George Roy Hill American film director Date of Birth: 20.12.1921 Country: USA

1. Biography of George Roy Hill
2. Education and Early Career
3. Film Career
4. Early Life and Education
5. Education and Military Service
6. Directorial Career
7. Personal Life and Legacy

Biography of George Roy Hill

George Roy Hill, an American film director, was born on December 20, 1921, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to George Roy Hill and Helen Frances Owens Hill. His family owned the newspaper "Minneapolis Tribune." Despite sharing the same last name, George Roy Hill had no relation to George William Hill, a renowned silent film director.

Education and Early Career

George received his education at Blake School, one of the most prestigious private schools in Minnesota. He had a fascination with airplanes from a young age and spent time at the airport after school. As a hobby, he memorized the records of World War II fighter aces, with his idol being American pilot Speed Holman. At the age of 16, George obtained his pilot's license. Airplanes played a significant role in his films and often met with crashes, such as in "Slaughterhouse-Five," "The World According to Garp," and especially in "The Great Waldo Pepper," where Robert Redford, one of Hill's favorite actors, portrayed a pilot reminiscent of the legendary Speed Holman.

Film Career

Hill won an Academy Award for Best Director for the 1973 film "The Sting," starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman. He was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for the western film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" released four years earlier, starring the same duo. Some of his other notable films include "Hawaii," "Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Slap Shot," "A Little Romance," and "The Little Drummer Girl."

Early Life and Education

George Roy Hill was born into an affluent Catholic family and attended Blake School, one of the most prestigious private schools in Minnesota. He developed a passion for airplanes from an early age. After school, he often visited the airport and admired the achievements of World War II fighter aces. His idol was American pilot Speed Holman. At the age of 16, George obtained his pilot's license.

Education and Military Service

Hill had a deep love for classical music, particularly the works of Bach. He pursued music education at Yale University under the guidance of renowned composer Paul Hindemith. He graduated from Yale in 1943. During World War II, Hill served in the United States Marine Corps as a cargo plane pilot in the South Pacific. After the war, he worked as a reporter for a Texas newspaper and then took advantage of the GI Bill to study in Dublin, Ireland. It was there that he first stepped onto the theatrical stage. Upon returning to the United States, George toured with the Margaret Webster Shakespearean Repertory Theatre and later appeared on Broadway in productions such as "Richard II" and August Strindberg's "Creditors."

Directorial Career

In 1952, Hill played a supporting role in the Hollywood film "Walk East on Beacon" before returning to active duty as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. He served in a training center in North Carolina. Hill drew upon his experiences in the war to create the television drama "My Brother's Keeper," in which he also acted. In 1957, after several years of working in television as a writer and director, Hill, an experienced director, returned to Broadway. His productions of Tennessee Williams' "Look Homeward, Angel" and "Period of Adjustment" received Pulitzer Prize recognition. In 1962, Hill adapted a play by Tennessee Williams into a film, and in 1963, he directed a drama based on Lillian Hellman's play "Toys in the Attic." His 1964 comedy "The World of Henry Orient" significantly raised Hill's status as a Hollywood director, but his next film, "Hawaii," with a budget of $14 million, surprised producers. When the studio attempted to replace Hill with Arthur Hiller to save costs, hundreds of Polynesians went on strike, stating that they would only work with Hill because he was their friend. Hill's reputation was restored after the release of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and, particularly, the highly successful western film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," which won four Academy Awards. His film "The Sting" won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Personal Life and Legacy

During his time with the Margaret Webster theatrical troupe, Hill met actress Louisa Horton. They married on April 7, 1951, and had two sons and two daughters. However, they later divorced. Hill and Horton had 12 grandchildren, and Louisa outlived her former husband by five years. After his second return to civilian life, Hill purchased a 1930s open-cockpit Waco biplane, but he sold it approximately ten years before his death. The esteemed director passed away on December 27, 2002, at the age of 81 in his home in New York City due to complications from Parkinson's disease.