Luis Bunuel Biography (1900-1983)

Born February 22, 1900, in Calanda, Spain; died of cirrhosis of the liver, July 29, 1983, in Mexico City, Mexico; son of Leonardo (a landowner) and Maria(Portoles); married Jeanne Rucar, 1934; children: Rafael (a filmmaker) and Juan Luis. Avocational interests: Classical music and entomology. Career: Writer, producer, and director. Worked as an actor and assistant toJean Epstein in 1926; language dubber for Warner Bros., in Paris, France, 1932-34, and in Spain, 1935; executive producer in Spain, 1935-36; technical advisor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Hollywood, CA, 1938; assistant on anti-Nazi film projects for Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 1940; film-maker for U.S. Army, 1940-43; language dubber for Warner Bros., in Hollywood, CA, 1944-46.Awards, Honors: Golden Ariel, 1950, and Best Director, Cannes Film Festival, 1950, both for Los Olvidados; best avant-garde film award, Cannes Film Festival, 1951, and Golden Ariel nomination, 1953, both for Subida al cielo; Golden Ariel, 1954, for Las Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe; Golden Ariel nomination, 1955, for Ensayo de un crimen; Special International Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 1958, Bodil, best non-Europeanfilm/best American film, 1958, both for Nazarin; Special Mention, Cannes Film Festival, 1960, for La Joven; Golden Palm, Cannes Film Festival, 1961, for Viridiana; Bodil, best non-European film/best American film, 1962, for El Angel exterminador; Special Jury Prize and FIPRESCIAward (tied), National Society of Film Critics Awards, 1965, both for Simon del desierto; Pasinetti Award, best film and Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival, 1967, Bodil, best European film, 1967, all for Belle de jour;Order of the Yugoslav Flag, 1972; Academy Award, best foreign language film,1972, NSFC Award, best director, 1972, Academy Award nomination (shared), best writing, story and screenplay based on factual material or material not previously published or produced, 1972, BAFTA Film Award nomination (shared), best sound track, best direction, and best screenplay (shared), 1974, all forLe Charm discret de la bourgeoisie; NBR Award, best director, 1977, NSFC Award, best director, 1977, for Cet obscur objet du desir; AcademyAward nomination (shared), best writing, screenplay based on material from another medium, 1977, both for Cet obscur objet du desir; Golden Lion, Venice Film Festival, 1982. Addresses: Office: c/o Greenwich Film Production, 72 Avenue des Champs-Elysees, 75008, Paris, France.

Gender: Male
Occupation: Writer, producer, director
Birth Details: February 22, 1900; Calanda, Spain
Death Details: July 29, 1983; Mexico City, Mexico

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
Man (prologue), Un chien andalou(also known as An Andalusian Dog), 1929
La Hija de Juan Simon,1935
El verdugo, Llanto por un bandido(also known as Les Bandits, Cavalieri della vendetta, and La Charge des rebelles), 1964
En estee pueblo no hay ladrones,1965
Dr. Davis, The Milky Life,1993
Himself, The Bunuel Paradox,1997
Film Work
Director
Un chien andalou(also known as An Andalusian Dog), 1929
L'Age d'or(also known as Age of Gold, The Golden Age, and Age d'or), 1930
Las Hurdes(also known as Land without Bread, Tierra sin pan, and Unpromised Land), 1932
El Vaticano de Pio XII,1940
Gran Casino(also known as En el viejo Tampico), 1947
El Gran Calavera(also known as The Great Madcap), 1949
Susana(also known as The Devil and the Flesh), 1950
Los Olvidados(also known as The Young and the Damned), 1950
Subida al cielo(also known as Ascent to Heaven and Mexican Bus Ride), 1951
Una Mujer sin amor,1951
La Hija del engano(also known as Daughter of Deceit and Don Quintin el Amargoa), 1951
El(also known as This Strange Passion and Torments),1952
El Bruto(also known as The Brute), 1952
La Ilusion viaja en tranvia(also known as Illusion Travels by Streetcar), 1953
El Rio y la muerte(also known as The River and Death), 1954
Abismos de pasion(also known as Wuthering Heights), 1954
Las Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe(also known as The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Robinson Crusoe), United Artists, 1954
Ensayo de un crimen(also known as The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, Rehearsal for a Crime, and La Vida criminal de Archibaldo de la Cruz), Dan Talbot, 1955
Cela s'appelle l'aurore(also known as Gli Amanti di domani and Amanti senza domani), 1955
That Is the Dawn,1956
La Mort en ce jardin(also known as Death in the Garden, The Diamond Hunters, Evil Eden, Gina, and La Muerte en el jardin), 1956
Nazarin, Altura Films, 1958
La Fievre monte a El Pao(also known as Los Ambiciosos, Fever Mounts at El Pao, and Republic of Sin), 1959
La Joven(also known as Island of Shame and The Young One), Valiant, Vitalite, 1960
Viridiana, Kingsley, 1961
El Angel exterminador(also known as The Exterminating Angel), Altura Films, 1962
Le Journal d'une femme de chambre(also known as Il Diario di una cameriera and Diary of a Chambermaid), Cocinor, 1964
Simon del desierto(also known as Simon of the Desert), 1965
Belle de jour(also known as Bella di giorno), Allied Artists, 1967
La voie lactee(also known as Die Milchstrasse, The Milky Way, and La Via lattea), U-M, 1969
Tristana, Maron, 1970
Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie(also known as The DiscreetCharm of the Bourgeoisie, El Descreto encanto de la burguesia, and IlFascino descreto della borghesia), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972
Au Rendez-Vous de la mort joyeuse,1972
La Femme aux Bottes Rouges,1974
Le Fantome de la liberte(also known as The Phantom of Liberty and The Specter of Freedom), 1974
Leonor,1975

