Jacques Tourneur (; ; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French-American filmmaker, active during the

Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome, Stroud#Golden Val ...

. He was known as an

auteur An (; , ) is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded and personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, thus manifesting the director's unique style or thematic ...

of stylish and atmospheric genre films, many of them for

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

, including the

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

s '' Cat People'', ''

I Walked with a Zombie ''I Walked with a Zombie'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Pictures. It stars James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway, and follows a Canadian nurse who travels to care for th ...

'', and '' The Leopard Man'', and the classic

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

Out of the Past ''Out of the Past'' (billed in the United Kingdom as ''Build My Gallows High'') is a 1947 American film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Geoffrey Homes (Daniel ...

''. He is also known for directing '' Night of the Demon'', which was released by

Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., Trade name, doing business as Columbia Pictures, is an American film Production company, production and Film distributor, distribution company that is the flagship unit of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group ...

Life

Born in

Paris, France Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, Tourneur was the son of Fernande Petit and

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

Maurice Tourneur Maurice Félix Thomas (; 2 February 1876 – 4 August 1961), known as Maurice Tourneur (), was a French film director and screenwriter. Life Born Maurice Félix Thomas in the Épinettes district (17th arrondissement of Paris), his father was a w ...

.Earnshaw 2004, p. 102. At age 10, Jacques moved to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

with his father. He started a career in cinema while still attending

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

as an extra and later as a script clerk in various

silent films A silent film is a film without synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, wh ...

. Both Maurice and Jacques returned to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

after his father worked on the film '' The Mysterious Island'' in 1925. Tourneur died in 1977, aged 73, in Bergerac,

Dordogne Dordogne ( , or ; ; ) is a large rural departments of France, department in south west France, with its Prefectures in France, prefecture in Périgueux. Located in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region roughly half-way between the Loire Valley and ...

, France.

Career

Tourneur began work as an

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, organization, a ...

and

assistant director The role of an assistant director (AD) on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have ...

. He made his debut as a director on the French film ' in 1931. In 1934, Tourneur went to Hollywood, where he had a contract with MGM Studios. While working as the

second unit director A second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming s ...

on the film ''

A Tale of Two Cities ''A Tale of Two Cities'' is a historical novel published in 1859 by English author Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long impr ...

'' he met film producer

Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer, and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pai ...

. Tourneur made his feature debut as director in the 1939 film '' They All Come Out''. After Tourneur was dropped by MGM in 1941, he was picked up by Lewton to film several acclaimed low-budget

horror films Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

for RKO Studios including '' Cat People'' and ''

''. ''Cat People'', his first commercial success, although considered a B movie and made on a limited budget, was distinguished by a style of lighting and cinematography that has been imitated countless times. Tourneur was promoted to the A-list at RKO, directing films including ''

'' and '' Berlin Express''. In the 1950s, Tourneur became a freelance director, filming various genre films including '' Wichita'', '' Anne of the Indies'', '' Way of a Gaucho'', '' Nightfall'', '' The Flame and the Arrow'', '' Stars In My Crown'' and '' Night of the Demon''. His last two films, made for

American International Pictures American International Pictures, LLC (AIP or American International Productions) is an American film production company owned by Amazon MGM Studios. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution c ...

and starring Vincent Price, were ''

The Comedy of Terrors ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' (1963) and '' War-Gods of the Deep'' (1965). After his final days working for film, Tourneur began directing television episodes. Tourneur filmed episodes of '' The Barbara Stanwyck Show'', ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'', ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology series, anthology television series created by Rod Serling in which characters find themselves dealing with often disturbing or unusual events, an experience described ...

'', and '' The Alaskans''. Tourneur's final director credit was for an episode of '' T.H.E. Cat'' in 1966. Tourneur then retired and returned to France.

Filmography

Director

Feature films * '' All That's Not Worth Love'' (1931, French) * '' Toto'' (1933, French) * '' To Be Loved'' (1933, French) * '' The Concierge's Daughters'' (1934, French) * '' They All Come Out'' (1939) * '' Nick Carter, Master Detective'' (1939) * '' Phantom Raiders'' (1940) *'' Doctors Don't Tell'' (1941) * '' Cat People'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * '' The Leopard Man'' (1943) * '' Days of Glory'' (1944) * '' Experiment Perilous'' (1944) * '' Canyon Passage'' (1946) * ''

'' (1947) * '' Berlin Express'' (1948) * '' Easy Living'' (1949) *'' Stars In My Crown'' (1950) * '' The Flame and the Arrow'' (1950) * ''

Circle of Danger ''Circle of Danger'' (also known as ''White Heather'') is a 1951 British thriller film directed by Jacques Tourneur starring Ray Milland, Patricia Roc, Marius Goring, Hugh Sinclair and Naunton Wayne. The screenplay was by Philip MacDonald ...

'' (1951) * '' Anne of the Indies'' (1951) * '' Way of a Gaucho'' (1952) * '' Appointment in Honduras'' (1953) * '' Stranger on Horseback'' (1955) * '' Wichita'' (1955) *'' Great Day in the Morning'' (1956) * '' Nightfall'' (1956) *'' Night of the Demon'' (1957) * '' The Fearmakers'' (1958) * ''

Timbuktu Timbuktu ( ; ; Koyra Chiini: ; ) is an ancient city in Mali, situated north of the Niger River. It is the capital of the Tombouctou Region, one of the eight administrative regions of Mali, having a population of 32,460 in the 2018 census. ...

