John Cassavetes

John Cassavetes

Directing
Born 1929-12-09 - Died 1989-02-03New York City, New York, USA

Biography

John Nicholas Cassavetes (December 9, 1929 – February 3, 1989) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. First known as an actor on television and in film, Cassavetes also became a pioneer of American independent cinema, writing and directing movies financed in part with income from his acting work. AllMovie called him "an iconoclastic maverick," while The New Yorker suggested that he "may be the most influential American director of the last half century." As an actor, Cassavetes starred in notable Hollywood films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, including Edge of the City (1957), The Dirty Dozen (1967), and Rosemary's Baby (1968). He began his directing career with the 1959 independent feature Shadows and followed with independent productions such as Faces (1968), Husbands (1970), A Woman Under the Influence (1974), Opening Night (1977), and Love Streams (1984), in addition to intermittent studio work. Cassavetes' films employed an actor-centered approach which privileged character examination over traditional Hollywood storytelling or stylized production values. His films became associated with an improvisational, cinéma vérité aesthetic. He collaborated frequently with a rotating group of friends, crew members, and actors, including his wife Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk, Ben Gazzara, and Seymour Cassel. For his role in The Dirty Dozen, Cassavetes received a Best Supporting Actor nomination. As a filmmaker, he was nominated for Best Original Screenplay for Faces (1968) and Best Director for A Woman Under the Influence (1974).

Movies (52)

Rosemary's Baby
7.8

Rosemary's Baby

1968Movie7.8
The Dirty Dozen
7.6

The Dirty Dozen

1967Movie7.6
Capone
5.9

Capone

1975Movie5.9
Saddle the Wind
6.7

Saddle the Wind

1958Movie6.7
Shadows
6.9

Shadows

1960Movie6.9
The Fury
6.3

The Fury

1978Movie6.3
Mikey and Nicky
6.9

Mikey and Nicky

1976Movie6.9
Two-Minute Warning
6.3

Two-Minute Warning

1976Movie6.3
Movies Are My Life
6.8

Movies Are My Life

1988Movie6.8
Machine Gun McCain
6.1

Machine Gun McCain

1969Movie6.1
The Killers
6.9

The Killers

1964Movie6.9
Fourteen Hours
7.3

Fourteen Hours

1951Movie7.3
Flesh & Blood
5.9

Flesh & Blood

1979Movie5.9
Incubus
5.6

Incubus

1982Movie5.6
Opening Night
7.6

Opening Night

1977Movie7.6
Edge of the City
7.2

Edge of the City

1957Movie7.2
Tempest
5.9

Tempest

1982Movie5.9
Love Streams
7.2

Love Streams

1984Movie7.2
Husbands
6.7

Husbands

1970Movie6.7
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
7.0

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

1981Movie7.0
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
6.3

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

2008Movie6.3
Brass Target
5.4

Brass Target

1978Movie5.4
If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium
5.9

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium

1969Movie5.9
A Constant Forge
6.8

A Constant Forge

2000Movie6.8
Peter Falk versus Columbo
7.2

Peter Falk versus Columbo

2019Movie7.2
Virgin Island
6.3

Virgin Island

1959Movie6.3
Heroes
6.2

Heroes

1977Movie6.2
Minnie and Moskowitz
6.7

Minnie and Moskowitz

1971Movie6.7
Fräulein Berlin
8.0

Fräulein Berlin

1984Movie8.0
Hedda Hopper's Hollywood
6.0

Hedda Hopper's Hollywood

1960Movie6.0
Alexander The Great
5.0

Alexander The Great

1968Movie5.0
150 Miles of Rotting, Rutted, Lumpy, Dilapidated Pavement

150 Miles of Rotting, Rutted, Lumpy, Dilapidated Pavement

2021Movie
Affair in Havana
5.3

Affair in Havana

1957Movie5.3
Nightside
10.0

Nightside

1973Movie10.0
Devil's Angels
5.5

Devil's Angels

1967Movie5.5
The Webster Boy
10.0

The Webster Boy

1962Movie10.0
Anything for John
7.3

Anything for John

1993Movie7.3
Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film
6.8

Gena Rowlands: A Life on Film

2019Movie6.8
The Night Holds Terror
5.5

The Night Holds Terror

1955Movie5.5
Operation Dirty Dozen
7.0

Operation Dirty Dozen

2006Movie7.0
Crime in the Streets
6.2

Crime in the Streets

1956Movie6.2
The Making of 'Husbands'

The Making of 'Husbands'

1971Movie
Bandits in Rome
7.0

Bandits in Rome

1968Movie7.0
Arena - John Cassavetes

Arena - John Cassavetes

1989Movie
Marvin & Tige
5.1

Marvin & Tige

1985Movie5.1
John Cassavetes par Thierry Jousse

John Cassavetes par Thierry Jousse

2024Movie
I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work
8.3

I'm Almost Not Crazy: John Cassavetes — The Man and His Work

1984Movie8.3
The Haircut
7.4

The Haircut

1982Movie7.4
Nederland C
4.0

Nederland C

1985Movie4.0
Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes

Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes

1993Movie
No Right to Kill

No Right to Kill

1956Movie
Taxi
6.8

Taxi

1953Movie6.8

TV Shows (34)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.5

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962Series7.5
Columbo
8.1

Columbo

1971Series8.1
The Mike Douglas Show
5.8

The Mike Douglas Show

1961Series5.8
Golden Globe Awards
7.0

Golden Globe Awards

1944Series7.0
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
7.9

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour

1962Series7.9
The Virginian
6.5

The Virginian

1962Series6.5
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
5.9

Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre

1963Series5.9
Dr. Kildare
5.7

Dr. Kildare

1961Series5.7
Robert Montgomery Presents
6.0

Robert Montgomery Presents

1950Series6.0
The Philco Television Playhouse
6.6

The Philco Television Playhouse

1948Series6.6
Combat!
7.9

Combat!

1962Series7.9
Omnibus
7.0

Omnibus

1952Series7.0
Rawhide
7.2

Rawhide

1959Series7.2
Climax!
3.8

Climax!

1954Series3.8
The Dick Cavett Show
6.8

The Dick Cavett Show

1968Series6.8
Studio One
5.4

Studio One

1948Series5.4
Burke's Law
6.3

Burke's Law

1963Series6.3
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
6.0

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

1975Series6.0
The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948Series6.8
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
7.8

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea

1964Series7.8
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
7.8

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

1955Series7.8
The 20th Century Fox Hour
6.0

The 20th Century Fox Hour

1955Series6.0
Kraft Suspense Theatre
6.5

Kraft Suspense Theatre

1963Series6.5
The United States Steel Hour
6.3

The United States Steel Hour

1953Series6.3
The Dick Clark Show
6.7

The Dick Clark Show

1958Series6.7
The Legend of Jesse James
5.8

The Legend of Jesse James

1965Series5.8
Channing
7.5

Channing

1963Series7.5
Profiles in Courage
7.5

Profiles in Courage

1964Series7.5
Johnny Staccato
5.2

Johnny Staccato

1959Series5.2
Appointment with Adventure
7.7

Appointment with Adventure

1955Series7.7
General Electric Theater
6.8

General Electric Theater

1953Series6.8
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
7.2

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951Series7.2
Iconic Couples of Hollywood
8.0

Iconic Couples of Hollywood

2015Series8.0
Flesh & Blood
7.0

Flesh & Blood

1979Series7.0