[Deathwatch] John Frankenheimer, Film Director, 72

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Director John Frankenheimer dies at age 72
July 6, 2002 Posted: 6:46 PM EDT (2246 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/06/frankenheimer.obit/index.h
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LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- John Frankenheimer, a legendary director of movies
and television, died Saturday after suffering a massive stroke due to
complications following spinal surgery, his business manager said. 

He was 72 and died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, his
manager, Patti Person, said. 

The four-time Emmy Award winner made 29 films, including many now
considered classics -- "Birdman of Alcatraz" and "The Manchurian
Candidate" among them. 

The New York native studied theater at Williams College and first
delved into moviemaking in the Air Force, where he directed
documentaries while stationed in Burbank, California. 

In 1953, he persuaded CBS to hire him as an assistant director. At the
network, Frankenheimer started out directing weather and news shows but
quickly moved on to more highly produced programs, including "Person to
Person," "See It Now," "Danger" and "You Are There." 

In an interview with CNN in 2000, Frankenheimer said his first film --
1957's "The Young Stranger" -- persuaded him that he didn't want to
work in that medium. But he had no choice as live television took a
back seat to pre-recorded shows. 

"I became kind of like the village blacksmith after the invention of
the automobile," Frankenheimer said. "There just was nowhere to go.
Obviously, the next thing for me was directing movies." 

In 1961, he released "The Young Savages," which starred Burt Lancaster
and launched his career as a director. In the film, Frankenheimer
recruited teen gang members to act in a story about East Harlem life.
"Birdman of Alcatraz" followed, establishing him as a top filmmaker. 

Frankenheimer built his reputation with such films as 1962's "The
Manchurian Candidate, about a Cold War assassination plot; "Seven Days
in May," in 1964, which featured Lancaster as a general plotting to
overthrow the U.S. government; "Black Sunday," a 1977 film about a
terrorist attack on the Super Bowl; and his last theatrical release,
2000's "Reindeer Games," about a casino heist. 

In recent years, Frankenheimer directed several made-for-television
historical dramas. His 1997 film "George Wallace," which starred Gary
Sinise as the former Alabama governor, won three Emmy awards, including
one for Frankenheimer's direction. His latest film, "Path to War," was
shown on HBO in May. 

This fall, he was to have been inducted into the Television Hall of
Fame, one of the few directors to be so honored. 

Frankenheimer is survived by his wife of 41 years, Evans; two
daughters, Elise Riggs and Kristi Frankenheimer; a grandson, Dylan
Frankenheimer; a sister, Jean Hieber; and a brother, Richard
Frankenheimer.