---
name: "Stanley Donen"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/stanley-donen"
fi1m_id: "stanley-donen"
imdb_id: "nm0002045"
tmdb_id: 13284
wikidata_id: "Q48765"
roles: ["Director"]
born: "13 April 1924"
died: "21 February 2019"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 84
average_as: "director"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-25T04:40:25.619593+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Stanley Donen

## Identity

Stanley Donen

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/stanley-donen
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** stanley-donen
- **IMDb ID:** nm0002045
- **TMDB ID:** 13284
- **Wikidata ID:** Q48765
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Donen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48765, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002045/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13284

Director. Born 13 April 1924 in Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Died 21 February 2019.

## Details

- **Work:** Director
- **Born:** 13 April 1924, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
- **Died:** 21 February 2019
- **Active:** 1949–1985
- **Also known as:** 스탠리 도넌
- **Frequently works with:** [Adolph Green](https://film.one/person/adolph-green.md), [Arthur Freed](https://film.one/person/arthur-freed.md), [Betty Comden](https://film.one/person/betty-comden.md), [Gene Kelly](https://film.one/person/gene-kelly.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 84, as director, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1940s 84 (1), 1950s 84 (2), 1980s 82 (1)
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 4, Drama 2, Romance 2, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Western 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $17m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Donen, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48765, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002045/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/13284

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*On the Town*](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md) (84), [*Seven Brides for Seven Brothers*](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md) (76)
- **HBO Max:** [*Singin' in the Rain*](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md) (93)
- **Disney+:** [*Moonlighting*](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Stanley Donen

> Stanley Donen lets song and dance carry the story, and keeps the jokes clear. We recommend him most warmly for *Singin' in the Rain*, whose pleasure in performance survives a rather thin romance.

In *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), people who know how to perform discover that the new sound equipment has requirements of its own. Stanley Donen and co-director Gene Kelly make Hollywood's change of technology funny by keeping the difficulties practical. We laughed at the performers' loss of dignity, because the machinery is so unimpressed by their importance. This is the Donen we recommend without hesitation: generous with the singing and dancing, but willing to make the business of entertainment look ridiculous. No affection for old Hollywood is needed to recognise the trouble at work.

His first feature, *On the Town* (1949), co-directed with Kelly, had already taken the musical onto New York locations. Donen's use of locations and crane shots gave dance more freedom than a fixed view of a stage could offer. *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954) continued the musical work, with athletic choreography in CinemaScope. But the appeal of *Singin' in the Rain* also owes much to Betty Comden and Adolph Green's screenplay, which leaves room for the numbers without forgetting that these people are making films. The romance is slight; the comic timing gives us more than enough reason to stay.

From the late 1950s, Donen moved towards non-musical comedies and thrillers. Audrey Hepburn links the phases, appearing opposite Fred Astaire in the Paris-set *Funny Face* (1957) and Cary Grant in the romantic thriller *Charade* (1963). *Two for the Road* (1967) pairs her with Albert Finney and moves backwards and forwards through a marriage. These films give us a useful route beyond the work with Kelly, without requiring a dutiful march through everything Donen directed. Try *Charade* to see how he handles attraction and timing without relying on a song.

Kelly's prominence can obscure Donen's contribution to their early films; giving Donen his due should not mean forgetting that they were co-directors. The uneven reception of later work, including his last theatrical feature, *Blame It on Rio* (1984), is a reason not to recommend the whole shelf indiscriminately. Begin with *Singin' in the Rain*, and save the argument about who deserves the credit until after the dancing.

## Biography

Stanley Donen was an American film director and choreographer. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, on 13 April 1924, he died in New York on 21 February 2019.

He began his career as a dancer on Broadway before moving to Hollywood, where he worked as a choreographer on films including *Cover Girl* (1944) and *Anchors Aweigh* (1945). He frequently collaborated with Gene Kelly, co-directing *On the Town* (1949) and *Singin' in the Rain* (1952).

Donen directed other notable musicals such as *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954), *Funny Face* (1957) and *Royal Wedding* (1951), as well as later films including *Charade* (1963) and *Two for the Road* (1967). He received an honorary Academy Award in 1998.

