Don Siegel Net Worth
Don Siegel Net Worth is
$1.3 Million
Don Siegel Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
Donald Siegel (October 26, 1912 – April 20, 1991) was an American film director and producer. His name variously appeared in the credits of his films as both Don Siegel and Donald Siegel. He was best known for the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) as well as five films with Clint Eastwood, including Dirty Harry (1971) and Escape from Alcatraz (1979), and John Wayne's final picture, 1976's The Shootist. | Date Of Birth | October 26, 1912 |
| Died | 1991-04-20 |
| Place Of Birth | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Height | 5' 9" (1.75 m) |
| Profession | Director, Producer, Editorial Department |
| Spouse | Viveca Lindfors |
| Children | Anney Mary Margaret Siegel, Jack Siegel, Katherine Dorothy Salvaderi, Nowell Siegel |
| Star Sign | Scorpio |
| # | Trademark |
|---|---|
| 1 | His films were frequently interpreted as having controversial, right-wing political or sociological undertone, which Siegel never commented on |
| 2 | Strong male characters and scheming female characters (if there were any major female characters in the stories at all), frequently leading to charges of misogyny |
| 3 | Known for his extensive preparation and highly efficient shooting style, which were the main influence on the directing style of his protege, Clint Eastwood |
| 4 | Frequently cast Clint Eastwood. |
| Title | Salary |
|---|---|
| Escape from Alcatraz (1979) | $2,000,000 |
| The Shootist (1976) | $250,000 |
| Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) | $10,000 |
| Table Tennis (1936) | $600 |
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | [on shooting in CinemaScope] I don't like the proportions at all. Look at the great paintings in museums: they are not in the shape of Band-Aids. I prefer the older, rectangular aperture. |
| 2 | [on Mickey Rooney, who he directed in Baby Face Nelson (1957)] . . . I admired his skill and loathed his personality. |
| 3 | I'm not a violent man . . . There are many other things that happen in our lives other than crime and violence and I think, as long as we do them entertainingly, then what's wrong with doing them? |
| 4 | On The Verdict (1946), I was working with Sydney Greenstreet, who knew every period, every comma, every dotted "i" in the script, and the only thing he would beg was that his lines should not be changed. Peter Lorre would walk on the set, and his first remark would be, not "What picture am I doing?" or "What scene am I doing?", but "What studio am I in? What country am I in?" Apparently, he'd never seen the script before. We would stumble through three rehearsals. [He] was the fastest study I have ever seen in my life, and these two people, these two incredibly different people, from opposite worlds and with the opposite approach to their work, would make poetry together. |
| 5 | [on Eli Wallach] Eli Wallach is a great actor, but like all great actors--he has so much to give--he must be watched carefully by the director, or he'll overact. This isn't because he's a bad actor, but because he can call on such reservoirs of talent. |
| 6 | When I refused to take directing credit for the film [Death of a Gunfighter (1969)], as did [Robert Totten], the Directors' Guild made up a pseudonym for Totten and myself, 'Allen Smithee". As the picture was well received, I told my young friends who wanted to be directors to change their name to Smithee and take credit for direction of the picture. I don't know if anyone did this. I still think under certain circumstances, they might have cracked the "magic barrier" and become directors. |
| 7 | I think in America I'm looked upon as the equivalent of a European director--which is quite laughable. I've never had a personal publicity man working for me. So all this came out of the blue--all this publicity. The cult was not engineered. It festered, in a sense. And erupted. And it did me a lot of good. |
| 8 | [on Charles Bronson] He is a very helpful actor in planning or staging a scene. He gets wonderful ideas, good practical suggestions and I enjoy his contributions. He's a positive force for the good in this grinding work of making a film. He's patient when the work is difficult and he's never satisfied until he's convinced what's been done is right. He's my kind of actor, you might say. He's a true loner. |
| 9 | [on Clint Eastwood] Hardest thing in the world is to do nothing and he does it marvelously. |
