Chasen PR
Norman Frederick Jewison, acclaimed and incredibly versatile director of In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof and Moonstruck, died peacefully Saturday, January 20, 2024 at home at the age of 97.
Canadian by birth, Jewison’s film career spanned more than four decades. He was nominated for seven Oscars, including three for Best Director (In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof, Moonstruck) and four for Best Picture (The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, Fiddler on the Roof, A Soldier’s Story, Moonstruck.) His films received a total of 46 nominations and 12 Academy Awards. In 1999, Jewison was honored with the prestigious Irving Thalberg Award at the Academy Awards. He also collected three Emmy Awards for his work in television.
A smattering of his other wide-ranging work includes The Hurricane, Agnes of God, A Soldier’s Story, Rollerball and Jesus Christ Superstar, all of which he also produced. As a producer, Jewison had an eye for talent, as well, producing Hal Ashby’s first film, The Landlord.
In the early stages of his career, Jewison found occasional work as an actor on the stage and in radio for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. After a stint at the BBC, he went on to and write, direct and produce some of Canada’s most popular musicals, dramas, comedy-variety shows and specials for the CBC.
Jewison went to New York in 1958 to direct Your Hit Parade for CBS. That led to The Andy Williams Show, two Harry Belafonte specials, Danny Kaye’s television debut, The Broadway of Lerner and Loewe and award-winning Judy Garland specials.
In film, Jewison directed a series of comedies for Universal before becoming an independent producer. He hit it big with his first effort which he co-wrote and directed, The Cincinnati Kid, starring Steve McQueen, Ann-Margret and Edward G. Robinson. That set him off on a run of memorable films that included The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming and The Thomas Crown Affair (again with McQueen), In The Heat of the Night (winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1967) and the powerful ...And Justice For All (with Al Pacino).
Jewison received scores of other prestigious awards during his long career, including the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival, the Donatello Award from Italy and the Genie Award from the Canadian Academy.
In January 2010, he was presented with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award from the Directors Guild of America. The Film Society of Lincoln Center presented a retrospective in Jewison’s honor in May 2011. The Toronto International Film Festival had a retrospective for Jewison in August 2011.
Jewison was the founder of the Canadian Film Centre, akin to the American Film Institute in the United States. The CFC offers selected filmmakers the opportunity to hone their skills to a state-of-the-art level. The CFC honored Jewison with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.
Canada made him an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1982, a member of the Order of Ontario in 1989, and in 1992 decorated him with the Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian award. Jewison was presented with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2004.
Jewison is survived by his loving wife Lynne St. David, his children Kevin Jewison (Suzanne), Michael Jewison (Anita), Jenny Snyder (David), and his grandchildren Ella, Megan, Alexandra, Sam and Henry. He is predeceased by his first wife Margaret Ann (Dixie) Jewison. Celebrations of Life will be held in Los Angeles and Toronto at a later date.
Directors Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter made the following statement upon learning of the Jewison’s passing:
Today we mourn the loss of a legendary Director. Known for his influential and impactful filmography over many decades, Norman was also one of our DGA heroes – a warrior and champion always ready to defend his fellow Directors, their creative rights and the craft of Directing.
Norman’s cinematic range was truly remarkable—few filmmakers can so fluidly and eloquently move between romantic comedies, dramas and musicals as he did. But his most powerful films, and those he said were his ‘dearest,’ tackled racism and injustice, including In the Heat of the Night and A Soldier’s Story, both of which brought DGA Awards nominations. For his outstanding representation of the Director’s craft, we awarded him in 2010 with the Guild’s top honor, the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to directing, the importance of Guilds and Unions and the fight for racial justice and equality was central to Norman’s work and life. A dedicated and passionate member of the Guild, Norman served on the National Board, the DGA Western Directors Council and on many Committees, always mentoring others and working to preserve and expand the creative rights of DGA members.
He will forever be remembered by his fellow Directors as a vibrant force—bringing depth, insight and a necessary dose of humor to everything he touched. Our thoughts are with his wife Lynne, his family and the many Directors and Directorial team members fortunate to have been influenced by him.
