Don Siegel

'Don Siegel' (qv) was educated at Cambridge University, England. In Hollywood from the mid-'30s, he began his career as an editor and second unit director. In 1945 he directed two shorts (_Hitler Lives (1945)_ (qv) and _Star in the Night (1945)_ (qv)) which both won Academy 'Awards' (qv). His first feature as a director was 1946's _The Verdict (1946)_ (qv). He made his reputation in the early and mid-'50s with a series of tightly made, expertly crafted, tough but intelligent "B" pictures (among them _The Lineup (1958)_ (qv), _Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954)_ (qv), _Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)_ (qv)), then graduated to major "A" films in the 1960s and early 1970s. He made several "side trips" to television, mostly as a producer. Siegel directed what is generally considered to be 'Elvis Presley' (qv)'s best picture, _Flaming Star (1960)_ (qv). He had a long professional relationship and personal friendship with 'Clint Eastwood' (qv), who has often said that everything he knows about filmmaking he learned from 'Don Siegel' (qv).::Otto Oberhauser <[email protected]>