Henry King (director)
A pioneering Hollywood director who translated intimate human stories into cinematic spectacles, defining American film for decades.
1886–1982 (age 96)·American film director·Birthday: January 24·The Lost Generation
Biography
Henry King didn't just make movies; he helped invent the language of American cinema. Starting as an actor in the silent era, he quickly moved behind the camera, demonstrating an instinct for narrative and a technical boldness that set him apart. King had a rare gift for balancing grand scale with emotional authenticity, whether he was filming the aerial dogfights in 'The Dawn Patrol' or the pastoral beauty of 'The Song of Bernadette.' He formed a legendary partnership with actor Tyrone Power, guiding him through a string of hits like 'The Black Swan' and 'Captain from Castile,' and was a key figure at 20th Century Fox for over two decades. His work was both commercially potent and critically respected, earning multiple Academy Award nominations and helping to establish the director as the central creative force in filmmaking. King's legacy is a catalog of American myths and moral tales, told with a craftsman's precision and a storyteller's heart.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Henry was born in 1886, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Henry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1886
Henry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1886Born
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1891Started school
President: Benjamin Harrison
1899Became a teenager
President: William McKinley
1902Could drive
The eruption of Mount Pelee kills 30,000 in Martinique
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1904Could vote
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1907Turned 21
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Turned 30
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1926Turned 40
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1936Turned 50
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 60
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 70
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 80
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1982Died at 96
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
Key Achievements
- Directed 'The Song of Bernadette' (1943), which won four Academy Awards including Best Actress.
- Helmed the first film shot in the wide-screen process CinemaScope, 'The Robe' (1953).
- Received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for 'The Song of Bernadette' and 'Wilson' (1944).
- Discovered and launched the major film career of actor Gregory Peck in 'The Keys of the Kingdom' (1944).
- Served as president of the Directors Guild of America from 1946 to 1948.
Did You Know?
He was a licensed pilot and often flew himself to location scouting trips.
Before film, he worked as a railroad brakeman and a telephone lineman.
He served in the United States Navy Air Service during World War I.
He directed over 100 films in a career spanning from 1915 to 1962.
“A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant, and a bastard.”
