John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American filmmaker. He is known for making The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (also 1962), The Train, (1964) and Seven Days in May (also 1964).
Frankenheimer was born in Malba, Queens, New York, the son of Helen Mary (née Sheedy) and Walter Martin Frankenheimer, a stockbroker. Frankenheimer thought he might be related to actress Ally Sheedy. His father was of G...
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John Michael Frankenheimer (February 19, 1930 – July 6, 2002) was an American filmmaker. He is known for making The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Birdman of Alcatraz (also 1962), The Train, (1964) and Seven Days in May (also 1964).
Frankenheimer was born in Malba, Queens, New York, the son of Helen Mary (née Sheedy) and Walter Martin Frankenheimer, a stockbroker. Frankenheimer thought he might be related to actress Ally Sheedy. His father was of German Jewish descent and his mother was Irish Catholic, and Frankenheimer was raised Catholic. He graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1951. Frankenheimer became a filmmaker while serving as a U.S. Air Force lieutenant during the Korean War, directing service films for the Air Force and became interested in directing after his military service.
Frankenheimer began his directing career in live television. He recalled after being discharged, he had an interview with CBS and had a conversation with the hiring manager...
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