Simon in Review

 

Stephen Michael Shearer, author of acclaimed biographies of Hedy Lamarr and Patricia Neal, among others, recently reviewed S. Sylvan Simon, Moviemaker in his column, The Film Biographer. Here's what he had to say:

"The name of film director/producer S. Sylvan Simon is largely forgotten today for reasons which are misunderstood. Except for his last film which he produced, Born Yesterday (which won Judy Holliday a Best Actress Oscar), Simon who died in 1951, has slipped into the netherworld of forgotten film directors. And this is highly unfair, as brought out in fine detail by author David C. Tucker’s wonderfully researched biography S. SYLVAN SIMON, MOVIEMAKER: ADVENTURES WITH LUCY, RED SKELTON AND HARRY COHN IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD.

S. Sylvan Simon began his career as a young man acting and directing in theatre. Born in 1910, he was an overachiever, and perhaps sensed early in life he would die young. By his mid-20s he was working at MGM directing first film shorts and graduating to decidedly “B” pictures including three gems with upcoming actress Lana Turner – These Glamour Girls (1939), Dancing Co-Ed (1939), and Two Girls on Broadway (1940). Assigned to films starring most of MGM’s leading character actors and second leads – Robert Young, Ann Sothern, Marjorie Main, Ann Rutherford, Wallace Beery, Frank Morgan, etc. – these minor films were highly successful and fed the coffers at Metro.

With his three popular Red Skelton pictures - Whistling in the Dark (1941), Whistling in Dixie (1942), and Whistling in Brooklyn (1943) - along with a couple of Abbott and Costello (on loan to MGM) hits Rio Rita (1942) and Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945), S. Sylvan Simon was considered one of the most competent and efficient directors at the studio. His films always turned profits. Signing with Columbia Pictures, Sylvan directed two more very profitable comedies with Red Skelton – The Fuller Brush Man and A Southern Yankee (both in 1948) - plus three hits starring Lucille Ball – Her Husband’s Affairs (1947) which he directed, and Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950) - both of which he produced.

By the time he produced Born Yesterday (George Cukor directed), Simon was Vice-President in Charge of Production at Columbia Studios. He had successfully produced Lust for Gold in 1949 starring Glenn Ford and Ida Lupino and was in preparation to start From Here to Eternity when he suffered a fatal heart attack in 1951. He was just 41 years old.

So “Bravo!” to David C. Tucker for giving us S. SYLVAN SIMON, MOVIEMAKER: ADVENTURES WITH LUCY, RED SKELTON AND HARRY COHN IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD. Each film of the director/producer is detailed in the book with fascinating and well-researched back stories. A loving tribute to a fine director...and highly recommended."

Many thanks, Stephen!