elia kazan the american immigrant and director

Elia Kazan, the American immigrant and director
Elia Kazan, his Turkish name "Kazanjoglous," was born in Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey
to Greek parents. At the age of four he moved with his family to the United States and settled in
New York City. Elia Kazan attended formal education at Williams College in Massachusetts; he
later studied at prestigious Yale University's Drama school. Kazan was known of "Gadget" later
on his life due to the fact, as he says it, "I am short, compact and eccentric like a gadget."
<Tab/>Kazan acted in a few films; however, his real talent was shown in his ability to direct.
He began his career as an actor and stage manager for New York's Group Theatre Company (a
strong leftist organization), which was just recently established. His involvement in the group led
him to join the "American Communist Party" in 1934. He was only involved with the Communist
Party for a short time; however, he was quickly recognized as a potential communist by the
"House of Un-American Activities Committee," a group that was investigating the motion picture
industry because of growing concern of communists working in the industry. A blacklist of names
was being circulated, and those on the list could be in serious trouble and be denied to work in the
film industry again. The committee called people to "rat out" others, many refused, however; Elia
Kazan gave the committee the names of eight communists of the same party he was, and his
reasoning was he did not want to be on the blacklist. Any member found to be on the blacklist had
their credits removed from any film they had participated in. Names he gave out also included
"friends" who had worked with him in The Group Theater. Recently, debates were circulating
over the "Lifetime Achievement Academy award" to which Kazan was to be awarded. However,
many thought he did not deserve to be recognized with this honor because of his help to the
"House of Un-American Activities Committee."
<Tab/>Kazan's first major recognition came with his director's abilities in Thorton Wilder's
"The Skin of Our Teeth" which received a Pulitzer Prize. He went on to direct "One Touch of
Venus" (1943) and "Jacobowsky and the Colonel" (1944) which was a Drama Critics Circle
Award winner. Elia Kazan went on to win many awards including a "Tony Award," "a New York
Drama Critics Award," and a "Donaldson Award." The Donaldson Award was given for his work
in collaborating with Tennessee Williams in the famous "A Streetcar Named Desire" which was a
Pulitzer Price winner.
<Tab/>Following that year, in 1947, Elia Kazan along with Lee Strasberg and other alumni
from his days at Group Theater founded "Actor Studio," which became a spiritual home for

people interested in theater. Here Elia Kazan taught many famous actors, including Paul Newman,
Marlon Brando and James Dean, in his style of "method" acting.
<Tab/>Even after helping to found Actor Studio he continued his work on Broadway with
more Pulitzer Price winning work such as Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman" which won him
another Tony, a New York Drama Critics Award and a Donaldson. His most famous work, and
widely acclaimed work, is considered to be "On The Waterfront" (1954), which won a number of
Oscars, including best picture and best director. Some of his other famous works include "East of
Eden" (1955), which won the Cannes Film Festival award, "Baby Doll" (1956), which was written
by both Elia Kazan and Tennessee Williams.
<Tab/>Not only did Kazan direct and act in films he also dabbled a bit in novels. He wrote
"America, America" and "The Arrangement," which both were turned into motion picture films.
He has also written "The Assassins," "The Understudy" and "The Anatolian."
Kazan was one of America's greatest directors on stage and on film and without his contributions
to the film industry and on stage the way things are done now would not be happening if was
never involved. Sadly, Kazan recently died in his home in New York City on September 28, 2003
of Natural causes. His work in theater will; however, never be forgotten for decades to come.