Joshua Logan

Joshua Logan - Film, Life Achievements and Facts

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Joshua Logan's Personal Details

Joshua Lockwood Logan III was an American film and stage director

InformationDetail
BirthdayOctober 5, 1908
Died onJuly 12, 1988
NationalityAmerican
FamousFilm & Theater Personalities, Directors, Theater Personalities, Writers, Film, Stage Director
SpousesNedda Harrigan (1945–1988)
Birth PlaceTexarkana, Texas, United States
GenderMale
FatherLockwood Logan
MotherSusan née Nabors
Sun SignLibra
Born inTexarkana, Texas, United States
Famous asFilm & Stage Director, Writer
Died at Age79

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Joshua Logan's photo

Who is Joshua Logan?

Joshua Lockwood Logan III was an American film and stage director best known for directing some of the most long lasting and renowned plays of ‘Broadway’, many of which were co-authored, produced and co-produced by him. Starting his career in the ‘Broadway’ as an actor with the play ‘Carry Nation’ in the early 1930s he eventually served as an assistant stage manager before endeavouring into stage direction. His first significant success as stage director came with the musical ‘I Married an Angel’ during the late 1930s following which he delivered a series of outstanding plays that became great hits. Classics such as ‘Fanny’, ‘South Pacific’, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, ‘Mister Roberts’ and ‘Charley’s Aunt’ were brought to ‘Broadway’ by him. In 1948 he jointly received the ‘Tony Award’ for penning down ‘Mister Roberts’ along with Thomas Heggen, the writer of the original novel. In 1950 he co-received the ‘Pulitzer Prize for Drama’ along with Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers and for co-authoring ‘South Pacific’. He was one of those theatre directors who also accomplished to carve out a niche for himself in Hollywood as well with hit and successful films like ‘Picnic’ and ‘Sayonara’. Other notable films of Logan, most of which he delivered during the 1950s and 1960s included ‘Paint Your Wagon’, ‘South Pacific’ and ‘Bus Stop’. His autobiography ‘Josh: My Up-and-Down, In-and-Out Life’ was published in 1976.

Childhood & Early Life

He was born on October 5, 1908, in Texarkana, Texas, to Joshua Lockwood Logan and his wife Susan née Nabors. His father committed suicide when Logan was only three years of age.

After the incident his mother relocated to her parent’s house in Mansfield Louisiana with young Logan and his younger sister Mary Lee. Forty years hence Logan used the same location as the backdrop of his play ‘The Wisteria Trees’.

When he was around nine years of age, his mother remarried following which he began attending the ‘Culver Military Academy’ in Culver, Indiana, where his stepfather worked as a teacher. It is in this academy that he had the opportunity to attend a drama class, an activity that became quite to his liking.

Completing graduation from high school Logan enrolled at ‘Princeton University’ which he attended from 1927 to 1931. There he remained actively associated with ‘University Players’, the intercollegiate summer stock company and also with the venerable musical theatre group of the university called ‘Princeton Triangle Club’. He also remained president of the club during his senior year.

However after winning a scholarship to study acting under eminent Russian actor and theatre director Constantin Stanislavsky, Logan left the university before completing his graduation and moved to Moscow.

Career

In 1932 he began his career in ‘Broadway’ with the historical play ‘Carry Nation’ by playwright Frank McGrath. Later he started working as an assistant stage manager.

He made his debut in Hollywood in the mid-1930s as a dialogue writer in a couple of films that starred Charles Boyer.

He went on to co-direct a romantic drama film along with Arthur Ripley and George Cukor (uncredited) titled ‘I Met My Love Again’ that was released on January 14, 1938. The film failed to create an impression at the box office and incurred a loss of $64,104.

Logan then opted to comeback to ‘Broadway’ where he met with moderate success directing the 1938 play ‘On Borrowed Time’ that ran for around a year.

