Tadeusz Zbigniew Danielewski (March 29, 1921 – January 6, 1993) was a Polish-American filmmaker. The co-founder of Stratton Productions, he was known for directing '' The Big Wave'' (1961), ''

No Exit ''No Exit'' (, ) is a 1944 existentialist French play by Jean-Paul Sartre. The play was first performed at the Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier in May 1944. The play centers around a depiction of the afterlife in which three deceased characters a ...

'' (1962), and ''

The Guide ''The Guide'' is a 1958 novel written in English by the Indian author R. K. Narayan. Like most of his works, the events of this novel take place in Malgudi, a fictional town in South India. The novel describes the transformation of the prota ...

'' (1965). His children include author Mark Z. Danielewski and singer Poe.

Early life

Born as Tadeusz Zbigniew Danielewski in

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...

, Poland, he served in the

Polish Underground The Polish Underground State (, also known as the Polish Secret State) was a single political and military entity formed by the union of resistance organizations in occupied Poland that were loyal to the Government of the Republic of Poland ...

during World War II but was captured and interred in a Nazi work camp until rescued by Patton's forces. He and his wife, actress Sylvia Daneel (née Sylwia Jadwiga Łakomska), emigrated to the United States in 1948. They formalized their union in the United States with a civil ceremony in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

on June 9, 1950, and shortly after began studying at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...

. They were naturalized as United States citizens on April 19, 1954 through a Special Act of Congress. The couple later divorced.

Career

After the war, he studied at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

in London and started the Professional Actors Workshop in New York City, whose students included

Martin Sheen Ramón Gerard Antonio Estévez (born August 3, 1940), known professionally as Martin Sheen, is an American actor. His work spans over six decades of television and film, and his accolades include three Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and ...

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

, and

Mercedes Ruehl Mercedes J. Ruehl ( ; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award. Ruehl won the Academy Award f ...

. He was president of Stratton Productions, Inc. (NYC), a firm engaged in stage, film and TV productions. He worked at NBC as a studio supervisor and helped develop a new method for directing TV programs. In 1983, he provided the Polish translation of "Sweet Georgia Brown" for

Mel Brooks Melvin James Brooks (né Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and songwriter. With a career spanning over seven decades, he is known as a writer and director of a variety of successful broad farces and parodie ...

's 1983 adaptation of ''

To Be or Not to Be "To be, or not to be" is a speech given by Prince Hamlet in the so-called "nunnery scene" of William Shakespeare's play ''Hamlet'' (Act 3, Scene 1). The speech is named for the opening phrase, itself among the most widely known and quoted lines ...

''. He worked at the Brigham Young University Department of Theatre and Cinematic Arts from 1975–89. He moved to head up the USC drama department in Los Angeles until his death in 1993.

Personal life

Danielewski was married three times: first to actress Sylvia Daneel (née Sylvia Jadwiga Łakomska; born June 20, 1927), with whom he had a son, Christopher Danielewski; second to Priscilla Decatur Machold (later Mrs. Loeb), with whom he had two children: the novelist Mark Z. Danielewski, of ''

House of Leaves ''House of Leaves'' is the debut novel by American author Mark Z. Danielewski, published in March 2000 by Pantheon Books. A bestseller, it has been translated into a number of languages, and is followed by a companion piece, '' The Whalestoe ...

'' fame, and the musician Poe (Anne Danielewski); third to Lillian Danielewski–that union was childless and ended with Tad Danielewski's death.

Death

Danielewski died of cancer in 1993 in Los Angeles, California, aged 71. He was survived by his widow, Lillian, as well as his former wives, and his three children from his first two marriages.

Filmography

*1961: '' The Big Wave'' *1962: ''

'' *1965: ''

Guide A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom. Travel and recreation Exp ...

'' *1972: ''

España puerta abierta Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

External links

*
Tad Danielewski
at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...

'
Actors Studio audio collection
accessed August 11, 2014

January 13, 1993

January 13, 1993

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danielewski, Tad 1921 births 1993 deaths Actors Studio alumni Brigham Young University faculty Deaths from cancer in California Film directors from Los Angeles People from Radom Polish emigrants to the United States Polish film directors University of Iowa alumni