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Gordon Parks Biography (1912-)

Full name, Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks; born November 30, 1912, inFort Scott, KS; son of Jackson and Sarah (Ross) Parks; married Sally Alvis, 1933 (divorced, 1961); married Elizabeth Campbell, December, 1962 (divorced, 1973); married Genevieve Young (a book editor), August 26, 1973; children: Gordon Roger, Jr. (died, 1979), Toni Parks-Parsons, David (first marriage); Leslie (second marriage). Addresses: HOME--860 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017. AGENT--c/o Ben Benjamin, Creative Management Associates, 9255Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Birth Details

November 30, 1912

Fort Scott, Kansas, United States

Famous Works

• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Croupier, Shaft's Big Score, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), 1972.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM WORK; DIRECTOR
• (Also producer) The Learning Tree (also known as Learn, Baby, Learn), Warner Brothers, 1969.
• Shaft, MGM, 1971.
• Shaft's Big Score, MGM, 1972.
• The Super Cops, MGM, 1974.
• Aaron Loves Angela, Columbia, 1975.
• Leadbelly, Paramount, 1976.
• Also directed Flavio (documentary), 1961; Moments without Proper Names, 1986.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SPECIALS
• Gordon Parks: Moments without Proper Names, PBS, 1988.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION WORK; ALL AS DIRECTOR EPISODIC
• "Solomon Northrup's Odyssey," American Playhouse, PBS, 1984.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• Gordon Parks: Moments without Proper Names, PBS, 1988.
• Also Diary of a Harlem Family (documentary), 1968.
• Writings
• See production details above.
• Writings;FILM
• Flavio (documentary), 1961.
• (also composer of score) The Learning Tree, 1969.
• (composer of score) Shaft's Big Score, 1972.
• Writings;TELEVISION; EPISODIC
• "Solomon Northrup's Odyssey," American Playhouse, 1984.
• Writings;SPECIALS
• Diary of a Harlem Family (documentary), 1968.
• (composer of score) Gordon Parks: Moments without Proper Names, 1988.
• Writings;OTHER
• Flash Photography (non-fiction), 1947.
• Camera Portraits: Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture (non-fiction), F. Watts, 1948.
• The Learning Tree (autobiographical novel), Harper, 1963.
• A Choice of Weapons (autobiography), Harper, 1966.
• Gordon Parks: A Poet and His Camera (poetry and photographs), Viking, 1968.
• Gordon Parks: Whispers of Intimate Things (poetry), Viking, 1971.
• Born Black (essays), Lippincott, 1971.
• In Love (poetry), Lippincott, 1971.
• Moments without Proper Names (poetry), Viking, 1975.
• Flavio (biography), Norton, 1978.
• To Smile in Autumn (autobiography), 1979.
• Shannon (novel), 1981.
• Photographs appear in The Photographs of Gordon Parks, by Martin H.
• Bush, 1983.
• Writings;COMPOSITIONS
• Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, 1953.
• Tree Symphony (film score), 1967.
• Run Sister Run (film score).
• Martin (ballet).
• Piece for Cello and Orchestra, Five Piano Sonatas, Work for Piano and Woodwinds, Piano Sonatas for Gordon, Jr, Toni, David, and Leslie.
• Celebrations for Sarah Ross and Andrew Jackson Parks.
• Also blues and popular music.