Norman JewisonBirth Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date of Birth: July 21, 1926 Heritage: Canadian Famous for: Revitalizing Your Hit Parade for CBS television (1958-62) Contact Norman Jewison | 
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Fiddler on the Roof Background: “It's you against the world. It's like going to war. Everybody is trying to tell you something different and they're always putting obstacles in your way. You have to fight for what you believe in and you have to defend yourself constantly. It's a matter of confidence. It's when you get indecisive and you lack confidence that you get into trouble, because everybody else will take over.” Norman Jewison (on directing movies) Canadian filmmaker and occasional actor Norman Jewison received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award at the 1999 Academy Awards and collected Oscar nominations for Best Director and/or Best Picture for his work on “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming” (1966), “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971), “A Soldier's Story” (1984) and “Moonstruck” (1987). Other films he has directed include “The Cincinnati Kid” (1965), “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973, also a co-writer), “...And Justice for All” (1979), “Other People's Money” (1991), “Only You” (1994), “The Hurricane” (1999) and “The Statement” (2003). He won a Berlin International Film Festival Award, a Golden Globe nomination and a PGA nomination for his work on “The Hurricane.” Jewison first gained notice for directing variety and comedy programs for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before being recruited by CBS in 1958 to revive the popular series “Your Hit Parade.” Its success led to work in several television specials, including the Emmy Award nominated “The Judy Garland Show” (1962). He began directing features in 1962 with “40 Pounds of Trouble” for Universal Studios. Jewison is an inductee on the Hollywood Walk of Fame thanks to his contribution to the cinematic industry. He was also awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) and the C.C. (Companion of the Order of Canada). Other honors he has received include the Director's Achievement Award from the 1997 Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 2010 Directors Guild of America and the 2002 Directors Guild of Canada, the Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year Award from the 2008 American Cinema Editors, and the Billy Wilder Award, to name a few. In 2005, Jewison became a Member of the Jury for the AFI Motion Pictures Awards. Jewison is also the founder of the Canadian Center for Advanced Film Studies (CCAFS).
Childhood and Family: Norman Frederick Jewison was born on July 21, 1926, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Percy Joseph Jewison and Dorothy Irene Jewison. His father operated a dry goods store and post office and Norman became interested in performing and theater at an early age. By age 5, he had made his professional stage debut and began staging and performing in musical comedies and dramas at Toronto's Malvern Collegiate Institute. After graduating in 1944, he served briefly in the Canadian Navy at the end of WWII and upon his return, attended Victoria College at the University of Toronto. He graduated with a BA in general arts and earned an honor award for directing and writing several college productions. Norman took a job as a taxi driver after college in order to make ends meet before moving to London, where he periodically landed work as a script writer for a children's show and was a bit actor for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Jobless in England in late 1951, he returned to Canada and joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a production trainee. His career soon gained a boost and eventually led to an invitation to work in America. On July 11, 1953, Norman married Margaret Ann Dixon and they stayed together until she died on November 26, 2004. Norman and Margaret are the parents of actress Jennifer Ann Jewison, camera operator Kevin Jeffrie Jewison and associate producer and location manager Michael Philip Jewison.
