Denis Sanders (January 21, 1929 – December 10, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He was the brother of

Terry Sanders Terry Sanders (born December 20, 1931) is an American filmmaker having produced and/or directed more than 70 dramatic features, televisions specials, documentaries and portrait films. Career Sanders co-heads the American Film Foundation and ...

Biography

He was born in New York City, the son of sculptor and designer

Altina Schinasi Altina Schinasi (August 4, 1907 – August 19, 1999) was an American sculptor, filmmaker, actress, entrepreneur, window dresser, designer, and inventor. She was known for designing what she called the "Harlequin eyeglass frame", popularly known ...

. He died from a heart attack in

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, where he was professor and film maker in residence at

San Diego State University San Diego State University (SDSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CS ...

. His daughter, Victoria Sanders, is a literary agent and film producer.

Career

He acted as a dialogue director of '' Night of the Hunter'', where his brother filmed the night scenes. He directed the debut performances of

Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has received numerous accolades such as an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, the ...

and Tom Skerritt in the 1962 film '' War Hunt''. He won two

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

, the first for Best Short Subject in 1955 for '' A Time Out of War'' that had served as his master's degree thesis at

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...

and which he co-scripted with his brother

; and the second for Best Documentary in 1970 for ''

Czechoslovakia 1968 ''Czechoslovakia 1968'' (also known as ''Czechoslovakia 1918-1968'') is a 1969 short documentary film about the "Prague Spring", the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. The film was produced by the United States Information Agency (USIA) und ...

''. In 1958, he teamed up again with Terry Sanders to adapt

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American writer, journalist and filmmaker. In a career spanning more than six decades, Mailer had 11 best-selling books, at least ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

novel '' The Naked and the Dead''.

Selected filmography

* '' A Time Out of War'' (1954) (with

) * '' The Naked and the Dead'' (1958, screen adaptation, with Terry Sanders) * '' Crime and Punishment U.S.A.'' (1959) * '' War Hunt'' (1962) * ''

One Man's Way ''One Man's Way'' is a 1963 American drama film directed by Denis Sanders and written by John W. Bloch and Eleanore Griffin. The film stars Don Murray as the preacher and author Norman Vincent Peale. The cast also includes Diana Hyland, Willi ...

'' (1963) * '' Shock Treatment'' (1964) * ''

'' (1969) (with Robert M. Fresco) * '' Elvis: That's the Way It Is'' (1970) * '' The American West of John Ford'' (1971) TV documentary * ''Trial – The City and County of Denver vs. Lauren S. Watson'' (1971) * '' Soul to Soul'' (1971) * ''

Invasion of the Bee Girls An invasion is a military offensive of combatants of one geopolitical entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory controlled by another similar entity, often involving acts of aggression. Generally, invasions have objectives of c ...

'' (1973)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sanders, Denis 1929 births 1987 deaths American male screenwriters Film producers from California Film directors from New York City Film producers from New York (state) San Diego State University faculty 20th-century American businesspeople Screenwriters from California Screenwriters from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters UCLA Film School alumni