Sidney Lumet

The illustrious Sidney Lumet was a master of the silver screen, renowned for his technical expertise and his ability to coax the very best performances from his talented assembly of actors. Lumet's films were often complex and emotive, yet artfully avoiding any sentimentality. Although his politics were left-leaning and many of his films tackled socially relevant themes, it was never his intention to create political cinema. Born on June 25, 1924 in Philadelphia, the son of actor Baruch Lumet and dancer Eugenia Wermus Lumet, Lumet made his stage debut at the Yiddish Art Theater in New York at the tender age of four. In the 1930s, Lumet acted on Broadway, in addition to appearing in the film One Third of a Nation (1939). After founding an off-Broadway acting troupe in the late 1940s, Lumet made his directorial debut in 12 Angry Men (1957). His later works include Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Network (1976), The Verdict (1982), and The Wiz (1978). A true luminary of the film industry, Lumet will forever be remembered for his illustrious legacy.