Career: Norman Jewison made his first public performance as a child when he read poetry by Robert Service at various lodge meetings. Working as a cab driver before taking a sporadic job as a children's show's scriptwriter and actor for BBC in London, Jewison began his affiliation with CBC as a production trainee after he returned to Canada from Britain. He became an assistant director before eventually taking on the duty of director and/or producer. His early directing credits include “The Big Revue” (1952), “Wayne and Shuster” (1954) and “The Barris Beat” (1956). Following a respective seven year stint with CBC, Jewison moved to America in 1958 to work with the television network CBS and was hired to revitalize the popular live music show “Your Hit Parade” during its last season on air (1958-1959). More work ensued after the impressive debut, including a string of television specials starring artists like Andy Williams, Danny Kaye, Harry Belafonte and Jackie Gleason. He also directed and produced the Emmy Award nominated special “The Judy Garland Show” (CBS, 1962) and reprised his producing duty for the subsequent critically acclaimed series “The Judy Garland Show” (1963-1964). After relocating to Hollywood, Jewison made his feature directorial debut with “40 Pounds of Trouble” (1962), which starred Tony Curtis and Suzanne Pleshette. Pleased with his work on the film, Universal Studios signed him to a seven picture deal, but only three were ultimately completed before Jewison decided to become an independent filmmaker. The three films were “The Thrill of It All” (1963), a romantic comedy starring Doris Day and James Garner that was co-written by Carl Reiner, “Send Me No Flowers” (1964), a comedy starring Rock Hudson, Doris Day and Tony Randall, and “The Art of Love” (1965), starring James Garner, Dick Van Dyke, Elke Sommer and Angie Dickinson. In 1965, Jewison directed Steve McQueen, Edward G. Robinson, Ann-Margret and Karl Malden in MGM's drama “The Cincinnati Kid.” An adaptation of Richard Jessup's novel of the same name with the script written by Ring Lardner Jr. and Terry Southern, the film received mixed reviews but has since become a classic. Under his direction, Joan Blondell earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress and a National Broad of Review Award in the same category. “The Cincinnati Kid” marked Jewison's shift from lighter comedies into more serious films and subject matter. In 1966, Jewison produced Nathaniel Benchley's 1961 novel “The Off-Islanders” into a successful motion picture titled “The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming,” which he also directed. The film, starring Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint, was nominated for four Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actor in a Leading Role (Arkin), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (William Rose), Best Film Editing, and Best Picture, Jewison's first Oscar credit. The film also brought the director/producer an UN Award nomination at the 1976 BAFTA Awards and a Directors Guild of America nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures. He then directed Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger and Lee Grant in the big screen adaptation of John Ball's mystery novel “In the Heat of the Night” (1967), which won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Steiger), Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Film Editing and Best Sound. For his directing, Jewison received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. He also netted a Sant Jordi for Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera), BAFTA's UN Award, and a BAFTA nomination for Best Film from any Source, and a Directors Guild of America nomination. Jewison was reunited with Steve McQueen for the drama “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1968), which he directed and co-produced with Hal Ashby. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics and performed moderately at the box office. However, it did win Oscar and Golden Globe Awards in the category of Best Original Song for the song “The Windmills of Your Mind.” A remake of the film was made in 1999 starring Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo. Jewison closed out the decade by helming the comedy “Gaily, Gaily” (1969), starring Beau Bridges. It was nominated for Oscars for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design and Best Sound. In 1970, Jewison served as producer on “The Landlord” before returning to the director's chair the following year to direct “Fiddler on the Roof” (1971), which was based on a Broadway hit musical of the same name. The film, which he also produced, was nominated for eight Oscars and won for Best Cinematography, Best Music, Scoring Adaptation and Original Song Score and Best Sound. It also won two Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy and Best Motion Picture Actor - Musical/Comedy. The director/producer took home Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director - Motion Picture. Jewison had the same responsibility as director and producer and made his screenwriting debut with “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1973), a film adaptation of the rock opera of the same name