Norman Jewison, the Canadian-born director of Hollywood blockbusters like Moonstruck, Fiddler on the Roof, and In the Heat of the Night, passed away Saturday. He was 97.
The three-time Emmy winner and four-time Oscar nominee got his start in theatre, writing, directing and acting while attending Victoria College at the University of Toronto. He subsequently moved to London, picking up work as a BBC actor, before returning to Canada to train in production for the launch of CBC TV in 1951. He went on to produce and direct numerous variety shows, specials and dramas, before being recruited by NBC in 1958 to work on Your Hit Parade and The Andy Williams Show.
His film career was launched in 1962 when Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh’s Curtleigh Productions hired him to direct the comedy, 40 Pounds of Trouble. Jewison went on to form Simkoe Productions. 1965’s The Cincinnati Kid, starring Steve McQueen, proved to be his breakthrough, which was folllowed by five-time Oscar winner In the Heat of the Night in 1967. His follow-up was the McQueen caper, The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968. His most recent feature film was 2003’s The Statement, starring Michael Caine and Tilda Swinton, the story of a former Nazi executioner who becomes a target of hitmen and police investigators.
Jewison’s films have earned 46 nominations and won 12 Academy Awards. In 1999, he was recognized by the Academy with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Other accolades include the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America.
He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1982, and later upgraded to Companion status in 1992. He was inducted into the Order of Ontario in 1989.
Jewison founded the Canadian Centre for Advanced Film Studies in Toronto, later renamed the Canadian Film Centre (CFC), in 1986, where Canadian storytellers could learn to master the medium of filmmaking and command a greater presence on screens around the world.
“We mourn the loss of our founder and visionary, Norman Jewison – national icon, brilliant storyteller, passionate humanitarian, steadfast mentor and friend, compassionate human, and a devoted husband and father,” the CFC wrote in a tribute on X (formerly Twitter). “Norman was a bold and insightful filmmaker. He had a gift for exploring controversial and complicated subjects and giving them universal accessibility…In life and in storytelling, he shared messages of acceptance, inclusion, empathy and love. He used his voice and his films as a vehicle to not only entertain, but to address critical social issues and injustices.”
“Norman was loved for his creative spirit, his infectious energy and his distinct voice. For his commitment to social justice, for pushing the boundaries of filmmaking and advancing the art of storytelling,” it continued. “His legacy will live on through his timeless films and the countless individuals and organizations he has inspired, and will continue to inspire, for generations to come. His spirit will forever be the heart of the Canadian Film Centre.”
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