Nickname:	David Lean / Sir David Lean /
Known for:	Lawrence of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, A Passage to India
Birthday:	25 March 1908, Croydon, Surrey, England, UK
Height:	6' 2" (1.88 m)

Director's Trademark: Trains/locomotives playing a significant role in the film's plot (e.g., Brief Encounter, River Kwai, Summertime, Zhivago, etc.) He was honoured with the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award in 1990. Was right in final pre-production for the filming of "Nostromo" (based on the Joseph Conrad novel) when he died. According to Richard Schickel, Lean was so wounded by Pauline Kael and other critic's vicious attack on "Ryan's Daughter" (1970) that it kept him from directing another picture for 14 years, until "A Passage to India" (1984). His third wife was previously married to his first cousin, Nigel Tangye . His first wife was his first cousin, Isabel Lean (b. 1908). Originally wanted to direct "Empire of the Sun" (1987), but passed it onto Steven Spielberg, because of advancing years. He was married 6 times and at all times briefly, apparently having been unable to maintain a marriage due to his wandering eye. He also declined to discuss his personal life. Was voted the 34th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly. Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890- 1945". Pages 633-639. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987. Towards the end of his life, he said he'd like to have another go at filming Boris Pasternak's "Doctor Zhivago." The prerequisite for remaking the film would be the casting of Julie Christie once again as Lara, and since she was too old for the part, he wouldn't be able to do it. Directed 11 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Celia Johnson, Katharine Hepburn, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, John Mills, Sarah Miles, Peggy Ashcroft and Judy Davis. Guiness, Mills and Ashcroft won for their performances in one of Lean's movies. Lean was signed to direct several major stars including Marlon Brando, Dennis Quaid and Paul Scofield in a film version of Joseph Conrad's "Nostromo" when he was diagnosed with throat cancer, and died three months later. Consequently the film was never made. Actor Peter O'Toole based his performance in The Stunt Man on him In his home town of Croydon, South London, there is a cinema named after him in the Croydon Clocktower Arts Centre. Once screened Lawrence of Arabia (1962) with Steven Spielberg. Lean gave Spielberg a "live director's commentary," (as Spielberg put it). Spielberg said it was one of the best moments of his life, learning from a true master. Consequently, Spielberg stated that it helped him make better pictures, and that commentary directly influenced every movie he has made since. According to Sarah Miles, Lean enjoyed pushing his actors to their personal limits and then breaking their limits of endurance, just for his own amusement.

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