George Fitzmaurice

George Fitzmaurice (13 February 1885 – 13 June 1940) was a French-born film director and producer. Fitzmaurice's career first started as a set designer on stage. Beginning in 1914 until his death in 1940, he directed over 80 films, including several successful movies such as The Son of the Sheik, Raffles, Mata Hari, and Suzy.

At the beginning of his directorial career Fitzmaurice was astute at directing stage actresses in their initial films when the first wave of great Broadway stars migrated to motion pictures during World War I era, including Mae Murray, Elsie Ferguson, Fannie Ward, Helene Chadwick, Irene Fenwick, Gail Kane and Edna Goodrich.

Son of the Sheik is his most famous extant silent film, no doubt aided by the sudden death of its star, Rudolph Valentino. Lilac Time is a classic war/romance film. Fitzmaurice however directed scores of silent films of which the majority of them are lost to the ravages of decompostion. Recent discoveries in Gosfilmofond in Russia include 1919's Witness for the Defense with Elsie Ferguson and 1923's Kick In with Bert Lytell. A restoration of his 1928 part talkie hybrid The Barker is winning praise from many film buffs. Rumors of other Fitzmaurice films in Gosfilmofond include 1920s Idols of Clay (with Mae Murray) and Three Live Ghosts with Norman Kerry, Anna Q. Nilsson Cyril Chadwick and Edmund Goulding.

Filmography

The Profiteers, 1919

The Emperor's Candesticks, 1937

• The Test (1916)
• Arms and the Woman (1916)
• The Romantic Journey (1916)
• Kick In (1917)
• The Hunting of the Hawk (1917)
• The Recoil (1917)
• The Iron Heart (1917)
• Blind Man's Luck (1917)
• The On-the-Square Girl (1917)
• The Mark of Cain (1917)
• Sylvia of the Secret Service (1917)
• Innocent (1918)
• The Naulahka (1918)
• The Hillcrest Mystery (1918)
• A Japanese Nightingale (1918)
• The Narrow Path (1918)
• Common Clay (1919)
• The Cry of the Weak (1919)
• The Profiteers (1919)
• The Avalanche (1919)
• Our Better Selves (1919)
• A Society Exile (1919)
• Witness for the Defense (1919)
• Counterfeit (1919)
• On With the Dance (1920)
• Right to Love (1920)
• Idols of Clay (1920)
• Paying the Piper (1921)
• Experience (1921)
• Forever (1921)
• Three Live Ghosts (1922)
• The Man from Home (1922)
• Kick In (1922) ^[1]
• To Have and to Hold (1922)
• The Cheat (1923)
• Bella Donna (1923)
• The Eternal City (1923)
• Cytherea (1924)
• Tarnish (1924)
• A Thief in Paradise (1925)
• His Supreme Moment (1925)
• The Dark Angel (1925)
• The Son of the Sheik (1926)
• The Night of Love (1927)
• The Tender Hour (1927)
• Rose of the Golden West (1927)
• The Love Mart (1927)
• Lilac Time (1928)
• The Barker (1928)
• His Captive Woman (1929)
• The Man and the Moment (1929)
• The Locked Door (1929)
• The Bad One (1930)
• Raffles (1930)
• The Devil to Pay! (1930) uncredited
• One Heavenly Night (1931)
• Strangers May Kiss (1931) uncredited
• The Unholy Garden (1931)
• Mata Hari ([1931)
• As You Desire Me (1932) uncredited
• Rockabye (1932) uncredited
• Nana (1934)
• All Men are Enemies (1934)
• Petticoat Fever (1936)
• Suzy (1936)
• The Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1937)
• The Emperor's Candlesticks (1937)
• Live, Love and Learn (1937)
• Arsène Lupin Returns (1938)
• Vaction from Love (1938)
• Adventure in Diamonds (1940)

References

1. ↑ Article about rediscovered silent-movies including Fitzmaurice Kick In

External links

• George Fitzmaurice at the Internet Movie Database
• George Fitzmaurice at Find a Grave
• George Fitzmaurice at Virtual History
• some production stills with George Fitzmaurice, cast and crews

Persondata
Name	Fitzmaurice, George
Alternative names
Short description	Film director
Date of birth	13 February 1885
Place of birth	Paris,  France
Date of death	13 June 1940
Place of death	Los Angeles, California  United States