Nathan Juran

Nathan Juran
Juran on the set ofLand Raiders,1969
Born	(1907-09-01)September 1, 1907 Gurahumora,Austro-Hungarian Empire(now Romania)
Died	October 23, 2002(2002-10-23)(aged 95) Palos Verdes, California,United States
Occupation	Film art director
Known for	OscarforBest Art Directionin 1942
Notable work	How Green Was My Valley

Naftuli Hertz "Nathan" Juran(September 1, 1907 – October 23, 2002) was an Austrian-born filmart director,and later film and television director. As an art director, he won theOscarforBest Art Directionin 1942 forHow Green Was My Valley,along withRichard DayandThomas Little.His work onThe Razor's Edgein 1946 also received an Academy nomination. In the 1950s, he began to direct, and was known for science fiction and fantasy films such asAttack of the 50 Foot Woman.He was also the brother of quality guruJoseph M. Juran.

Life and career

Early life

Juran was born to a Jewish family inGura Humorului,Austro-Hungarian Empire(now Romania).

In 1912, he emigrated to America with his family, settling inMinneapolis.He earned a bachelor's degree inArchitecturefrom theUniversity of Minnesota.He also spent a summer studying at theÉcole des Beaux-Artsbefore earning a master's degree in Architecture from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology.He passed the architect's exam and set up his own office as an architect.

Art department

With the construction industry at a standstill due to theGreat Depression,Juran moved to Los Angeles. He sought architecture work at the studios and got a job doing a drawing of theBrooklyn BridgeforRKO Radio Pictures.He managed to get a permanent job as a draftsman in the art department. He was an assistant art director onQuality Street(1937).

Juaran later moved toMGM,where he assisted in designing Juliet's bedroom inRomeo and Juliet(1936). He then joined20th Century Fox,assisting art department headRichard DayonHow Green Was My Valley(1941).

Fox liked his work and put Juran under contract. His early credits as art director includedCharley's American Aunt(1941), andBelle Starr(1941), and he and Day won an Oscar for their work onValley.

Juran also worked onI Wake Up Screaming(1941),A Gentleman at Heart(1942),Ten Gentlemen from West Point(1942),The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe(1942),Dr. Renault's Secret(1942),It's Everybody's War(1942, a short), andThat Other Woman(1942).

Juran enlisted in the Navy during the Second World War in July 1942 and was assigned to first theOffice of Strategic Servicesand then to theRoyal Air ForceIntelligence Center.

After the war, Juran returned to Fox, winning anOscarnomination for his work onThe Razor's Edge(1946).

Juran accepted a seven-year contract to be head of the art department forEnterprise Productions.While there he was credited onThe Other Love(1947) andBody and Soul(1947).When Enterprise collapsed, Juran didKiss the Blood Off My Hands(1948) forHarold HechtandTulsa(1948) forWalter Wanger.

Universal

Juran then signed a long-term contract withUniversal,where he was the art director onFree for All(1949),Undertow(1949),Winchester '73(1950),Deported(1950),Harvey(1950),Bright Victory(1951),Thunder on the Hill(1951),Reunion in Reno(1951),Cave of Outlaws(1951),The Strange Door(1951),Meet Danny Wilson(1951),Bend of the River(1952) andUntamed Frontier(1952).

Director

Juran was assigned as art department head forThe Black Castle(1952), when directorJoseph Pevneydropped out shortly before filming. Juran was asked to take over as director two weeks prior to filming.

Universal was happy with Juran's work and signed him to a one-year directing contract. He made anAudie MurphyWesternGunsmoke(1952), and aRonald ReaganWesternLaw and Order(1953), then didThe Golden Blade(1953), an "Eastern" withRock HudsonandTumbleweed(1953) with Murphy.

Juran went to Italy in 1954 to direct a swashbuckler,Knights of the Queen(1954), based onThe Three Musketeers.He then directed some episodes of a TV series based on the movie.

Juran returned to Hollywood to direct an independent film,Highway Dragnet(1954) based on a story byRoger Corman.AfterThe Big Moment(1954) atParamounthe went back to Universal to doDrums Across the River(1954) with Murphy.

