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IMDbPro

Stanley Kubrick(1928-1999)

  • Director
  • Writer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00018
Stanley Kubrick in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
From '2001: A Space Odyssey' and 'A Clockwork Orange' to 'The Shining' and 'Eyes Wide Shut, ' we break down the cinematic trademarks of legendary director Stanley Kubrick.
Play clip1:38
A Guide to the Films of Stanley Kubrick
9 Videos
99+ Photos
Stanley Kubrick was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Sadie Gertrude (Perveler) and Jacob Leonard Kubrick, a physician. His family were Jewish immigrants (from Austria, Romania, and Russia). Stanley was considered intelligent, despite poor grades at school. Hoping that a change of scenery would produce better academic performance, Kubrick's father sent him in 1940 to Pasadena, California, to stay with his uncle, Martin Perveler. Returning to the Bronx in 1941 for his last year of grammar school, there seemed to be little change in his attitude or his results. Hoping to find something to interest his son, Jack introduced Stanley to chess, with the desired result. Kubrick took to the game passionately, and quickly became a skilled player. Chess would become an important device for Kubrick in later years, often as a tool for dealing with recalcitrant actors, but also as an artistic motif in his films.

Jack Kubrick's decision to give his son a camera for his thirteenth birthday would be an even wiser move: Kubrick became an avid photographer, and would often make trips around New York taking photographs which he would develop in a friend's darkroom. After selling an unsolicited photograph to Look Magazine, Kubrick began to associate with their staff photographers, and at the age of seventeen was offered a job as an apprentice photographer.

In the next few years, Kubrick had regular assignments for "Look", and would become a voracious movie-goer. Together with friend Alexander Singer, Kubrick planned a move into film, and in 1950 sank his savings into making the documentary Day of the Fight (1951). This was followed by several short commissioned documentaries (Flying Padre (1951), and (The Seafarers (1953), but by attracting investors and hustling chess games in Central Park, Kubrick was able to make Fear and Desire (1953) in California.

Filming this movie was not a happy experience; Kubrick's marriage to high school sweetheart Toba Metz did not survive the shooting. Despite mixed reviews for the film itself, Kubrick received good notices for his obvious directorial talents. Kubrick's next two films Killer's Kiss (1955) and The Killing (1956) brought him to the attention of Hollywood, and in 1957 he directed Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory (1957). Douglas later called upon Kubrick to take over the production of Spartacus (1960), by some accounts hoping that Kubrick would be daunted by the scale of the project and would thus be accommodating. This was not the case, however: Kubrick took charge of the project, imposing his ideas and standards on the film. Many crew members were upset by his style: cinematographer Russell Metty complained to producers that Kubrick was taking over his job. Kubrick's response was to tell him to sit there and do nothing. Metty complied, and ironically was awarded the Academy Award for his cinematography.

Kubrick's next project was to direct Marlon Brando in One-Eyed Jacks (1961), but negotiations broke down and Brando himself ended up directing the film himself. Disenchanted with Hollywood and after another failed marriage, Kubrick moved permanently to England, from where he would make all of his subsequent films. Despite having obtained a pilot's license, Kubrick was rumored to be afraid of flying.

Kubrick's first UK film was Lolita (1962), which was carefully constructed and guided so as to not offend the censorship boards which at the time had the power to severely damage the commercial success of a film. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) was a big risk for Kubrick; before this, "nuclear" was not considered a subject for comedy. Originally written as a drama, Kubrick decided that too many of the ideas he had written were just too funny to be taken seriously. The film's critical and commercial success allowed Kubrick the financial and artistic freedom to work on any project he desired. Around this time, Kubrick's focus diversified and he would always have several projects in various stages of development: "Blue Moon" (a story about Hollywood's first pornographic feature film), "Napoleon" (an epic historical biography, abandoned after studio losses on similar projects), "Wartime Lies" (based on the novel by Louis Begley), and "Rhapsody" (a psycho-sexual thriller).

