STEVEN SPIELBERG

STEVEN SPIELBERG - DIRECTOR OF THE FILM SCHINDLER'S LIST

Steven Spielberg is the most commercially successful filmmaker in history of Hollywood. He was born on December 18, 1946, in Cincinnati, OH and raised in the suburbs of Haddonfield, NJ and Scottsdale, AZ. He has been interested in movies since his childhood. Spielberg directed his first short movies still as a child. He won his first prize for a 40-minute war movie Escape to Nowhere at age of 13. While he was studying film and English at California State University in Long Beach he was recognized for his 24 minute long movie Amblin. Because of this movie he became the youngest director ever to be signed to a long-term deal with a major Hollywood studio (Universal). Then Spielberg signed 7-year contract for the Television division. His first famous film was Jaws in 1975. Two years later he directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) which received an academy nomination for best director (Filmmakers).

Spielberg's first attempt to comedy called 1941 (1979) turned out to be failure. He wasn't discouraged by this disappointment and together with his friend George Lucas adapted an action adventure picture based on serials they both watched as kids called Raiders of the Lost Arc (1981). Spielberg's next film E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982) became the biggest domestic moneymaker of all time. This film was produced by Amblin Entertainment (named after his first recognized commercial movie). This production company became an icon and formed business connections with studios like Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Brothers. With the Amblin name representing them, many new films such as Gremlins (1984) Back to Future (1985), Jurassic Park (1993), Schindler's List (1994) Twister (1996), and Saving Private Ryan (1998) became immediate successes (Filmmakers).

In 1985 Spielberg was criticized that he couldn't make a picture with adult content. He answered with the film The Color Purple, which received 11 Oscar nominations. His movie Amistad (1997) was released at the same time as the blockbuster Titanic which commercially overshadowed Spielberg's work (Spielberg's Biography).

Steven Spielberg believes that most of his success and happines to his wife and children. His wife Cate Capshaw (who acted in his movie Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in 1984) and him have total seven children (Spielberg's Biography).

Spielberg has written, acted in, directed, and produced many award winning, best recognized movies of all time. Roger Ebert (Sun-Times film critic) said: "If Spielberg never directed another film, his place in movie history would be secure. No other director has been more successful at the box office and few placed more titles on various lists of great films. No director or producer has ever put together a more popular body of work" (Filmmakers).

Steven Spielberg's Official Site

Steven Spielberg - Director of the film Schindler's List
URL of this page is: http://www.cocc.edu/wr316ca/janv/Termprojsspielberg.htm

This page was last updated: 10-07-2003

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