John Houseman
(born Sept. 22, 1902, Bucharest, Rom. — died Oct. 31, 1988, Malibu, Calif., U.S.) Romanian-born U.S. producer and actor. Educated in England, in 1924 he immigrated to the U.S. In 1934 he directed the opera
Four Saints in Three Acts, and three years later he and
Orson Welles founded the Mercury Theatre. After moving to Hollywood in the 1940s he produced 19 films, including
Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948),
They Live by Night (1949), and
Lust for Life (1956). He also produced and directed Broadway plays and TV specials (winning three Emmy Awards) and directed the American Shakespeare Festival. His most notable acting role was in the film
The Paper Chase (1973, Academy Award) and the later TV series of the same name.
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