*Sources: theguardian.com, en.wikipedia.org, nytimes.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Moonlighting* (1985), Fi1m 82, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954), Fi1m 76, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md)
- *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), Fi1m 93, Director, Choreographer — [page](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md)
- *On the Town* (1949), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md)

## Complete filmography (37)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Truth About Charlie* (2002), Thanks
- *Love Letters* (1999), Director
- *MGM: When the Lion Roars* (1992), series, Actor
- *Moonlighting* (1985), series, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/moonlighting.md)
- *Blame It on Rio* (1984), Director, Producer
- *Saturn 3* (1980), Director, Producer
- *Movie Movie* (1978), as Nightclub Emcee / Cab Driver (uncredited) · Director, Producer
- *That's Entertainment, Part II* (1976), Thanks
- *Lucky Lady* (1975), Director
- *The Little Prince* (1974), Director
- *Staircase* (1969), Director, Producer
- *Bedazzled* (1967), Director, Producer
- *Two for the Road* (1967), Director, Producer
- *Arabesque* (1966), Director, Producer
- *Charade* (1963), as Man in Elevator (voice) (uncredited) · Director, Producer
- *The Grass Is Greener* (1960), Director, Producer
- *Surprise Package* (1960), Director, Producer
- *Once More, with Feeling!* (1960), Producer, Director
- *Damn Yankees* (1958), Director
- *Indiscreet* (1958), Director, Producer
- *Kiss Them for Me* (1957), Director
- *The Pajama Game* (1957), Director
- *Funny Face* (1957), Director
- *It's Always Fair Weather* (1955), Director, Choreographer
- *Deep in My Heart* (1954), Director
- *Seven Brides for Seven Brothers* (1954), Director — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/film/seven-brides-for-seven-brothers.md)
- *Give a Girl a Break* (1953), Director, Musical
- *Fearless Fagan* (1952), Director
- *Singin' in the Rain* (1952), Choreographer, Director — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/singin-in-the-rain.md)
- *Love Is Better Than Ever* (1952), Director
- *Royal Wedding* (1951), Director
- *On the Town* (1949), Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-town.md)
- *Take Me Out to the Ball Game* (1949), Choreographer, Story
- *A Date with Judy* (1948), Music Director
- *Big City* (1948), Choreographer
- *Living in a Big Way* (1947), Choreographer
- *Best Foot Forward* (1943), as Cadet

## Gallery

- ![A photo taken by me of Stanley Donen and John Williams.](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-9f187914dd12.jpg) A photo taken by me of Stanley Donen and John Williams. — TashTish at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/John_Williams_%26_Stanley_Donan.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Stanley Donen](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-45546168685e.jpg) Stanley Donen — Adam Schartoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/07/Stanley_Donen.jpg/1280px-Stanley_Donen.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Film Society of Lincoln Center's Retrospective; Q&A after screening of FUNNY FACE. (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-96610d50d7e0.jpg) Film Society of Lincoln Center's Retrospective; Q&A after screening of FUNNY FACE. (2010) — Adam Schartoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/Stanley_Donen_%28cropped%29.JPG/1280px-Stanley_Donen_%28cropped%29.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Film Society of Lincoln Center's Retrospective; Q&A after screening of FUNNY FACE. (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-59003ceb4c2d.jpg) Film Society of Lincoln Center's Retrospective; Q&A after screening of FUNNY FACE. (2010) — Adam Schartoff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Stanley_Donen_%28left%29_interviewed_by_Mike_Nichols.jpg/1280px-Stanley_Donen_%28left%29_interviewed_by_Mike_Nichols.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Stanley Donen](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-c6661de38de2.jpg) Stanley Donen — Image via TMDB
- ![Stanley Donen](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-b3c3ebdd2ffa.jpg) Stanley Donen — Image via TMDB
- ![Stanley Donen](https://film.one/media/person/59286/gallery-54a33c578ed4.jpg) Stanley Donen — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Academy Honorary Award 1998: Academy Honorary Award (won)
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 1981: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture (nominated), for *Saturn 3*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/stanley-donen