Frank Capra

For his son, the American film and television producer, see Frank Capra Jr. For the American actor, see Francis Capra.

Frank Capra
Capra, c. 1930s
Born
Francesco Rosario Capra

(1897-05-18)May 18, 1897
Bisacquino, Sicily, Italy
DiedSeptember 3, 1991(1991-09-03) (aged 94)
La Quinta, California, U.S.
Burial placeCoachella Valley Public Cemetery
Other namesFrank Russell Capra
Citizenship
  • Italy (until 1920)
  • United States (from 1920)
Alma materCalifornia Institute of Technology
Occupations
  • Film director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
Years active1922–1964
TitlePresident of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 1935–1939
Political partyRepublican[1]
Spouses
Helen Howell
​
​
(m. 1923; div. 1928)​
Lucille Warner
​
​
(m. 1932; died 1984)​
Children4, including Frank Jr.
Military career
AllegianceUnited States
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1918
1941–1945[2]
RankColonel
UnitArmy Signal Corps[3][4]
Battles / warsWorld War I
World War II
AwardsDistinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit
World War I Victory Medal
American Defense Service Medal
American Campaign Medal
World War II Victory Medal

Frank Russell Capra (born Francesco Rosario Capra; May 18, 1897 – September 3, 1991) was an Italian-American film director, producer, and screenwriter who was the creative force behind several major award-winning films of the 1930s and 1940s. Born in Italy and raised in Los Angeles from the age of five, his rags-to-riches story has led film historians such as Ian Freer to consider him the "American Dream personified".[5]

Capra became one of America's most influential directors during the 1930s, winning three Academy Awards for Best Director from six nominations, along with three other Oscar wins from nine nominations in other categories. Among his leading films were It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), You Can't Take It with You (1938), and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939). During World War II, Capra served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps and produced propaganda films, such as the Why We Fight series.[3][4]

After World War II, Capra's career declined as his later films, such as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), performed poorly when they were first released.[6] Beginning in 1950, his cinematic output slowed, and he retired from filmmaking in the mid-1960s. In the ensuing decades, however, It's a Wonderful Life and other Capra films were revisited favorably by critics. Outside of directing, Capra was active in the film industry, engaging in various political and social activities. He served as President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked alongside the Writers Guild of America, and was head of the Directors Guild of America.

  1. ^ Wilson 2013, p. 266.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference weserved was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b The War Years; From Pearl Harbor to Dachau, many of Hollywood's top directors volunteered their creative talents to help win World War II. Their films from the front left a lasting document of the often brutal fight for freedom. Directors Guild of America. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Frank Capra - Colonel, U.S. Army Signal Corps, WWII Fort Gordon Historical Museum Society via Issuu. Retrieved June 21, 2021.
  5. ^ Freer 2009, pp. 40–41.
  6. ^ Poague 2004, p. viii.