20 Facts About Rouben Mamoulian

Rouben Zachary Mamoulian was an Armenian-American film and theater director.

Rouben Mamoulian restored mobility to the camera, and developed his own signature use of montage, close-ups, split-screens and dissolves.

Rouben Mamoulian's films garnered more in the way of critical acclaim than box office receipts: only six of his films earned a profit at their initial release: City Streets, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Love Me Tonight, Queen Christina, The Mark of Zorro and Blood and Sand.

Rouben Mamoulian was born in Tiflis, Russian Empire, to a family of Armenian descent.

In 1915, his father enrolled him at the Imperial Moscow University to study law, but Rouben Mamoulian turned to literary pursuits and student stage productions.

In 1923, Rouben Mamoulian accepted an invitation from George Eastman to become co-director of the American Opera Company in Rochester, New York, and taught at the Eastman School of Music.

Rouben Mamoulian produced Carmen, Faust, Boris Godunov, as well as Gilbert and Sullivan and Viennese operettas.

In 1925, Rouben Mamoulian was head of the Eastman School's School of Dance and Dramatic Action, where Martha Graham taught for one year.

In 1930, Rouben Mamoulian became a naturalized citizen of the United States.

Rouben Mamoulian directed Wings Over Europe from late 1928 to 1929.

Rouben Mamoulian directed Applause, his first feature film in 1929, which was one of the early efforts in "talkies".

Rouben Mamoulian directed the first three-strip Technicolor film Becky Sharp, based on Thackeray's Vanity Fair as well as the 1937 musical High, Wide and Handsome.

Rouben Mamoulian's foray into screwball comedy in 1942 was a success with Rings on Her Fingers starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney.

Rouben Mamoulian's last completed musical film was Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's 1957 film version of the Cole Porter musical Silk Stockings.

When production resumed, director Rouben Mamoulian had disagreements with producer Samuel Goldwyn, and was "fired".

Rouben Mamoulian previously had been fired as director of Laura.

Rouben Mamoulian personally was recruited by Directors Guild of America co-founder King Vidor in 1936 to help unionize fellow movie directors.

From 1961, at age 64, until his death in 1987 at age 90, Rouben Mamoulian did not work professionally.

Rouben Mamoulian was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 1981.

In 1982 Rouben Mamoulian received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America.