Stanley Donen dies

Singin' In The Rain director was 94

by Amber Wilkinson



Singin' In The Rain director Stanley Donen has died at the age of 94.

The director, who directed a number of musicals, including Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, On The Town and Funny Face, received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement in 1997 - you can see his speech above. The Academy noted the award was “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation”.

Although best known for his musicals, Donen also made films in a number of other genres, including romantic comedies Kiss Them For Me and Indiscreet, and thrillers, like Charade.

The director, who began his film career when he co-directed On The Town with Gene Kelly, a partnership which would go on to have its high note with Singin' In The Rain in 1952, dubbed the best musical of all time by the American Film Institute. Other films included The Grass Is Greener, Two For The Road and The Pajama Game.

Donen was married five times, including to Jeanne Coyne, Marion Marshall and Yvette Mimieux.

Since 1999, he has been in a relationship with writer-director Elaine May, who survives him and whose work is being celebrated at Glasgow Film Festival this week.

He is survived by two of his sons, House of Cards producer Josh, and Mark. His third son, visual effects supervisor Peter, died in 2003.

Read an interview conducted with Stanley Donan at the director's home in New York in 2000.

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