july english film director theatre director actor best remembered classic horror films invisible man whale directed films genres including considered definitive film version musical boat increasingly association horror non horror films fallen obscurity whale born large family area discovered artistic talent early studied art outbreak world war enlisted british_army officer captured germans time prisoner war realized interested drama following release end war actor set designer director success directing play led united_states direct play broadway hollywood direct motion pictures lived hollywood rest life time longtime companion producer apart released hell angels released directed dozen films universal_studios developing style characterized influence german highly mobile camera height career director whale directed road sequel quiet western studio interference possibly spurred political pressure nazi_germany led film altered whale vision road critical commercial failure run similar box office followed final short film film directing career continued direct stage rediscovered love painting travel investments wealthy lived comfortable retirement suffering strokes robbed left pain committed suicide drowning swimming pool whale openly gay career unusual 1920s 1930s knowledge sexual orientation common films bride particular interpreted having gay claimed refusal remain closet led end career associates dismissed notions sexuality informed work cost career early years whale born england sixth seven children william blast sarah nurse attended followed finally attendance stopped teenage years cost labor needed help support family thought physically strong follow brothers local heavy industries whale started work nails recovered replaced selling scrap extra money discovered artistic ability earned additional money lettering signs price neighbors whale additional income pay evening classes crafts world war broke whale little interest politics war realized conscription inevitable enlisted army considered age good candidate officer training whale joined officer training corps october stationed bristol commissioned second lieutenant july taken prisoner war western flanders august held prisoner war camp remained december imprisoned actively involved actor writer producer set designer amateur theatrical productions took place camp finding source great pleasure amusement developed talent poker war fellow prisoners serve nest egg career theatre armistice returned birmingham tried find work cartoonist sold cartoons unable secure permanent position later whale embarked professional stage career actor manager worked actor set designer builder stage director akin stage manager director met considered couple years despite whale living openly gay man couple reportedly engaged engagement whale offered opportunity direct private performances unknown play theatre society mounted private sunday performances plays set day period march trenches saint france gives glimpse experiences officers british_army infantry company world war key conflict captain company commander brother fiancée whale offered barely known initially declined role meeting playwright agreed cast play received transferred london opening january young lead role having accepted offer lead production play tremendous success critics uniform praise audiences sitting stunned silence following conclusion burst whale biographer wrote play managed right time right manner impressions generation men war found impossible words deeds adequately express friends families trenches like weeks journey end transferred ran years success home broadway producer acquired rights mount new_york production british cast headed whale directed version premiered theatre march play ran year cemented reputation greatest play world war early work hollywood success productions brought whale attention film producers coming time motion pictures making transition silent talking producers interested hiring actors directors experience dialogue whale traveled hollywood signed contract paramount_pictures assigned dialogue director film called love doctor whale completed work film days contract allowed time met whale hired independent film producer aviation pioneer planned turn previously silent hughes production hell angels directed dialogue sequences work hughes completed whale headed chicago direct production having purchased film rights british producers agreed whale experience directing london broadway productions play best choice direct film partnered small american studio shoot film new_york reprised role cast filming got underway december wrapped january released great_britain april united_states april sides atlantic film tremendous critical commercial success universal universal_studios signed whale year contract project based broadway play film stars chorus girl world war london prostitute critical popular success time whale lewis began living universal chief offered whale choice property studio owned whale chose universal properties particularly interested wanted war picture novel public domain universal owned filming rights stage adaptation whale cast fiancée elizabeth monster turned unknown actor named shooting began august wrapped october previews held october wide release november instant hit critics public film received glowing reviews shattered box office records united_states earning universal million release whale maiden old dark house maiden little impression credited dark house horror films thought lost years print found filmmaker universal restored whale film kiss mirror critical success box office failure returned horror invisible man shot script approved film blended horror humor visual effects critically acclaimed new_york_times listing best films year broke box office records cities america highly regarded film france restricted number theatres american films play granted special extraordinary artistic merit whale directed romantic comedy gained good reviews modest box office hit directed river adaptation novel film tells story woman desperate escape abusive marriage member british aristocracy whale films approval required universal difficult time securing approval elements sexual implicit husband abusive behavior bride whale project resisted making sequel feared horror director bride episode original novel monster promises leave humanity makes mate mate repelled monster setting wife free live chooses destroy bride film critical box office success having earned million universal lauded finest gothic horror movies bride frequently hailed whale masterpiece success eager whale work daughter sequel universal big horror hit sound era whale wary horror films row concerned directing daughter interfere plans sound version boat previously filmed instead convinced buy rights novel called novel comedy mystery style thin man group friends drunk night murdered remember retitled remember night film whale personal favorites met sharply divided reviews commercial completion remember night whale immediately went work boat whale gathered involved production musical including conductor believed whale wrong director piece version boat adapted original stage production believed definitive film version musical critics unavailable following remake warner remastered version presently offering stamped dvds limited time version available dvd demand basis dvd whale films produced family studio bankrupt lost control head installed junior old job career decline whale career went sharp decline following release film road sequel western universal filmed novel film follow lives young german men returned trenches world war struggles integrate society los_angeles consul nazi_germany learned film production protested arguing film gave distorted picture german people eventually met whale came sent letters members cast threatening