'' (1959) * '' Frontier Rangers'' (1959) * '' Giant of Marathon'' (1959) * ''

'' (1964) * '' War-Gods of the Deep'' (1965) Short films *1936 – ''The Jonker Diamond'' *1936 – ''Harnessed Rhythm'' *1936 – ''Master Will Shakespeare'' *1936 – ''Killer Dog'' *1937 – ''The Grand Bounce'' *1937 – ''The Boss Didn't Say Good Morning'' *1937 – ''The King Without a Crown'' *1937 – ''The Rainbow Pass'' *1937 – '' Romance of Radium'' *1937 – ''The Man in the Barn'' *1937 – ''What Do You Think?'' *1938 – ''What Do You Think? (Number Three)'' *1938 – ''The Ship That Died'' *1938 – ''The Face Behind the Mask'' *1938 – ''What Do You Think?: Tupapaoo'' *1938 – ''Strange Glory'' *1938 – ''Think It Over'' *1939 – ''Yankee Doodle Goes to Town'' *1942 – ''The Incredible Stranger'' *1942 – ''The Magic Alphabet'' *1944 – '' Reward Unlimited''

TV

* 1955-1961 : General Electric Theater, 4 episodes ** 1955 : ''The Martyr'' ** 1955 : ''Into the Night'' ** 1960 : ''Aftermath'' ** 1961 : ''Star Witness: The Lili Parrish Story'' * 1956 : The Jane Wyman Show, 3 episodes ** 1956 : ''The Liberator'' ** 1956 : ''Kristi'' ** 1956 : ''The Mirror'' * 1957 :

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars ''Schlitz Playhouse of Stars'' is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was sponsored by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company. The title was shortened to ''Schlitz Playh ...

, 1 episode ** 1957 : ''Outlaw's Boots'' * 1957 : The Walter Winchell File, 3 episodes ** 1957 : ''The Steep Hill'' ** 1958 : ''House on Biscayne Bay'' ** 1958 : ''The Stopover'' * 1958 : ''Cool and Lam'', CBS Productions * 1958 :

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea lane between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, near the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Arctic Archipelago of Canada. The eastern route along the Arctic ...

, 8 episodes ** 1958 : ''The Gunsmith'' ** 1958 : ''The Burning Village'' ** 1958 : ''The Bond Women'' ** 1959 : ''The Break Out'' ** 1959 : ''The Vulture'' ** 1959 : ''The Traitor'' ** 1959 : ''The Assassin'' ** 1959 : ''The Hostage'' * 1959 :

, 1 episode ** 1960 : ''Denver McKee'' * 1959 : The Alaskans, 1 episode ** 1960 : ''The Devil Makers'' * 1960 : The Barbara Stanwyck Show, 11 episodes ** 1960 : ''The Mink Coat'' ** 1960 : ''Ironbark's Bridge'' ** 1960 : ''The Miraculous Journey of Tadpole Chan'' ** 1961 : ''Frightened Doll'' ** 1961 : ''The Choice'' ** 1961 : ''Sign of the Zodiac'' ** 1961 : ''Adventure on Happiness Street'' ** 1961 : ''The Golden Acres'' ** 1961 : ''Confession'' ** 1961 : ''Dragon by the Tail'' ** 1961 : ''Dear Charlie'' * 1962 : Adventures in Paradise, 1 episode ** 1962 : ''A Bride for the Captain'' * 1962 : Follow the Sun, 1 episode **''Sergeant Kolchak Fades Away'' * 1963 :

, 1 episode ** 1963 : '' Night Call'' * 1966 : T.H.E. Cat, 1 episode ** 1966 : ''The Ring of Anasis''

Assistant director or editor

* 1929 : ''Le Navire des hommes perdus'' (''Das schiff der verlorenen menschen''), directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1930 : ''Accusée, Levez vous,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1931 : ''Maison de danses,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1931 : ''Partir'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1932 : ''Au nom de la Loi'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1932 : ''Les Gaités de l'escadron,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1933 : ''Les Deux Orphelines,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1993 : ''Lidoire,'' directed by Maurice Tourneur. * 1933 : ''Obsession'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (uncredited) * 1933 : ''La Fusée,'' directed by Jacques Natanson (Editor) * 1933 : ''Le Voleur'', directed by Maurice Tourneur * 1934 : '' Rothchild'', directed by Maurice Tourneur (Editor) * 1935 : ''A Tale of Two Cities,'' directed by Jack Conway, war sequences, (séquence de la prise de la Bastille).

Posterity

'' La Mort en direct'', a 1980 film by

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...

, is dedicated to the deceased film director Jacques Tourneur. "There are films that watch us grow old." Statement by Serge Daney quoted by Serge Le Péron in ''Jacques Tourneur Le Médium'', a film by Alain Mazars, 2015. By naming the main character Jessica Holland in his film ''

Memoria Memoria was the term for aspects involving memory in Western classical rhetoric. The word is Latin, and can be translated as "memory". It was one of five canons in classical rhetoric (the others being inventio, dispositio, elocutio, and pronun ...

'' (2021), Apichatpong Weerasethakul pays tribute to Jacques Tourneur's film ''I Walked with a Zombie''.

References

Bibliography * * * ''Jacques Tourneur, The Cinema of Nightfall,'' Chris Fujiwara, The Johns Hopkins University press 2007.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tourneur, Jacques 1904 births 1977 deaths Film directors from Paris French emigrants to the United States French horror film directors