Quick Facts
Biography
Jacques Tourneur (French: [turʁœʁ]; November 12, 1904 – December 19, 1977) was a French film director known for the classic film noir Out of the Past and a series of low-budget horror films he made for RKO Studios, including Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie and The Leopard Man. He is also known for directing Night of the Demon, that was released by Columbia Pictures.
Life
Born in Paris, France, Tourneur was the son of film director Maurice Tourneur. At age 10, Jacques moved to the United States with his father. He started a career in cinema while still attending high school as an extra and later as a script clerk in various silent films. Both Maurice and Jacques returned to France after his father worked on the film The Mysterious Island in 1925. Tourneur died in 1977 in Bergerac, Dordogne, France.
Career
Tourneur began work as an editor and assistant director. He made his debut as a director on French short film Tout ca ne vaut pas l'amour in 1931.
Tourneur went back to Hollywood in 1934 where he had a contract with MGM Studios. While working as the second unit director on the film A Tale of Two Cities he met film producer Val Lewton. 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 for RKO Studios including Cat People and I Walked with a Zombie. Cat People was considered to be a B movie and didn't have a very big budget, yet the style of lighting and cinematography gave it an edge that has been imitated countless times. Tourneur was promoted to the A-list at RKO, directing films including Out of the Past and Berlin Express. In the 1950s, Tourneur became a freelance director, filming various genre films including The Flame and the Arrow, Stars In My Crown and Night of the Demon. His last films both starred Vincent Price, with The Comedy of Terrors (1963) and War-Gods of the Deep (1965) for American International Pictures.
After his final days working for film, Tourneur began directing television episodes. Tourneur filmed episodes of The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Bonanza, The Twilight Zone 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
Short films
- 1931 – Tout ça ne vaut pas l'amour (French)
- 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
Feature films
- 1933 – Toto (French)
- 1933 – Pour être aimé (French)
- 1934 – Les Filles de la concierge (French)
- 1938 – They All Come Out
- 1939 – Nick Carter, Master Detective
- 1940 – Phantom Raiders
- 1941 – Doctors Don't Tell
- 1942 – Cat People
- 1943 – I Walked with a Zombie
- 1943 – The Leopard Man
- 1944 – Days of Glory
- 1944 – Experiment Perilous
- 1946 – Canyon Passage
- 1947 – Out of the Past
- 1948 – Berlin Express
- 1949 – Easy Living
- 1950 – Stars In My Crown
- 1950 – The Flame and the Arrow
- 1951 – Circle of Danger
- 1951 – Anne of the Indies
- 1952 – Way of a Gaucho
- 1953 – Appointment in Honduras
- 1955 – Stranger on Horseback
- 1955 – Wichita
- 1956 – Great Day in the Morning
- 1957 – Nightfall
- 1957 – Night of the Demon
- 1958 – The Fearmakers
- 1959 – Timbuktu
- 1959 – Frontier Rangers
- 1959 – Giant of Marathon
- 1964 – The Comedy of Terrors
- 1965 – War-Gods of the Deep
Editor
- 1930 – Accused, Stand Up!
- 1931 – Maison de danses
- 1931 – Departure
- 1932 – In the Name of the Law
- 1932 – Fun in the Barracks
- 1933 – Rothschild
- 1933 – La Fusée
- 1933 – Le Voleur