Inductee Profile

You either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Flash Player. Get the latest Flash player.

Norman Jewison

At a glance

Born: July 21, 1926
Where: Toronto, ON
Interesting Note:

Notwithstanding his alliterative surname, as well as the fame he garnered for directing such films as Fiddler on the Roof and The Statement, Norman Jewison is not Jewish. He was raised in a Protestant family. However, he told Robert Osborne in a TCM interview that, as a child, he was routinely teased by schoolmates because of what they assumed to be his religion.

Notable Achievements:

Filmography

As director:
* 40 Pounds of Trouble (1963)
* The Thrill of It All (1963)
* Send Me No Flowers (1964)
* The Art of Love (1965)
* The Cincinnati Kid (1965)
* The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966)
* In the Heat of the Night (1967)
* The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
* Gaily, Gaily - also known as Chicago, Chicago (1969)
* Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
* Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
* Rollerball (1975)
* F.I.S.T. (1978)
* ...And Justice for All (1979)
* Best Friends (1982)
* A Soldier's Story (1984)
* Agnes of God (1985)
* Moonstruck (1987)
* In Country (1989)
* Other People's Money (1991)
* Only You (1994)
* Bogus (1996)
* The Hurricane (1999)
* Dinner with Friends (2001) (TV)
* Walter and Henry (2001) (TV)
* The Statement (2003)

Awards

Academy Awards:
* 1987 Moonstruck nominated for Best Director
* 1971 Fiddler on the Roof nominated for Best Director
* 1967 In the Heat of the Night nominated for Best Director

Berlin International Film Festival:
* 1988 Moonstruck won for Best Director

British Academy Film Awards:
* 1967 In the Heat of the Night nominated for Best Film - Any Source
* 1967 In the Heat of the Night won for United Nations Award

New York Film Critics Circle Award:
* 1971 Fiddler on the Roof nominated for Best Direction
* 1971 Fiddler on the Roof nominated for Best Film
* 1967 In the Heat of the Night nominated for Best Direction
* 1967 In the Heat of the Night won for Best Film

Other awards:
* Governor General's Performing Arts Award for lifetime achievement (1992)
* Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (1999)
* American Cinema Editors Golden Eddie Award (2008)
* Director's Guild of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award (2002)

Canadian Honour System:
* Officer of the Order of Canada (1982)
* Companion of the Order of Canada (1992)
* 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada Medal (1992)
* Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002)

NORMAN JEWISON

1998 INDUCTEE

View all inductees from 1998 »

With film being the literature of this generation, few have told its tales as eloquently as writer, director, and producer Norman Jewison. His highly acclaimed films such as "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" (1966), "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971) and "Moonstruck" (1987) have made a distinctive and important mark on film history.

After joining the navy in 1944, Jewison went on to school at the University of Toronto, graduating in 1950. Norman began his career in show business at the BBC, as there were no opportunities for him in Canada at that time. But after a couple of gruelling years writing in Britain, he felt it was time to come home. He enrolled in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's training program. Before long, Jewison was directing and producing shows for "Wayne and Shuster." He then rescued CBS' failing "Your Hit Parade" and produced "The Fabulous Fifties" for which he also won an Emmy in 1960.

From his first film, "Forty Pounds of Trouble" (1963), the Toronto native went on to establish himself as one of the true visionaries of his time. Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actor. His films have earned 45 Academy Award nominations, 12 Oscars, cementing Jewison as one of the world's best directors.

Though he considers himself a farmer who occasionally makes films, his dedication to Canadian filmmaking is unbeatable. In 1986 he established the Canadian Film Centre to promote and advance the artistic, technical, and business skills of Canada's film and television community.

Jewison says he is "deeply honoured to receive this award, especially since it is in my hometown."

CanadasWalkofFame.com
Website design by Climax Media