"Well here's another mess you've gotten me into."
Together, Stan Laurel and Steve Hardy created one of the most iconic comedic routines in the history of our nation. Their short sketches and feature films have provided laughter for countless viewers over the past 80 years. Few people realize that the person responsible for paring the two comedians,was also responsible for directing tearjerkers like Love Story, or political thrillers like My Son John.
Throughout his four decade career, Leo McCarey was involved in the production of 108 titles in nearly every genre imaginable. The crowning achievement of his career was arguably the 1957 classic, An Affair To Remember, an intense and dramatic romance starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. However, McCarey himself believed Make Way For Tomorrow, a tragic 1937 film about an elderly couple forced to sell there house and move in with different children, was his finest film. That year he won the the Academy Award for directing The Awful Truth. In his acceptance speech he stated, "Thanks, but you gave it to me for the wrong picture." McCarey also had great success with musicals, directing Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald in Oscar-winning performances in the 1944 musical, Going My Way.
Leo McCarey's talents extended far past those of a typical director. He took an active part in writing and casting. He received a total of 8 Academy Award nominations in 3 different categories: directing, writing, and original song, winning three. McCarey's writing credits include The Cowboy and the Lady (1938), The Bells of St. Mary (1945), and Rally 'Round the Flag Boys (1958). McCarey was the first director to take home three major Academy Awards for the same film, Best Picture, Best Writing, and Best Director for Going My Way.
The longevity and diversity of Leo McCarey's body of work are true testaments to his immense talent as a director and writer.
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