| 10 | [on Walter Matthau] One of the funniest men I ever worked with and didn't understand a thing about the movie [Charley Varrick (1973)] at all. When I showed him the first cut all he said was, "Well, I got to admit it's a picture but can anyone tell me what the hell it's all about?" |
| 11 | [on working with Steve McQueen on Hell Is for Heroes (1962)] He walked around with the attitude that the burden of preserving the integrity of the picture was on his shoulders and all the rest of us were company men ready to sell out, grind out an inferior picture for a few bucks and the bosses. Eventually, we grew to like each other. |
| 12 | [on Walter Wanger] He was a rarity among producers. He encouraged creativity. He wasn't only interested in protecting himself, which is what most producers do. |
| 13 | [on working with Bette Midler in Jinxed! (1982)] I'd let my wife, children and animals starve before I'd subject myself to something like that again. |
| 14 | [on editing] If you shake a movie, ten minutes will fall out. |
| 15 | I once told [Jean-Luc Godard] that he had something I wanted--freedom. He said, "You have something I want--money". |
| 16 | Most of my pictures, I'm sorry to say, are about nothing. Because I'm a whore. I work for money. It's the American way. |
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Don Siegel married his first wife in the sixteenth district of Paris. |
| 2 | Don had a home in the Longridge Estates, in the San Fernando Valley section of Los Angeles. |
| 3 | Don Siegel says in his biography that he was supposed to direct Das Boot, the war film about German submarine. But there was a major issue between him and his usual screen writer that provoked to Siegel a brain vascular. So Don Siegel abandoned the project. |
| 4 | Began in the film business in 1934. His uncle, Jack Saper, was a producer at Warner Brothers and arranged for Siegel to get an interview with production chief Hal B. Wallis, who gave him a job in the film library at that studio. |
| 5 | He's the son of a mandolin virtuoso. |
| 6 | While filming Flaming Star (1960) starring Elvis Presley, for two weeks he drove Presley's new Rolls-Royce. |
| 7 | Interviewed in Peter Bogdanovich's "Who the Devil Made It: Conversations With Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock, Chuck Jones, Fritz Lang, Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel, Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, Raoul Walsh." NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997. |
| 8 | Siegel and producer Walter Wanger had been desperately trying to persuade the warden of San Quentin Prison to allow the use of the facility to film Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954), but the warden had adamantly refused. After the final meeting in the prison, when the warden had said there was nothing Siegel or Wanger could do to persuade him to allow filming there, Siegel turned to speak to his assistant, Sam Peckinpah. When the warden heard Peckinpah's name, he asked, "Are you related to Denver Peckinpah?" Sam replied that Denver was his father. It turned out that Denver Peckinpah was a well-known jurist in northern California who had a reputation as a "hanging judge" and the warden had long been an admirer of his. He immediately granted the company permission to shoot the movie in San Quentin. |
| 9 | Was Sam Peckinpah's mentor. |
| 10 | He originally intended for Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) to end with the hero, Dr. Miles Bennell (Kevin McCarthy) on the highway shouting to the motorists, "You're next! You're next!" but Allied Artists wanted a happier ending that assured the audience the hero's efforts had not been in vain. Siegel subsequently added the opening with Miles in the hospital recounting his story to the other two doctors, who find out at the end of the film that the pod people are real and contact the FBI. |
| 11 | Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945." Pages 997-1001. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987. |
| 12 | Father of Anney Siegel-Wamsat. |
| 13 | During filming of Dirty Harry (1971), Siegel fell ill with the flu, and Clint Eastwood stepped in temporarily as director, during a critical scene involving a suicide jumper. This was Eastwood's first unbilled credit as director. |
| 14 | In Charley Varrick (1973) and Telefon (1977), a yellow Lincoln Continental sedan is used as part of a major plot in the film. In both films, the Continental sedan is involved in a front-end collision and subsequently totalled. |
