John Frankenheimer Quotes

United States, Film Director
February 19, 1930 – July, 6, 2002.

John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American film and television director known for social dramas and action/suspense films. Among his credits were Birdman of Alcatraz (1962), The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Seven Days in May (1964), The Train (1964), Seconds (1966), Grand Prix (1966), French Connection II (1975), Black Sunday (1977), and Ronin (1998).

Also known as Television Director

The first thing I can really tell you is I really love the work.

John Frankenheimer
- Work
To do that I try and keep myself in pretty good shape physically and I try to lead my life in such a way that I'll be able to be as strong at the end of the movie as I am in the beginning.

John Frankenheimer
- Life
- Good
- Movie

I look at actors very closely. It's not an accident when the actors excel.

John Frankenheimer
And in Hollywood, you know, everyone is an expert. Most of them are expert editors. They can't direct, they can't write, they can't act, but, by God, they all think they can edit.

John Frankenheimer
- God
Historically the director has been the key creative element in a film and we must maintain that. We must protect that, in spite of the fact that there is new technology that's continually trying to erode that.

John Frankenheimer
- Trying
- Technology
If you cast the picture correctly, you have a whole lot of leeway. You can make mistakes in other aspects but pull it off with the right actors.

John Frankenheimer
- Picture
The first thing is that we're being attacked by both the Writers Guild and the Producers Guild. Both of these groups are trying to diminish the importance and strength of the director. They're trying to do it through both frontal and side attacks.

John Frankenheimer
- Trying
You have to really work with someone who you think is going to be a collaborator, who you think understands what you want to do with this movie and how you want to do it.

John Frankenheimer
- Work
- Movie

One of the first lessons you learn as an actor is to listen.

John Frankenheimer