Stanley Donen, the director of such stylish and exuberant films as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Funny Face,” “Charade,” and “Two for the Road” and the last surviving filmmaker of Hollywood’s golden age, has died at 94.
Strangely, Donen was never nominated for a competitive Best Director Oscar for any of the excellent films he directed.
He did receive a lifetime achievement Oscar at the 1998 Academy Awards “in appreciation of a body of work marked by grace, elegance, wit and visual innovation.”
His films were known for their witty scripts and stylish look.
His camera movements and blocking in all of his films, comedies and dramas, reflected the work of the precise choreographer that he was.
Donen’s contributions were often overshadowed by the prominent talents with whom he worked, including Gene Kelly.
Donen came into his own as an energetic director of popular entertainments with such musicals as “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” as well as sophisticated romantic comedies (“Indiscreet”) and romantic thrillers (“Charade”).
