Acclaimed director Norman Jewison dies aged 97

The acclaimed film director Norman Jewison, known for In The Heat Of The Night and Moonstruck, has died at the age of 97.

The news was shared by his publicist Jeff Sanderson yesterday (January 22) that Jewison died “peacefully” last Saturday (January 20) at his home in Los Angeles.

Jewison’s stirring 1967 racial drama In The Heat Of The Night won the Oscar for Best Picture, and Jewison himself was nominated for Best Director.

He would receive two further nominations, for 1971 musical Fiddler On The Roof and 1987 romantic comedy Moonstruck. He later won the Academy’s prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, an Honorary Oscar.

Among those to pay tribute to Jewison was Cher, who herself won an Oscar for her performance in Moonstruck. “Farewell sweet prince,” she wrote. “Thank you for one of the greatest, happiest, most fun experiences of my life. Without you, I would not have my beautiful golden man.”

Farewell Sweet Prince.
Thank U For One Of The
Greatest,Happiest,Most
Fun Experiences Of My Life.
Without U,I Would Not Have My Beautiful Golden Man.Norman U Made Moonstruck The GREAT FILM Ppl🩵.
Script,Actors,Etc,NEEDED U DEAR
NORMAN JEWISON
LIVES ON THROUGH HIS WORK

— Cher (@cher) January 22, 2024

Other films directed by Jewison in a highly diverse career include The Thomas Crown Affair, The Cincinnati Kid, Jesus Chris Superstar, Rollerball and The Russians Are Coming.

A statement from Lesli Linka Glatter, the President of the Directors Guild of America, read: “Today we mourn the loss of a legendary Director. Known for his influential and impactful filmography over many decades, Norman was also one of our DGA heroes – a warrior and champion always ready to defend his fellow Directors, their creative rights and the craft of Directing.

“Norman’s cinematic range was truly remarkable—few filmmakers can so fluidly and eloquently move between romantic comedies, dramas and musicals as he did. But his most powerful films, and those he said were his ‘dearest,’ tackled racism and injustice, including In the Heat of the Night and A Soldier’s Story, both of which brought DGA Awards nominations.  For his outstanding representation of the Director’s craft, we awarded him in 2010 with the Guild’s top honor, the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award.”

Jewison was born in Toronto in 1926 and served in the Royal Canadian Navy during World War II. After a successful career in television, he transitioned to the big screen in the 1960s, and went on to form the Canadian Film Centre in the 2000s.

He is survived by his second wife Lynne St. David and his children Kevin, Michael and Jenny.

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