The next film he completed was a collaboration with sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is hailed by many as the best ever made; an instant cult favorite, it has set the standard and tone for many science fiction films that followed. Kubrick followed this with A Clockwork Orange (1971), which rivaled Lolita (1962) for the controversy it generated - this time not only for its portrayal of sex, but also of violence. Barry Lyndon (1975) would prove a turning point in both his professional and private lives. His unrelenting demands of commitment and perfection of cast and crew had by now become legendary. Actors would be required to perform dozens of takes with no breaks. Filming a story in Ireland involving military, Kubrick received reports that the IRA had declared him a possible target. Production was promptly moved out of the country, and Kubrick's desire for privacy and security resulted in him being considered a recluse ever since.

Having turned down directing a sequel to The Exorcist (1973), Kubrick made his own horror film: The Shining (1980). Again, rumors circulated of demands made upon actors and crew. Stephen King (whose novel the film was based upon) reportedly didn't like Kubrick's adaptation (indeed, he would later write his own screenplay which was filmed as The Shining (1997).)

Kubrick's subsequent work has been well spaced: it was seven years before Full Metal Jacket (1987) was released. By this time, Kubrick was married with children and had extensively remodeled his house. Seen by one critic as the dark side to the humanist story of Platoon (1986), Full Metal Jacket (1987) continued Kubrick's legacy of solid critical acclaim, and profit at the box office.

In the 1990s, Kubrick began an on-again/off-again collaboration with Brian Aldiss on a new science fiction film called "Artificial Intelligence (AI)", but progress was very slow, and was backgrounded until special effects technology was up to the standard the Kubrick wanted.

Kubrick returned to his in-development projects, but encountered a number of problems: "Napoleon" was completely dead, and "Wartime Lies" (now called "The Aryan Papers") was abandoned when Steven Spielberg announced he would direct Schindler's List (1993), which covered much of the same material.

While pre-production work on "AI" crawled along, Kubrick combined "Rhapsody" and "Blue Movie" and officially announced his next project as Eyes Wide Shut (1999), starring the then-married Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. After two years of production under unprecedented security and privacy, the film was released to a typically polarized critical and public reception; Kubrick claimed it was his best film to date.

Special effects technology had matured rapidly in the meantime, and Kubrick immediately began active work on A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), but tragically suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep on March 7th, 1999.

After Kubrick's death, Spielberg revealed that the two of them were friends that frequently communicated discreetly about the art of filmmaking; both had a large degree of mutual respect for each other's work. "AI" was frequently discussed; Kubrick even suggested that Spielberg should direct it as it was more his type of project. Based on this relationship, Spielberg took over as the film's director and completed the last Kubrick project.

How much of Kubrick's vision remains in the finished project -- and what he would think of the film as eventually released -- will be the final great unanswerable mysteries in the life of this talented and private filmmaker.
BornJuly 26, 1928
DiedMarch 7, 1999(70)
BornJuly 26, 1928
DiedMarch 7, 1999(70)
IMDbProStarmeter
Top 5,00018
  • Won 1 Oscar

Director's Trademarks: A Guide to Stanley Kubrick's Films

Director's Trademarks: A Guide to Stanley Kubrick's Films

2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut are just the beginning of Stanley Kubrick's legacy. Are you up to speed on the film icon's style?
Watch the video
Image caption not available
1:38

Photos100

Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick and Sue Lyon in Lolita (1962)
Stanley Kubrick and George C. Scott in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick and Keir Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick and Keir Dullea in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stanley Kubrick in Barry Lyndon (1975)

Known for

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
8.3
  • Director
  • 1968
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Barry Lyndon
8.1
  • Director
  • 1975
Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
A Clockwork Orange
8.3
  • Director
  • 1971
Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Full Metal Jacket
8.3
  • Director
  • 1987

