July 16, 1906–June 18, 2006
Vincent Sherman was born Abraham Orovitz on July 16, 1906 to Jewish parents in the small town of Vienna, Georgia, where his father was dry-goods salesman.
After graduating from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Sherman arrived in New York to sell a play and became a stage director and actor.
As actor he made his debut in May 1936 in Bitter Stream which also had Frances Bavier, later known for her role on The Andy Griffith Show.
He arrived in Hollywood in the early sound era, where he appeared in William Wyler’s 1933 film Counsellor at Law starring John Barrymore.
In 1938, Sherman signed on at Warner as a director, making his debut in the 1939 horror film The Return of Doctor X, starring Humphrey Bogart.
Sherman quickly built a reputation for his ability to rewrite scripts and turning them into successful films. gradually, he moved onto helming star-studded pictures. Initially, he was known as a “woman’s director,” but his range expanded.
After his film career ended, Sherman switched to television. In 2004, he was the oldest of 21 individuals interviewed in the documentary Imaginary Witness, a chronicle of filmmaking about the Holocaust.
Sherman was married to Hedda Comorau from 1931 until her death in 1984. He had two children with Comorau: son Eric Sherman, and daughter Hedwin Naimark.
He had several high-profile affairs with his actresses, including Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. In his memoir Studio Affairs: My Life as a Film Director, he described his relationship with Crawford and Rita Hayworth. During the last nine years of his life, he was involved romantically with Francine York.
Sherman died on June 18, 2006, a month short of his 100th birthday.
Filmography as Director
1939
The Return of Doctor X
1940
Saturday’s Children
The Man Who Talked Too Much
1941
Flight from Destiny
Underground
1942
All Through the Night
Across the Pacific
1943
The Hard Way
Old Acquaintance
The Present with a Future
Short film
1944
In Our Time
Mr. Skeffington
1945
Pillow to Post
1946
Janie Gets Married
1947
Nora Prentiss
The Unfaithful
1948
Adventures of Don Juan (Alternative title: The New Adventures of Don Juan)
1949
The Hasty Heart
1950
Backfire
The Damned Don’t Cry
Harriet Craig
1951
Goodbye, My Fancy
1952
Lone Star
Affair in Trinidad
1957
The Garment Jungle
1958
The Naked Earth
1959
The Young Philadelphians
1960
Ice Palace
1961
A Fever in the Blood
The Second Time Around
1967
Cervantes (Alternative title: Young Rebel)
Actor
1933
Counsellor at Law, Harry Becker
1934
Speed Wings, as Mickey
The Crime of Helen Stanley, as Karl Williams
One Is Guilty, as William Malcolm
Hell Bent for Love, as Johnny Frank
Midnight Alibi, as Black Mike
Girl in Danger, as Willie Tolini
