History Creator / MitchellLeisen

His peak came during TheForties, and he continued to work, with diminishing results, throughout TheFifties. TV was another avenue he went to, directing ''Series/TheTwilightZone1959'', ''Shirley Temple’s Storybook'', and ''Wagon Train''.

[[quoteright:200:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mitchell_leisen.jpg]]

James Mitchell Leisen (October 6, 1898 – October 28, 1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director and has been rediscovered throughout the years.

Leisen began his Hollywood career as a costume designer for Creator/CecilBDeMille in a Creator/GloriaSwanson vehicle, ''Male and Female''. He continued to work in subsequent silent films: ''Forbidden Fruit'', ''Film/{{Rosita}}'' (Creator/ErnstLubitsch’s first American film with Creator/MaryPickford), ''Film/{{Robin Hood|1922}}'' (the Creator/DouglasFairbanks version), and ''Film/{{The Thief of Bagdad|1924}}''.

!!Mitchell Leisen on TV Tropes (directed only):

Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during UsefulNotes/TheSilentAgeOfHollywood and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director and has been rediscovered throughout the years.

* ''Film/DeathTakesAHoliday'' (1932)

His peak came during TheForties, and he continued to work, with diminishing results, throughout TheFifties. TV was another avenue he went to, directing ''Series/TheTwilightZone'', ''Shirley Temple’s Storybook'', and ''Wagon Train''.

Leisen began his Hollywood career as a costume designer for Creator/CecilBDeMille in a Creator/GloriaSwanson vehicle, ''Male and Female''. He continued to work in subsequent silent films: ''Forbidden Fruit'', ''Rosita'' (Creator/ErnstLubitsch’s first American film with Creator/MaryPickford), ''Film/{{Robin Hood|1922}}'' (the Creator/DouglasFairbanks version), and ''Film/{{The Thief of Bagdad|1924}}''.

Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during the SilentAgeOfHollywood and the GoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director and has been rediscovered throughout the years.

* ''Film/ToEachHisOwn'' (1946)

Tired of costume design, Leisen went into art direction, working for [=DeMille=] once again. Moving to Creator/{{Paramount}} to become a director, he directed many films during TheThirties, varying from musical/thrillers (''Murder at the Vanities'') to [[ScrewballComedy screwball comedies]] (''Film/HandsAcrossTheTable''/''Film/EasyLiving''/''Film/{{Midnight|1939}}'') to dramas (''Film/DeathTakesAHoliday/''Film/SwingHighSwingLow''). Even as a director, he continued to design ''haute couture'', interior decorating for luxury homes, and set designs for the famous Hollywood nightclub, The Coconut Grove.

(infuriating the writers), and was, therefore, the catalyst for these writers to turn into directors and have more control over their material.

!!Mitchell Leisen on Tv Tropes (directed only):

Leisen began his Hollywood career as a costume designer for Creator/CecilBDeMille in a Creator/GloriaSwanson vehicle, ''Male and Female''. He continued to work in subsequent silent films: ''Forbidden Fruit'', ''Rosita'' (Creator/ErnstLubitsch’s first American film with Creator/MaryPickford), ''Robin Hood'' (the Creator/DouglasFairbanks version), and ''The Thief of Baghdad''.

* ''Film/HoldBackTheDawn'' (1940)

Tired of costume design, Leisen went into art direction, working for [=DeMille=] once again. Moving to Creator/{{Paramount}} to become a director, he directed many films during TheThirties, varying from musical/thrillers (''Murder at the Vanities'') to [[ScrewballComedy screwball comedies]] (''Film/HandsAcrossTheTable''/''Film/EasyLiving''/''Film/{{Midnight|1939}}'') to dramas (''Film/SwingHighSwingLow''). Even as a director, he continued to design ''haute couture'', interior decorating for luxury homes, and set designs for the famous Hollywood nightclub, The Coconut Grove.

Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during the SilentAgeOfHollywood and the GoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director during TheThirties and TheForties and has been rediscovered throughout the years.

Tired of costume design, Leisen went into art direction, working for [=DeMille=] once again: ''King of Kings'', ''Madam Satan'', and ''The Sign of the Cross''. Moving to Creator/{{Paramount}} to become a director, he directed many films during TheThirties, varying from musical/thrillers (''Murder at the Vanities'') to [[ScrewballComedy screwball comedies]] (''Film/HandsAcrossTheTable''/''Film/EasyLiving''/''Film/{{Midnight|1939}}'') to dramas (''Film/SwingHighSwingLow''). Even as a director, he continued to design ''haute couture'', interior decorating for luxury homes, and set designs for the famous Hollywood nightclub, The Coconut Grove.

He famously changed the scripts of Creator/BillyWilder and Creator/PrestonSturges in favour of an actor's opinion (infuriating the writers), and was, therefore, the catalyst that forced these writers to turn into directors to exert more control over their material.

Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during the [[SilentMovie Silent Era]] and the GoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director during TheThirties and TheForties and has been rediscovered throughout the years.

He famously changed the scripts of Creator/BillyWilder and Creator/PrestonSturges in favour of many actor's opinions (infuriating the writers), and was, therefore, the catalyst that helped them turn into directors to exert more control over their material.

Mitchell Leisen (1898-1972) was an American art director, costume designer, and film director during the SilentEra and the GoldenAgeOfHollywood. Largely overshadowed by the talents of other directors or writers, he, nevertheless, was a popular director during TheThirties and TheForties and has been rediscovered throughout the years.