Norman Taurog

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 1094-1098. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

A successful child actor (on stage from 1907) and rather less successful romantic lead, baby-faced Norman Taurog found being behind the camera a more rewarding experience. Before becoming a director, he paid his dues as a prop man and editor.

By 1919, he was put in charge of two-reel comedies, starring the comic Larry Semon.

These films were made on the East Coast and it was not until 1926, that Taurog moved to Hollywood. His directing career really took off with the coming of sound, and he soon acquired a reputation as a specialist in light comedy. He also developed a singular penchant for working with children, often giving them chocolate rewards for good acting. They, in turn, called him 'Uncle Norman'. Taurog became the youngest-ever director to win an Oscar.

Taurog was under contract at Paramount from 1930 to 1936. The pick-of-the-bunch among his films - and a solid box office hit - was Mrs.

This was for the film Skippy (1931), which featured child actor Jackie Cooper, his real-life nephew.

Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934), starring the noted stage actress Pauline Lord, comedienne Zasu Pitts and the irrepressible, idiosyncratic W. C. Fields. On loan to David O.

After a stint with Fox (1936-37), Taurog then had his best (and longest) spell with MGM (1938-51).

Selznick, he also did justice to Mark Twain by creating just the right atmosphere for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938), eliciting a strong performance from Jackie Moran in the role of Huck Finn. Initial footage had been in black & white, but Taurog discarded this and re-shot the film in Technicolor, which worked particularly well with art director Lyle R. Wheeler.

His A-grade assignments for the studio included the iconic Boys Town (1938), the exuberant Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940) and the thoroughly entertaining Judy Garland musical Presenting Lily Mars (1943), based on a best-selling novel by Booth Tarkington.

An unknown person telephoned his home and threatened to kidnap his daughter, Pat (8 years old at the time). The phone number was changed and a guard was placed on duty at the property (February, 1939).

In 1952, he returned to Paramount, where he was utilised on the strength of his proven ability to make films economically and on time. Taurog made the most out of the feather-light scripts he was handed for a string of comedies with Dean Martin and/or Jerry Lewis. He was also a favorite of Elvis Presley, directing in total nine of his films.

Taurog directed Elvis Presley in more movies than any other director (nine, starting with G.I. Blues (1960)).

Taurog's Oscar statuette sold for $301, 973, when it was auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Memorabilia on February 28, 2012.

At 32 years and 260 days, he was the youngest person to win a Best Director Oscar until Damien Chazelle won in 2017. Taurog held the record for 86 years.