Juran directed episodes ofFury(1954),CrossroadsandMy Friend Flickaon TV, andThe Crooked Web(1955) forSam Katzmanat Columbia.

Science fiction and fantasy

Juran's first science fiction film wasThe Deadly Mantis(1957) at Universal. He followed this withHellcats of the Navy(1957) starringRonald Reaganand his wife (who was billed asNancy Davis). It was his first film for producerCharles H. Schneer.Schneer hired Juran for20 Million Miles to Earth(1957) with special effects byRay Harryhausen.This film established Juran in thescience fictionandfantasygenres.

Schneer hired him to do another movie with Harryhausen,The 7th Voyage of Sinbad(1957). It was a commercial and critical success. Instead of continuing with A features, he accepted two jobs "for the money", in his own words:The Brain from Planet Arous(1957) thenAttack of the 50 Foot Woman(1957). Both became cult classics.He was unhappy with howArousturned out and arranged for his billing to be "Nathan Hertz".

Juran did a Western for Schneer,Good Day for a Hanging(1958) and, for TV, episodes ofFrances Langford Presents,World of Giants,andMen Into Space(1960).

Juran got back into features with a motion picture he wrote himself,Jack the Giant Killer(1962) for producerEdward Small.He then didFlight of the Lost Balloon(1961), which was released first, an adventure heavily influenced byJules Verne,which he co-wrote and directed. Around this time he provided the stories for, but did not direct,Doctor Blood's Coffin(1961) andBoy Who Caught a Crook(1961) and wrote a draft ofSon of Captain Blood.

Jurana did some second unit directing on MGM'sMutiny on the Bounty(1962). Schneer hired Juran to directSiege of the Saxons(1963) andFirst Men in the Moon(1964) (based on the novel byH. G. Wellswith effects by Harryhausen).He did an imperial adventure for Schneer,East of Sudan(1964) and directed second unit onCyrano et d'Artagnan(1964).

Television

Juran turned to television in 1959. He directed episodes ofA Man Called ShenandoahandDaniel Boone,and episodes of all four ofIrwin Allen's 1960s science fiction seriesVoyage to the Bottom of the Sea,Lost in Space,The Time TunnelandLand of the Giants.

Last films

He did a feature for Schneer,Land Raiders(1970), a Western, before an operation for cancer prompted him to retire in 1970. Juran returned from retirement to directThe Boy Who Cried Werewolf(1973) with his oldSinbadstar,Kerwin Mathews.He then returned to his first career, architecture.

In 1999, he was honored with the Lifetime Career Award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, USA.

He died at the age of 95 inPalos Verdes, California,US.

Partial filmography

As art director

• How Green Was My Valley(1942)
• The Razor's Edge(1946)

As director

• The Black Castle(1952)
• Law and Order(1953)
• Gunsmoke(1953)
• The Golden Blade(1953)
• Tumbleweed(1953)
• Drums Across the River(1954)
• Highway Dragnet(1954)
• The Crooked Web(1955)
• The Deadly Mantis(1957)
• 20 Million Miles to Earth(1957)
• Hellcats of the Navy(1957)
• The Brain from Planet Arous(1957)
• The 7th Voyage of Sinbad(1958)
• Attack of the 50 Foot Woman(1958)
• Good Day for a Hanging(1959)
• Flight of the Lost Balloon(1961)
• Boy Who Caught a Crook(1961)
• Jack the Giant Killer(1962)
• Siege of the Saxons(1963)
• First Men in the Moon(1964)
• East of Sudan(1964)
• Land Raiders(1970)
• The Boy Who Cried Werewolf(1973)

Notes

• Swires, Steve (April 1989)."Nathan Juran: The Fantasy Voyages of Jerry the Giant Killer Part One".Starlog Magazine.No. 141. pp. 56–62.
• Swires, Steve (May 1989)."Nathan Juran: The Fantasy Voyages of Jerry the Giant Killer Part Two".Starlog Magazine.No. 142. pp. 55–59.

External links

• Nathan JuranatIMDb
• ObituaryatLos Angeles Times
• Interview with Juranat Directors Guild of America
• Nathan Juran collectionat Margaret Herrick Library