by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The film earned primarily positive reviews despite being criticized by some religious groups and Jewison was handed a David di Donatello for Best Foreign Film for his work. After producing Ted Kotcheff's “Billy Two Hats” (1974), Jewison directed and produced the well received science fiction movie “Rollerball” (1975), based on the short story “Roller Ball Murder” by William Harrison, who also wrote the script. The cast included James Caan, John Houseman, Maud Adams, John Beck and Moses Gunn. He then produced and helmed the Sylvester Stallone vehicle “F.I.S.T.” (1978) and the courtroom drama “...And Justice for All” (1979), starring Al Pacino, John Forsythe, Christine Lahti, Jack Warden and Lee Strasberg. Al Pacino was nominated for Oscar and Golden Globe awards for his portrayal of idealistic defense attorney Arthur Kirkland, while Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson shared an Oscar for their screenplay. Jewison was reunited with Curtis and Levinson three years later for the film “Best Friend” (1982), starring Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. His next feature, “A Soldier's Story” (1984), a drama based on the Pulitzer Prize winning off-Broadway play “A Soldier's Play” by Charles Fuller, who also wrote the screenplay, enjoyed critical and commercial success. It was nominated for three Oscars, including Best Picture for Jewison, who also netted a Directors Guild of America nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures and a Golden Prize at the 1985 Moscow International Film Festival. After the success of “A Soldier's Story,” Jewison directed and produced the big screen adaptation of John Pielmeier's play “Agnes of God” (1985), starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. “Agnes of God” became his first feature filmed in his native country of Canada and his initial partnership with cinematographer Sven Nykvist. Jewison was then brought in the spotlight with the successful romantic comedy “Moonstruck” (1987), which starred Cher, Nicolas Cage, Olympia Dukakis, Vincent Gardenia and Danny Aiello. The film won three Oscars and two Golden Globes and Jewison picked up Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. Two years later, he received less success with “In Country” (1989), an ill fated adaptation of Bobbie Ann Mason's acclaimed novel of the same name. The film starred Emily Lloyd as the protagonist and Bruce Willis as her uncle. During the 1980s, Jewison also lent his producing talents for such movies as John Itvin's “The Dogs of War” (1980), Fred Schepisi's “Iceman” (1984) and Pat O'Connor's “The January Man” (1989). He also produced the 53rd Annual Academy Awards telecast (1981). In 1991, Jewison directed and produced the Danny De Vito starring “Other People's Money,” a dramatic comedy adapted from Jerry Sterner's play of the same name. He then helmed Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr. and Bonnie Hunt in “Only You” (1994), Whoopi Goldberg, Gerard Depardieu and Haley Joel Osment in the failed fantasy film “Bogus” (1996) and Denzel Washington in the biopic “The Hurricane” (1999), adapted by Armyan Bernstein and Dan Gordon from the books “Lazarus and the Hurricane” by Sam Chaiton and Terry Swinton and “The 16th Round” by Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. He won a Prize of the Guild of German Art House Cinemas at the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival, where he also earned a Golden Berlin Bear nomination, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director - Motion Picture and a PGA nomination for Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award for his work on “The Hurricane.” During the 1990s, Jewison also served as an executive producer on Bruce McDonald's “Dance Me Outside” (1994), John Boorman's short “Two Nudes Bathing” (1995) and the TNT biopic “Geronimo” (1993). Still on the small screen, he directed the “Soir Bleu” segment of Showtime's “Picture Windows” anthology (also served as an executive producer) and executive produced “The Rez” (1996-1997), a spin-off series based on characters from the popular movie “Dance Me Outside.” In 1999, he directed the documentary “The 20th Century: Funny Is Money” (Showtime) and appeared in front of the camera as an actor in John Landis' “The Stupids” (1996). He then appeared on “Burn, Hollywood, Burn” (1997). In 2001, Jewison executive produced “Walter and Henry,” a Showtime film directed by Daniel Petrie that starred John Larroquette and Nicholas Braun. The same year, he directed and produced the HBO TV movie “Dinner With Friends,” based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name by Donald Margulies. It starred Dennis Quaid as Gabe, Andie MacDowell as Karen, Greg Kinnear as Tom, and Toni Collette as Beth. In 2003, Jewison directed Michael Caine, Tilda Swinton and Jeremy Northam in the Canadian drama “The Statement,” his last picture to date. It won two Genie Awards, a DGC Craft Award and a Special Recognition at the 2003 National Board of Review. In 2005, Jewison released an autobiography titled “This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me.” Recently, in 2010, Jewison was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America. Awards:
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