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Director

  • Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
    Eyes Wide Shut
  • Full Metal Jacket (1987)
    Full Metal Jacket
  • The Shining (1980)
    The Shining
  • Barry Lyndon (1975)
    Barry Lyndon
  • Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
    A Clockwork Orange
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Sue Lyon in Lolita (1962)
    Lolita
  • Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Tony Curtis, John Gavin, Charles Laughton, Jean Simmons, and Peter Ustinov in Spartacus (1960)
    Spartacus
  • Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory (1957)
    Paths of Glory
  • Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, and Marie Windsor in The Killing (1956)
    The Killing
  • Killer's Kiss (1955)
    Killer's Kiss
  • The Seafarers (1953)
    The Seafarers
  • Stanley Kubrick in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Fear and Desire
  • Day of the Fight (1951)
    Day of the Fight

Writer

  • Napoleon
    • In Development
  • God Fearing Man
    • Pre-production
  • Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
    Eyes Wide Shut
  • Full Metal Jacket (1987)
    Full Metal Jacket
  • The Shining (1980)
    The Shining
  • Barry Lyndon (1975)
    Barry Lyndon
  • Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
    A Clockwork Orange
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    2001: A Space Odyssey
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Sue Lyon in Lolita (1962)
    Lolita
    • (uncredited)
  • Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory (1957)
    Paths of Glory
  • Sterling Hayden, Coleen Gray, and Marie Windsor in The Killing (1956)
    The Killing
  • Killer's Kiss (1955)
    Killer's Kiss
  • Flying Padre (1951)
    Flying Padre
    • (uncredited)

Producer

  • Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
    Eyes Wide Shut
  • Full Metal Jacket (1987)
    Full Metal Jacket
  • The Shining (1980)
    The Shining
    • (produced by)
  • Barry Lyndon (1975)
    Barry Lyndon
  • Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange (1971)
    A Clockwork Orange
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
    2001: A Space Odyssey
    • (produced by)
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
    Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  • Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory (1957)
    Paths of Glory
    • (uncredited)
  • Killer's Kiss (1955)
    Killer's Kiss
  • Stanley Kubrick in Fear and Desire (1953)
    Fear and Desire
  • Day of the Fight (1951)
    Day of the Fight
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos9

Stream & Scream: The Best Haunted Houses
Clip 4:35
Stream & Scream: The Best Haunted Houses
'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
Clip 4:04
'The Platform' & Future Films From the IMDb Top 250
IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
Clip 3:59
IMDbrief: 'Outlaw King' & Most Epic Tracking Shots in Film History
A Guide to the Films of Stanley Kubrick
Clip 1:38
A Guide to the Films of Stanley Kubrick
Malcolm McDowell: The IMDb Original Interview
Interview 8:25
Malcolm McDowell: The IMDb Original Interview
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:43
Official Trailer
Kubrick's Odyssey: Secrets Hidden in the Films of Stanley Kubrick - Part One - Kubrick and Apollo
Trailer 1:04
Kubrick's Odyssey: Secrets Hidden in the Films of Stanley Kubrick - Part One - Kubrick and Apollo
Eyes Wide Shut
Trailer 1:03
Eyes Wide Shut
By The Numbers: 'The Shining'
Video 5:19
By The Numbers: 'The Shining'

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Exposición Stanley Kubrick
    • Facebook
    • July 26, 1928
    • New York City, New York, USA
    • March 7, 1999
    • Harpenden, Hertfordshire, England, UK(natural causes)
    • Christiane KubrickApril 14, 1958 - March 7, 1999 (his death, 2 children)
    • Anya Kubrick
    • Martin Perveler(Aunt or Uncle)
  • Former staff photographer for Look Magazine.
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Biographical Movies
    • 38 Print Biographies
    • 7 Portrayals
    • 6 Interviews
    • 58 Articles
    • 2 Pictorials
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    People would come to his door looking for him, and as few people knew what he looked like, he would tell them that "Stanley Kubrick wasn't home."
  • Quotes
    I never learned anything at all in school and didn't read a book for pleasure until I was 19 years old.
    • [Narration] Nearly all of his films contain a narration at some point (2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)) contains narration in the screenplay, as does the screenplay for Eyes Wide Shut (1999), and The Shining (1980) has some sparse title cards.
    • Eyes Wide Shut
      (1999)
      $10,000,000

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