His first significant ‘Broadway’ success as theatre director came with the play ‘I Married An Angel’, which opened on May 11, 1938, at ‘Shubert Theatre’. The play was staged for 338 performances and closed on February 25, 1939.

The next few years saw him successfully directing several plays that included ‘Knickerbocker Holiday’, that opened at the ‘Ethel Barrymore Theatre’ on ‘Broadway’ on October 19, 1938, and after completing 168 stage productions closed on March 11, 1939; ‘Morning's at Seven’, a play by Paul Osborn that opened at ‘Longacre Theatre’ on November 30, 1939 and ran for 44 performances; a three act farce titled ‘’Charley’s Aunt’ by Brandon Thomas that was staged in 1940; and the musical, ‘By Jupiter’ that was premiered at ‘Shubert Theatre’ on June 3, 1942, and after staging 427 performances closed on June 12, 1943.

During the ‘Second World War’, he was enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as public relations and intelligence officer. At the end of the war he was discharged as a Captain.

Thereafter he returned to ‘Broadway’. In 1946 he directed the musical, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, which was premiered in Broadway at the ‘Imperial Theatre’ on May 16, 1946. It became a huge hit with 1,147 performances in New York. The musical that included several hit songs was also premiered in West End at the London Coliseum on June 7, 1947, where it ran for 1,304 performances.

He directed and choreographed the musical ‘Wish You Were Here’ that was premiered on ‘Broadway’ at the ‘Imperial Theatre’ on June 25, 1952, and after staging 598 performances closed on November 28, 1953. It also ran for 282 performances at the London Casino starting from October 10, 1953.

His other notable directorial endeavours in ‘Broadway’ were ‘Happy Birthday’ (1945), ‘John Loves Mary’ (1946), ‘Mister Roberts’ (1948), ‘South Pacific’ (1949), ‘Fanny’ (1954), and ‘The World of Suzie Wong’ (1958).

Meanwhile he returned to Hollywood to direct remaining part of the comedy-drama ‘Mister Roberts’ (1955) that was interrupted due to ill health of its director John Ford. Logan’s directorial contribution in the film however remained uncredited.

In 1955 he went on to direct the film version of his 1953 play ‘Picnic’ with the same title. The film not only became a box office hit but also earned six ‘Academy Award’ nominations including Best Director and won two of them for Best Film Editing and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color. It was also winner of the prestigious ‘Grand Prix’ of the ‘Belgian Film Critics Association’.

His next blockbuster was the 1957 Technicolor film ‘Sayonara’ starring Marlon Brando. The film not only proved to be a smashing success commercially but also bagged kudos from the critics. It earned a remarkable count of 10 nominations from the ‘Academy Awards’ including one for Logan’s direction and won 4 out of them.

Other notable films of Logan were ‘Bus Stop’ (1956), ‘South Pacific’ (1958), ‘Camelot’ (1967) and ‘Paint Your Wagon’ (1969).

He served as a jury member in 1961 at the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival.

His later Broadway works included ‘All American’ (1962), ‘Mr. President’ (1962), ‘Ready When You Are, C.B.’ (1964) and others, however he failed to garner much success.

Logan taught theatre from 1983 to 1986 at the ‘Florida Atlantic University’ located in Boca Raton, Florida.

Personal Life & Legacy

During a brief period from 1939 to 1940 he remained married to American film and stage actress Barbara O'Neil.

In 1945 he married Nedda Harrigan.

Logan suffered from bipolar disorder, a mental disorder for which he had to be hospitalised for a couple of times. After he came to know that it can be restricted with proper treatment, he spoke on the subject to create awareness and also appeared on TV shows along with psychiatrist Ronald R. Fieve, who treated him with lithium in the 1970s to control the disorder.