Cet obscur objet du desir(also known as Ese oscuro objeto del deseo and That Obscure Object of Desire), First Artists, 1977
Producer
Un chien andalou(also known as An Andalusian Dog), 1929
Las Hurdes(also known as Land without Bread, Tierra sin pan, and Unpromised Land), 1932
La Hija de Juan Simon,1935
Quien me quiere a mi?(also known as Who Loves Me?), 1936
Espana 1936(also known as Madrid 1936, Espana leal en armas),1936 1937
Centinela, alerta!,1937
Tristana,1970
Other Film Work
Assistant director, La Chute de la maison Usher(also known as The Fall of the House of Usher), 1928
Editor, Un chien andalou(also known as An Andalusian Dog),1929
Editor, L'Age d'or(also known as Age of Gold, The Golden Age, and Age d'or), 1930
Supervisor, La Hija de Juan Simon,1935
Supervisor, Don Quintin el amargao,1935
Assistant director, The Young One, Valiant, Vitalite, 1960
Assistant director, Viridiana, Kingsley, 1961
Dialogue, The Exterminating Angel, Altura Films, 1962
Assistant director, Diary of a Chambermaid, Cocinor, 1964
Dialogue, Simon of the Desert,1965
Assistant director, Guns for San Sebastian, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1968
Sound effects, Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie(also known as The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, El Discreto encanto de la burguesia, and Il Fascino discreto della borghesia), 1972
Sound effects, Le Fantome de la liberte(also known as The Phantom of Liberty and The Specter of Freedom), 1974
Adaptation and dialogue, That Obscure Object of Desire, First Artists, 1977
Professional expertise, Spiklenci slasti(also known as Conspirators of Pleasure), 1996
Also worked on Chance, History, Art ...(film extract "Un Chien Andalou", 1929), 1981; The Man Who Envied Women(film extract "Un Chien Andalou", 1929), 1985; La Nivia de Medianoche(from script), 1997.
WRITINGS
Screenplays
Un chien andalou(also known as An Andalusian Dog), 1929
L'Age d'or(also known as Age of Gold, The Golden Age, and Age d'or), 1930
Las Hurdes(also known as Land without Bread, Tierra sin pan, and Unpromised Land), 1932
Don Quintin el amargao(uncredited), 1935
Quien me quiere a mi?(also known as Who Loves Me?), 1936
Espana 1936(also known as Madrid 1936, Espana leal en armas), 1937
Centinela, alerta!,1937
Susana(also known as The Devil and the Flesh), 1950
Los Olvidados(also known as The Young and the Damned), 1950
Subida al cielo(also known as Ascent to Heaven and Mexican Bus Ride), 1951
Una Mujer sin amor,1951
El(also known as This Strange Passion and Torments),1952
El Bruto(also known as The Brute), 1952
El Rio y la muerte(also known as The River and Death), 1954
Abismos de pasion(also known as Wuthering Heights), 1954
Las Aventuras de Robinson Crusoe(also known as The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe and Robinson Crusoe), United Artists, 1954
Ensayo de un crimen(also known as The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, Rehearsal for a Crime, and La Vida criminal de Archibaldo de la Cruz), Dan Talbot, 1955
Cela s'appelle l'aurore(also known as Gli Amanti di domani and Amanti senza domani), 1955
La Mort en ce jardin(also known as Death in the Garden, The Diamond Hunters, Evil Eden, Gina, and La Muerte en el jardin), 1956
That Is the Dawn,1956
Nazarin, Altura Films, 1958
La Fievre monte a El Pao(also known as Los Ambiciosos, Fever Mounts at El Pao, and Republic of Sin), 1959
La Joven(also known as Island of Shame and The Young One), Valiant, Vitalite, 1960
Viridiana(also story), Kingsley, 1961
El Angel exterminador(also known as The Exterminating Angel), Altura Films, 1962
Le Journal d'une femme de chambre(also known as Il Diario di una cameriera and Diary of a Chambermaid), Cocinor, 1964
Simon del desierto(also known as Simon of the Desert), 1965
Belle de jour(also known as Bella di giorno), Allied Artists, 1967
La Voie lactee(also known as Die Milchstrasse, The Milky Way, and La Via lattea), U-M, 1969
Tristana, Maron, 1970
Una Historia decente,1971
Le Moine(also known as Il Monaco and The Monk), 1972
Le Charme descret de la bourgeoisie(also known as The DiscreetCharm of the Bourgeoisie, El Discreto encanto de la burguesia, and IlFascino discreto della borghesia), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1972
Au Rendez-Vous de la mort joyeuse,1972
La Femme aux Bottes Rouges,1974
Le Fantome de la liberte(also known as The Phantom of Liberty and The Specter of Freedom), 1974
Leonor,1975
Cet obscur objet du desir(also known as Ese oscuro objeto del deseo and That Obscure Object of Desire), First Artists, 1977
Film Scores
La Voie lactee(also known as Die Milchstrasse, The Milky Way, and La Via lattea), U-M, 1969

Further Reference

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

New York Times Biographical Edition, March 11, 1973, pp. 369-76. Americas, May-June, 1993, pp. 40-8.

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