Nathan H. Juran

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Naftuli "Nathan" Hertz Juran (September 1, 1907 - October 23, 2002) was an American film art director and film director who along with Richard Day and Thomas Little is most noted for winning the Academy Award for Best Art Direction of a black and white film in 1942 for How Green Was My Valley and for directing science fiction and fantasy films such as Attack of the 50 Foot Woman. He was also the brother of quality guru Joseph M. Juran.

Life and career

Juran was born to a Jewish family in Gura Humorului, Romania.^[1] In 1912, he immigrated to America with his family, settling in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He earned a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Minnesota. He also spent a summer studying at the École des Beaux-Arts before earning a master's degree in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. With the construction industry at a standstill due to the Great Depression, Juran moved to Los Angeles, where he landed a job as a draftsman in the art department at RKO Radio Pictures. He later moved to 20th Century Fox, where he became art director on How Green Was My Valley.

Juran enlisted in the Navy during the Second World War and was assigned to first the Office of Strategic Services and then to the Royal Air Force Intelligence Center.^[2]

He began his career as an art director, winning an Oscar for his work on How Green Was My Valley (1941), and a nomination for The Razor's Edge (1946). His other credits in the field included Charley's Aunt (1941), Winchester '73 (1950), and Harvey (1950).

As a director, his best-known efforts were in the science fiction and fantasy genres, often with producer Charles H. Schneer, among which were Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, 20 Million Miles To Earth, The Brain from Planet Arous, Jack the Giant Killer (1962 film), The Deadly Mantis, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and First Men in the Moon (based on the novel by H.G. Wells).^[3] His television work included instalments of Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space, and Land of the Giants.

In 1999, he was honored with the Lifetime Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA.

He died at the age of 95 in Palos Verdes, California.

Filmography

References

↑ Juran, Joseph M. (2004), Architect of Quality: The Autobiography of Dr. Joseph M. Juran (1 ed.), New York City, New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 354–355, ISBN 978-0-07-142610-7, OCLC 52877405
↑ McLellan, Dennis (November 1, 2002), "Nathan Juran, 95; Art Director, Filmmaker", The Los Angeles Times: B12
↑ Westfahl, Gary, Gary Westfahl's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film, retrieved 2008-04-05

External links

Nathan H. Juran at the Internet Movie Database

Films directed by Nathan Juran

v t e Academy Award for Production Design (1941–1960)

1941–1946 Black & White / Color separate	1941 (bw): Richard Day, Nathan H. Juran, Thomas Little / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Urie McCleary, Edwin B. Willis 1942 (bw): Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright, Thomas Little / (c): Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright, Thomas Little 1943 (bw): James Basevi, William S. Darling, Thomas Little / (c): Alexander Golitzen, John B. Goodman, Russell A. Gausman, Ira S. Webb 1944 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, William Ferrari, Paul Huldschinsky, Edwin B. Willis / (c): Wiard Ihnen, Thomas Little 1945 (bw): Wiard Ihnen, A. Roland Fields / (c): Hans Dreier, Ernst Fegté, Samuel M. Comer 1946 (bw): William S. Darling, Lyle R. Wheeler, Thomas Little, Frank E. Hughes / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis

1947–1958 renamed Art Direction - Set Decoration Black & White / Color separate	1947 (bw): John Bryan, Wilfred Shingleton / (c): Alfred Junge 1948 (bw): Roger K. Furse, Carmen Dillon / (c): Hein Heckroth, Arthur Lawson 1949 (bw): Harry Horner, John Meehan, Emile Kuri / (c): Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse, Edwin B. Willis, Jack D. Moore 1950 (bw): Hans Dreier, John Meehan, Samuel M. Comer, Ray Moyer / (c): Hans Dreier, Walter Tyler, Samuel M. Comer, Ray Moyer 1951 (bw): Richard Day, George James Hopkins / (c): Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason 1952 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason /(c): Paul Sheriff, Marcel Vertès 1953 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno, Edwin B. Willis, Hugh Hunt / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox 1954 (bw): Richard Day / (c): John Meehan, Emile Kuri 1955 (bw): Hal Pereira, Tambi Larsen, Samuel M. Comer, Arthur Krams / (c): William Flannery, Jo Mielziner, Robert Priestley 1956 (bw): Cedric Gibbons, Malcolm F. Brown, Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason / (c): Lyle R. Wheeler, John DeCuir, Walter M. Scott, Paul S. Fox

1957–1958	1957: Ted Haworth, Robert Priestley 1958: William A. Horning (posthumous award), E. Preston Ames, Henry Grace, F. Keogh Gleason

1959–1960 Black & White / Color separate	1959 (bw): Lyle R. Wheeler, George Davis, Walter M. Scott, Stuart A. Reiss / (c): William A. Horning (posthumous award), Edward Carfagno, Hugh Hunt 1960 (bw): Alexandre Trauner, Edward G. Boyle /(c): Alexander Golitzen, Eric Orbom (posthumous award), Russell A. Gausman, Julia Heron

Complete list (1927–1940) (1941–1960) (1961–1980) (1981–2000) (2001–2020)

Authority control	VIAF: 19865735 ISNI: 0000 0003 6863 4985 GND: 138361738

Persondata
Name	Juran, Nathan H.
Alternative names
Short description	American film director
Date of birth	September 1, 1907
Place of birth	Gura Humorului
Date of death	October 23, 2002
Place of death	Palos Verdes, California

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