Franklin J Schaffner

Schaffner tied the nuptial knot with Helen Jane Gilchrist in 1948. The couple was blessed with two children, Jennie and Kate.

He breathed his last on July 2, 1989, at the age of 69. He was suffering from lung cancer in his last days.

Franklin J. Schaffner was born on May 30, 1920 in Tokyo, Japan to American missionaries Sarah Horting and Paul Franklin Schaffner. He was raised in Japan until he turned five.

At the age of five, he moved to United States along with his family. Therein, he attended the Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, graduating from the same in 1942 with a major in government and English. During his academic years, he was active in drama.

Following his early education, he gained admission at Columbia University studying law. However, his education was interrupted by World War II during which he served for four years as a lieutenant in the United States Navy Amphibious Forces in North Africa and Europe and with the Office for Strategic Services in India, Burma and China.

Following his service in World War II, he took up job for a world peace organization that in turn led him to the position of an assistant director for the documentary film, ‘March of Time’.

Schaffner found work as a director in the news and public affairs department of the CBS television network. His foremost work was directing television coverage of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1948. He also directed several public service programs and entertainment shows including hockey, basketball, horse races and beauty pageants.

In 1949, Schaffner made his directorial debut for the television show, ‘Wesley’. The success of ‘Wesley’ led him take up more directorial projects. The decade of 1950s saw him cap the role of a director for more than 150 live dramas for prominent anthology series such as The Ford Theatre Hour, Playhouse 90, Studio One in Hollywood.

In 1954, Schaffner won his first Emmy for the show ‘Twelve Angry Men’. Two more Emmy’s followed in 1955 for directing and co-writing the TV adaptation of the Broadway play, ‘The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial’. In 1961, he won yet another Emmy for directing the weekly series ‘The Defenders’.

In 1960, Schaffner directed Allen Drury’s play, ‘Advise and Consent’ on Broadway. In 1962, his directorial TV documentary ‘A Tour of the White House’ featuring Jacqueline Kennedy as the host received a Peabody Award.

Schaffner’s career most laudable work came during the end of 1960s and beginning of 1970s. His string of successful flicks began with the 1968 directorial film ‘Planet of the Apes’. The film was a grand commercial success and became one of the best science fiction films of the year. He followed the success score by an equally successful film ‘Patton’ a biopic on General George S Patton. ‘Patton’ earned Schaffner his first and only Oscar for Best Director. Other popular works by him include ‘Nicholas and Alexandra’ and ‘Papillon’.