Cry Wilderness

Frank Capra was born in 1897 in Bisaquino, Sicily. In 1903 his family left for America to join his brother, who was already in the US. Benjamin lived in Los Angeles so Frank and his family left Ellis Island and headed for the west coast. He went to Caltech, then called Throop College, and graduated in 1918. After a short lived stint in the Army, Frank went to work as a movie extra, where he realized that he loved the movies.In 1927 Capra was hired by Harry Cohn to direct movies for Columbia Pictures. He married his second wife, Lucille Warner Reyburn, in 1929, she was the love of his life and they had four children and spent the rest of their lives together.He directed a series of successful movies and discovered talent like Barbara Stanwyck, who he directed in Ladies of Leisure, Meet John Doe, and Bitter Tea of General Yen. In 1931, he was assigned to direct Platinum Blonde with Jean Harlow. On that set he met Robert Riskin, who helped him polish the screenplay. Their collaboration was one for the ages and from it came It Happened One Night, Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Lost Horizon, You Can't Take It With You, and It's a Wonderful Life among others.Frank Capra won six academy award, was president of the Motion Picture Arts Academy, and the Directors Guild of America. He won countless awards from around the world and met kings, presidents, and even the Pope. He was one of the greatest film directors of all time.After his film career, he took to writing books, lectures, and essays, many of which have not been published. His autobiography The Name Above The Title was a bestseller when it was released in 1971.Capra died in California in 1991. His films and stories live on.