| 15 | In Telefon (1977), where Houston, Texas, is the location of a subplot in the story, the interior of the Hyatt Regency is not in the one in Houston but actually the one located at 5 Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, which is the same location for the disaster epic The Towering Inferno (1974). San Francisco was also the setting for three other Siegel films: The Lineup (1958), Dirty Harry (1971) and Escape from Alcatraz (1979). |
| 16 | Was mentor to Clint Eastwood. Eastwood dedicated his film Unforgiven (1992) to him. |
| 17 | Siegel was the first director to be credited by the Director's Guild of America's universal pseudonym Alan Smithee, for Death of a Gunfighter (1969). Siegel wished to remain uncredited because he felt the film's star, Richard Widmark, ruined the picture by insisting on creative control that usurped Siegel's authority as director, and also because Widmark had fired original director Robert Totten, who completed most of the picture, and Siegel felt that if anyone should be credited for the film it should have been Totten and not him. |
| 18 | Was eager to direct movies as early as 1942, but his contract with Warner Brothers kept him restricted to doing editing and montage sequences. Studio chief Jack L. Warner refused to let Siegel out of his contract because he wanted to utilize his exceptional montage skills. |
| 19 | Father of actor Kristoffer Tabori, born 1952 |
| 20 | Siegel and screenwriter Stephen Geller (The Valachi Papers (1972), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)) once collaborated on a script of "The First Deadly Sin" (based on the novel), to be directed by Siegel. The project fell through, however, and a different version was filmed several years later. |
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jinxed! | 1982 | ||
| Rough Cut | 1980 | ||
| Escape from Alcatraz | 1979 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Telefon | 1977 | ||
| The Shootist | 1976 | ||
| The Black Windmill | 1974 | ||
| Charley Varrick | 1973 | ||
| Dirty Harry | 1971 | ||
| The Beguiled | 1971 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Two Mules for Sister Sara | 1970 | ||
| Death of a Gunfighter | 1969 | as Allen Smithee | |
| Coogan's Bluff | 1968 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Madigan | 1968 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Stranger on the Run | 1967 | TV Movie as Donald Siegel | |
| The Legend of Jesse James | 1965 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Convoy | 1965 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| The Hanged Man | 1964 | TV Movie as Donald Siegel | |
| The Killers | 1964 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Destry | 1964 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| The Twilight Zone | 1963-1964 | TV Series 2 episodes | |
| Breaking Point | 1963 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| The Lloyd Bridges Show | 1963 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Hell Is for Heroes | 1962 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Bus Stop | 1961 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Flaming Star | 1960 | ||
| Alcoa Theatre | 1960 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Edge of Eternity | 1959 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Hound-Dog Man | 1959 | ||
| Adventure Showcase | 1959 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| The Gun Runners | 1958 | as Donald Siegel | |
| The Lineup | 1958 | ||
| Baby Face Nelson | 1957 | ||
| Spanish Affair | 1957 | ||
| Code 3 | 1957 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| Crime in the Streets | 1956 | as Donald Siegel | |
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | 1956 | ||
| Frontier | 1955 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| An Annapolis Story | 1955 | ||
| Private Hell 36 | 1954 | ||
| Riot in Cell Block 11 | 1954 | ||
| China Venture | 1953 | ||
| The Doctor | 1952-1953 | TV Series 3 episodes | |
| Count the Hours | 1953 | ||
| No Time for Flowers | 1952 | ||
| The Duel at Silver Creek | 1952 | ||
| The Big Steal | 1949 | ||
| Night Unto Night | 1949 | ||
| The Verdict | 1946 | ||
| Hitler Lives | 1945 | Documentary short uncredited | |
| Star in the Night | 1945 | Short |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escape from Alcatraz | 1979 | producer - as Donald Siegel | |
| The Black Windmill | 1974 | producer | |
| Charley Varrick | 1973 | producer | |
| Dirty Harry | 1971 | producer | |
| The Beguiled | 1971 | producer - as Donald Siegel | |
| Coogan's Bluff | 1968 | producer - as Donald Siegel | |
| The Legend of Jesse James | 1965-1966 | TV Series producer - 34 episodes | |
| Convoy | 1965 | TV Series producer - 1 episode | |
| The Killers | 1964 | producer - as Donald Siegel | |
| Edge of Eternity | 1959 | associate producer - as Donald Siegel |