participation film lead difficulties obtaining german filming permits associated film low volume business conducted universal germany threats largely hollow pressure stepped german government backed whale original cut film given generally positive reviews preview screenings film general release rogers germans ordering cuts additional scenes shot inserted whale furious altered film banned germany germans successful china greece italy switzerland ban film following road tried contract whale whale refused rogers assigned string movies run contractual obligation whale additional successful feature film man iron mask retiring film industry post film life film career whale found loose end offered occasional job including opportunity direct went away turned lewis production duties worked late hours leaving whale lonely bored lewis bought supply paint whale discovered love painting eventually built large studio outbreak world war whale volunteered services training film united_states_army shot film called army february later year association actress created players took seat theatre seats provided free charge service personnel remaining sold public box office proceeds donated wartime charities group expanded summer series shows ran october whale returned broadway direct psychological thriller hand glove return broadway failed hand glove fare better earlier play running number performances whale directed final film short subject based act play hello film financed supermarket heir story man texas jail falsely accused rape woman jail intended short anthology film lines quartet attempts find appropriate short fiction companion pieces adapt unsuccessful hello commercially released whale professional engagement directing pagan new_england sisters visited father years earlier married production mounted weeks plans new_york whale suggested taking play london opening play england whale decided tour art museums europe france renewed met visiting paris went gay bars met year old named believed year old whale younger man hired provincial tour pagan began september appeared play hit starring play drinking heavily began engaging bizarre antics disrupting performances run play contract replaced producers forced close whale returned california november advised planned bring early following year appalled lewis moved home ended year romantic relationship men remained friends lewis bought small house dug swimming pool prompting whale pool dug swim began throwing male swim parties watch young men pool moved whale early remained months returning france returned permanently whale installed manager gas station owned whale settled quiet routine spring whale suffered small stroke months later suffered larger stroke hospitalized hospital treated depression shock treatments release whale hired male nurses hospital personal live nurse jealous nurse house hired female nurse non live replacement whale suffered mood swings grew increasingly dependent mental diminishing death whale committed suicide drowning swimming pool age left suicide note lewis withheld shortly death decades later note suppressed death initially ruled accidental note read love nerves shot year day night sleep sleeping pills peace day pills wonderful life nerves worse afraid away forgive love god forgive bear best way future old age illness pain goodbye thank love peace way whale cremated request ashes interred lawn memorial park habit periodically date birth niche lists incorrect date longtime companion died whale biographer ashes interred niche whale sexual orientation lived openly homosexual man career british theatre hollywood virtually 1920s 1930s lived couple way homosexuality conceal filmmaker friend whale sense screaming coming yes openly homosexual sophisticated person knew knew gay suggestions whale career terminated whale supposedly dubbed queen hollywood states thing far perceive knowledge sexuality common beginning 1970s film historians gay studies scholars detected homosexual themes whale work particularly number creative people associated cast including alleged gay bisexual scholars identified gay sensibility film especially camp sensibility particularly embodied character relationship gay film historian considering stops short identifying character gay instead referring hollywood code homosexual serves gay figure going far pull away bride wedding night engage unnatural act non life film published england clear having let obey biblical injunction course choice natural means afraid course open scientific way russo goes far suggest whale homosexuality expressed bride vision films monster figure way gay people things happened monster affections male female bride discusses identical language friend read sexually unsettled bisexual writes gender studies author innate understanding male female bond forge bride assumed primary carries different sexual relationships relationships easily friendships marriages relationship interpreted sex marriage society tolerate mistake marriage viable writes cultural critic whale reminds quickly society approve monster outsider driven scene domestic pleasure gun happen startling alliance quickly proceed destroy creation bride scene called whale reminder audience hollywood bosses peers watching majesty power homosexual creator dismisses younger critic evaluation artists work comes unconscious mind later analyze symbolism mean artists don think way bet life concepts mind specifically response majesty power reading states opinion pure critical interpretation original inspiration concludes think closest come homosexual metaphor films identify certain sort camp humor whale companion stated whale sexual orientation filmmaking jimmy foremost artist films represent work artist gay artist artist whale biographer curtis rejects notion whale identified monster homosexual perspective stating highly class conscious whale felt figure based sexuality origin lower classes film style whale heavily influenced german particular admirer films combining elements gothic horror comedy influence evident influence evidence drawn work films came world cabinet whale reportedly screened repeatedly preparing shoot roughly distorted shots conventional styles character serving bridge everyday spaces influence evident acting design monster whale makeup artist influenced school design influence lasted whale career whale final film hello praised pattern light shade piece fully blown filmmaking midst neo realism whale known use camera movement credited director use degree shot feature film included whale similar technique sequence boat camera tracked sang song sequence uses illustrating lyrics singled praise series shots introduce monster thrill watching successive views whale mobile camera allows figure shots starting medium shot culminating close ups monster face repeated whale introduce griffin invisible man abusive husband river modified single cut whale uses technique road signal instability returning world war veteran legacy influential film critic ranking directors lists whale lightly likable noting whale reputation cult cites bride true gem series concludes whale career reflects stylistic ambitions dramatic studio controlled hollywood whale final months subject novel father novel focuses relationship whale fictional named father served basis film gods monsters whale nominated academy_award portrayal whale novel adapted play premiered london february whale films received sort oscar recognition man iron mask musical score bride sound recording film actually won fact whale film won oscar memorial statue erected whale grounds new cinema home town statue depicts roll film face monster engraved frames names famous films cast concrete base shape film horror hollywood james whale story retrospective whale artwork opened october scheduled run january filmography
James Whale