asked Questions
What movies or TV shows is Frank Borzage best known for?
Frank Borzage is widely recognized for notable roles and projects including China Doll (1958), China Doll (1958), The Oscars (1953), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009).
When and where was Frank Borzage born?
Frank Borzage was born on April 23, 1894 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. They passed away on June 19, 1962.
How many credits does Frank Borzage have?
Frank Borzage has accumulated over 207 film and television credits across a career spanning from 1920 to 2008.
What is Frank Borzage's background in cinema and television?
Frank Borzage was an American film director and actor born on April 23, 1894, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He died on June 19, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. Borzage began his career as an actor in Hollywood in 1912 and continued in that capacity until 1917. He made his directorial debut in 1915 with the film The Pitch ...
Frank Borzage by the numbers
Age in their best-rated roles
- Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916) as Extra (uncredited) — aged about 22
- The Oscars (1953) — aged about 59
- This Is Your Life (1952) as Self — aged about 58
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