Editorial Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devotion | 1946 | montage | |
| Saratoga Trunk | 1945 | montages | |
| The Adventures of Mark Twain | 1944 | montage | |
| This Is the Army | 1943 | montage | |
| Mission to Moscow | 1943 | montage | |
| Edge of Darkness | 1943 | montages | |
| The Hard Way | 1943 | montage | |
| Gentleman Jim | 1942 | montages | |
| George Washington Slept Here | 1942 | montage | |
| Now, Voyager | 1942 | montages | |
| They Died with Their Boots On | 1941 | montage - uncredited | |
| Blues in the Night | 1941 | montages | |
| One Foot in Heaven | 1941 | montages | |
| Meet John Doe | 1941 | montage effects - uncredited | |
| Knute Rockne All American | 1940 | montage - uncredited | |
| They Drive by Night | 1940 | montage - uncredited | |
| All This, and Heaven Too | 1940 | montage - uncredited | |
| Brother Orchid | 1940 | montage - uncredited | |
| The Roaring Twenties | 1939 | montage - uncredited | |
| Confessions of a Nazi Spy | 1939 | montage - uncredited |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Into the Night | 1985 | Embarrassed Man | |
| Jinxed! | 1982 | Owner Adult Bookstore | |
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | 1978 | Taxi Driver | |
| McCloud | 1975 | TV Series | 2nd Desk Sergeant |
| Charley Varrick | 1973 | Murphy (as Donald Siegel) | |
| Dirty Harry | 1971 | Pedestrian Passing Harry's Car (uncredited) | |
| Play Misty for Me | 1971 | Murphy (as Donald Siegel) | |
| Coogan's Bluff | 1968 | Elevator Passenger (uncredited) | |
| Faces | 1968/I | Extra at Whiskey A-Go-Go (uncredited) | |
| The Killers | 1964 | Cook at diner (uncredited) | |
| Too Late Blues | 1961 | Minor Role (unconfirmed, uncredited) | |
| Edge of Eternity | 1959 | Man at Motel Pool (uncredited) |
Assistant Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| All the King's Men | 1949 | second unit director - uncredited | |
| Saratoga Trunk | 1945 | second unit director - uncredited | |
| The Conspirators | 1944 | assistant director - uncredited | |
| To Have and Have Not | 1944 | assistant director - uncredited | |
| Northern Pursuit | 1943 | second unit director - uncredited | |
| Mission to Moscow | 1943 | second unit director - uncredited | |
| Sergeant York | 1941 | second unit director - uncredited |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Pursuit | 1943 | montages | |
| Background to Danger | 1943 | montages | |
| Action in the North Atlantic | 1943 | montages | |
| Casablanca | 1942 | montages | |
| Across the Pacific | 1942 | montages | |
| Yankee Doodle Dandy | 1942 | montages |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Man from Blackhawk | 1959 | TV Series story - 1 episode | |
| The United States Steel Hour | 1955 | TV Series story - 1 episode | |
| Star in the Night | 1945 | Short uncredited |
Cinematographer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Adventures of Mark Twain | 1944 | uncredited |
Special Effects
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passage to Marseille | 1944 | special effects - uncredited |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vixen Highway 2006: It Came from Uranus! | 2010 | special thanks | |
| Do poslednjeg kolokvijuma | 2002 | Short dedicatee | |
| Unforgiven | 1992 | dedicated to - as Don |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Party for Clint Eastwood | 1986 | TV Special | Himself |
| Cinéma cinémas | 1984 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Don Siegel: Last of the Independents | 1980 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Arena | 1976 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Cinema | 1973 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Dirty Harry's Way | 1971 | Short documentary | Himself |
| The Beguiled: The Storyteller | 1971 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Table Tennis | 1936 | Short | Himself |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Masters | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Director |
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Career Achievement Award | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | ||
| 1987 | Silver Medallion Award | Telluride Film Festival, US |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | DGA Award | Directors Guild of America, USA | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures | Riot in Cell Block 11 (1954) |
Known for movies
Dirty Harry (1971)
as Director
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
as Director
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
as Director
The Shootist (1976)
as Director