He passed away on July 12, 1988, in New York City, after suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

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Joshua Logan biography timelines

  • // 5th Oct 1908
    He was born on October 5, 1908, in Texarkana, Texas, to Joshua Lockwood Logan and his wife Susan née Nabors. His father committed suicide when Logan was only three years of age.
  • // 1927 To 1931
    Completing graduation from high school Logan enrolled at ‘Princeton University’ which he attended from 1927 to 1931. There he remained actively associated with ‘University Players’, the intercollegiate summer stock company and also with the venerable musical theatre group of the university called ‘Princeton Triangle Club’. He also remained president of the club during his senior year.
  • // 1932
    In 1932 he began his career in ‘Broadway’ with the historical play ‘Carry Nation’ by playwright Frank McGrath. Later he started working as an assistant stage manager.
  • // 1938
    Logan then opted to comeback to ‘Broadway’ where he met with moderate success directing the 1938 play ‘On Borrowed Time’ that ran for around a year.
  • // 14th Jan 1938
    He went on to co-direct a romantic drama film along with Arthur Ripley and George Cukor (uncredited) titled ‘I Met My Love Again’ that was released on January 14, 1938. The film failed to create an impression at the box office and incurred a loss of $64,104.
  • // 11th May 1938 To 25th Feb 1939
    His first significant ‘Broadway’ success as theatre director came with the play ‘I Married An Angel’, which opened on May 11, 1938, at ‘Shubert Theatre’. The play was staged for 338 performances and closed on February 25, 1939.
  • // 1939 To 1940
    During a brief period from 1939 to 1940 he remained married to American film and stage actress Barbara O'Neil.
  • // 1942
    During the ‘Second World War’, he was enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 and served as public relations and intelligence officer. At the end of the war he was discharged as a Captain.
  • // 1945
    In 1945 he married Nedda Harrigan.
  • // 1953 To 1955
    In 1955 he went on to direct the film version of his 1953 play ‘Picnic’ with the same title. The film not only became a box office hit but also earned six ‘Academy Award’ nominations including Best Director and won two of them for Best Film Editing and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color. It was also winner of the prestigious ‘Grand Prix’ of the ‘Belgian Film Critics Association’.
  • // 1955
    Meanwhile he returned to Hollywood to direct remaining part of the comedy-drama ‘Mister Roberts’ (1955) that was interrupted due to ill health of its director John Ford. Logan’s directorial contribution in the film however remained uncredited.
  • // 1957
    His next blockbuster was the 1957 Technicolor film ‘Sayonara’ starring Marlon Brando. The film not only proved to be a smashing success commercially but also bagged kudos from the critics. It earned a remarkable count of 10 nominations from the ‘Academy Awards’ including one for Logan’s direction and won 4 out of them.
  • // 1961
    He served as a jury member in 1961 at the 2nd Moscow International Film Festival.
  • // 1983 To 1986
    Logan taught theatre from 1983 to 1986 at the ‘Florida Atlantic University’ located in Boca Raton, Florida.
  • // 12th Jul 1988
    He passed away on July 12, 1988, in New York City, after suffering from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

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Joshua Logan's FAQ

  • What is Joshua Logan birthday?

    Joshua Logan was born at 1908-10-05

  • When was Joshua Logan died?

    Joshua Logan was died at 1988-07-12

  • Where was Joshua Logan died?

    Joshua Logan was died in New York City, New York, United States

  • Which age was Joshua Logan died?

    Joshua Logan was died at age 79

  • Where is Joshua Logan's birth place?

    Joshua Logan was born in Texarkana, Texas, United States

  • What is Joshua Logan nationalities?

    Joshua Logan's nationalities is American

  • Who is Joshua Logan spouses?

    Joshua Logan's spouses is Nedda Harrigan (1945–1988)

  • Who is Joshua Logan's father?

    Joshua Logan's father is Lockwood Logan

  • Who is Joshua Logan's mother?

    Joshua Logan's mother is Susan née Nabors

  • What is Joshua Logan's sun sign?

    Joshua Logan is Libra

  • How famous is Joshua Logan?

    Joshua Logan is famouse as Film & Stage Director, Writer