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| Gene Saks | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gene Saks |
| Birth name | Jean Michael Saks |
| Birth date | 8 November 1921 |
| Birth place | New York City |
| Death date | 28 March 2015 |
| Death place | Manhattan |
| Occupation | Stage director, Film director, Actor |
| Years active | 1949–2015 |
| Spouse | Jill Clayburgh (m. 1970–1978); Beatrice Saks (m. 1949–1978) |
| Children | Daniel Saks; Nicolas Saks |
Gene Saks Eminent American stage and film director and occasional actor known for collaborations with playwrights Neil Simon, Edward Albee, and Arthur Miller. He directed landmark Broadway productions including The Odd Couple, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, and Biloxi Blues, and translated stage success to film adaptations featuring actors such as Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, and Matthew Broderick. His career spanned Broadway, Off-Broadway, Hollywood, and television, intersecting with institutions like the Broadway League, the Tony Awards, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Born in New York City, he was raised in a milieu shaped by immigrant neighborhoods and the cultural institutions of Manhattan, attending local schools before serving in the United States Army during World War II. After military service he studied drama at the New School for Social Research and trained at the Actors Studio, associating with figures from the Group Theatre lineage. Early influences included directors and teachers from the Yiddish Theatre District, the Federal Theatre Project legacy, and contemporaries connected to the Guthrie Theater and Yale School of Drama networks.
He made his mark Off-Broadway with productions at the Cherry Lane Theatre and the Phoenix Theatre, collaborating with playwrights such as Neil Simon, Edward Albee, Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. On Broadway he directed premieres and revivals at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Belasco Theatre, and Nederlander Theatre, overseeing casts featuring Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon, Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman, and Jason Robards. Notable productions included The Odd Couple (original production), The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Biloxi Blues, working with producers from David Merrick to Kermit Bloomgarden. He also staged works at regional venues including the Arena Stage, Long Wharf Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and participated in festivals like Spoleto Festival USA and the Williamstown Theatre Festival.
Transitioning to screen, he directed film adaptations of stage hits for studios including Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Universal Pictures. His film credits include screen versions of The Odd Couple (featuring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau), Barefoot in the Park (starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda), and Cactus Flower (starring Goldie Hawn and Walter Matthau), collaborating with screenwriters such as Neil Simon and producers like Ray Stark. On television he directed episodes and specials for networks including NBC, CBS, and ABC, working with performers from Lucille Ball to Bette Davis and crews linked to the Directors Guild of America. He frequently adapted theatrical timing and blocking for camera work, bridging Broadway conventions and Hollywood studio systems.
He was married and divorced; his personal circle included actors and artists linked to Jill Clayburgh, Beatrice Saks (spouse name historically associated), and children who pursued creative careers. He maintained friendships with peers in the Actors Studio community, associates from the American Theatre Wing, and collaborators from the Circle in the Square Theatre. He was active in mentorship programs connected to the Drama Desk Awards and served on panels for institutions like the Tony Awards nominating committees and the Lincoln Center's theater initiatives.
His directing earned recognition from major arts organizations: multiple Tony Award nominations and wins for Best Direction of a Play, Drama Desk Award honors, and accolades from the Outer Critics Circle and the New York Drama Critics' Circle. Film industry acknowledgments included nominations and recognition from the Golden Globe Awards and screening selections at festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival retrospectives. He received lifetime achievement and service awards from the Directors Guild of America, the American Theatre Hall of Fame, and honors bestowed by the Theatre World Awards and regional bodies like the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle.
He died in Manhattan at an advanced age, leaving a legacy evident in revivals staged at venues like the Roundabout Theatre Company, scholarly studies in publications linked to Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press theater histories, and retrospectives hosted by the Paley Center for Media and the Museum of the City of New York. His work continues to be cited in biographies of Neil Simon, histories of Broadway, and curriculum at programs including the Juilliard School and Tisch School of the Arts, and his productions remain benchmarks for directors working between theatre and film.
Category:1921 births Category:2015 deaths Category:American theatre directors Category:American film directors