Died at 102
male
Sidney Lumet (June 25, 1924 – April 9, 2011) was an American director, producer and screenwriter with over 50 films to his name. He was nominated for the Academy Award as Best Director for 12 Angry Men (1957), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976) and The Verdict (1982). He did not win an individual Academy Award, although he did receive an Academy Honorary Award and 14 of his films were nominated for various Oscars, such as Network, which was nominated for 10, winning 4. The Encyclopedia of Hollywood states that Lumet was one of the most prolific directors of the modern era, making more than one movie per year on average since his directorial debut in 1957. He was noted by Turner Classic Movies for his "strong direction of actors", "vigorous storytelling" and the "social realism" in his best work. Film critic Roger Ebert described him as having been "one of the finest craftsmen and warmest humanitarians among all film directors." Lumet was also known as an "actor's director," having worked with the best of them during his career, probably more than "any other director." Lumet began his career as an Off-Broadway director, then became a highly efficient TV director. His first movie was typical of his best work: a well-acted, tightly written, deeply considered "problem picture," 12 Angry Men (1957). From that point on Lumet divided his energies among other idealistic problem pictures along with literate adaptations of plays and novels, big stylish pictures, New York-based black comedies, and realistic crime dramas, including Serpico and Prince of the City. As a result of directing 12 Angry Men, he was also responsible for leading the first wave of directors who made a successful transition from TV to movies. In 2005, Lumet received an Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement for his "brilliant services to screenwriters, performers, and the art of the motion picture." Two years later, he concluded his career with the acclaimed drama Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007). Description above from the Wikipedia article Sidney Lumet, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Sidney Lumet
Director
for Director in Batman: The Case of the Purr-loined Pearl (1969)
Suggested by brendancrowley
Catwoman, released from jail, starts a weight-reducing salon as Selina Kyle. But her real ploy begins when she offers crash-reducing courses to eight women just out of the Women's House of Detention, who soon discover they are to be Catwoman's doubles and partners. The ladies balk at first, until Catwoman defeats them all in combat and, after slenderizing them, issues them all Catwoman costumes. That night as Batman and Robin go on patrol at night they see Catwoman's crooks driving the Catmobile stealing the pearl, Batman and Robin defeat the crooks. Batman and Robin deduce that the Catwoman's target for theft will be the Petala Pearl, the Orient's biggest such gem, worn by the visiting Nizam of Nepal, because the capital of Nepal is Katmandu, cuing the cat-crime. Batman offers the Nizam the use of his mansion to stay in for a few days, and a police cordon is placed around the grounds. Catwoman and her Feline Furies steal in, decoying and waylaying the police. Catwoman herself snatches what seems to be the pearl from what seems to be a sleeping Nizam, but the pearl is phony, and Batman and Robin trick her into getting tangled up in a ball of sticky plastic "yarn", trapping her. The "Nizam" proves to be Alfred in disguise while the real Nizam is hiding safely elsewhere.
