The Search for Fred Zinnemann, Film Director, 1907-1997

FAIN: FB-53854-08

Lawrence H. Suid
Unaffiliated Independent Scholar (Greenbelt, MD 20770)

Fred Zinnemann remains the best film director who has not become the subject of a full-length biography. While people continue to enjoy his movies, few recognize his name despite his four Oscars. An NEH fellowship will enable me to complete my research and explore Zinnemann's career directing some of the most significant English language movies including High Noon, From Here to Eternity, The Nun's Story, A Man For All Seasons, and The Day of the Jackal. I will base the biography on my interviews with the director, people who worked with him, and on the plethora of material in the personal papers he donated to the Motion Picture Academy Library. The overarching theme will explain how Zinnemann, as an artistic genius, created his films which make significant comments on the human condition