Joseph Sargent (born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente; July 22, 1925 – December 22, 2014) was an American director, producer, and actor of film and television. His directing career spanned nearly 50 years, between 1959 and 2008, and over 90 productions. He was a four-time Primetime Emmy Award and Directors Guild of America Award recipient.
Sargent's directing credits included the science-fiction film Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), the Burt Reynolds action film White Lightning (1973), the thriller The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), the biopic MacArthur (1977) starring Gregory Peck, and the horror anthology Nightmares (1983). On television, he was known as a prolific director of telefilms and miniseries, winning the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Limited Series or Movie three times.
He was the father of voice actress Lia Sargent.
Early life Sargent was born Giuseppe Danielle Sorgente in Jersey City, New Jersey, the son of Italian parents Maria (née Noviello) and Domenico Sorgente. Sargent served in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge.Joseph Sargent dies at 89; prize-winning film and TV movie director Los Angeles Times via Internet Archive. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Joseph Sargent, Emmy-winning director of TV and film productions, dies at 89 The Washington Post via Internet Archive. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Emmy-Winning Director Joseph Sargent Dies at 89 Variety. Retrieved March 12, 2022.Sargent, Joseph 1925 - (Joe Sargent, Joseph D. Sargent) PERSONAL Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
Career Sargent began his career as an actor, appearing in numerous films and television programs.
He appeared in an uncredited role as a soldier in the film From Here to Eternity (1953) where he also met his first wife Mary Carver on the set. In the mid 1950s Sargent switched to directing; over the next 15 years his directing credits would include episodes of television series Lassie, The Invaders (four episodes), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and the Star Trek episode "The Corbomite Maneuver".
He appeared in the Western series Gunsmoke, once in 1957 as a man, turned drunk, who lost his drive to live, in the episode "Skid Row" (S2E22); then again as a drunk cowboy who gets killed in The Longbranch Saloon in the 1959 episode "There Never Was A Horse" (S4E35).
In 1970, he directed the science fiction thriller Colossus: The Forbin Project. In 1971, he was hired to direct Buck and the Preacher but, after a few days of shooting, was replaced by Sidney Poitier, who cited creative differences. The next year, however, he directed The Man, starring James Earl Jones, which was begun as a television movie.
He alternated between television movies and feature films during the 1970s. Sargent's directorial work from this period includes The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, the TV movies Hustling with Lee Remick and Jill Clayburgh, Maybe I'll Come Home in the Spring with Sally Field, and Tribes with Jan-Michael Vincent and Darren McGavin, as well as international award-winning ABC film The Night That Panicked America. In 1974, he won his first Directors Guild of America Award for The Marcus-Nelson Murders (1973), which was the TV movie pilot for the Kojak series.
In the 1980s, Sargent directed the mini-series Manions of America, which featured Pierce Brosnan, and Space. In 1987 he directed Jaws: The Revenge, the third sequel to Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic. The film received entirely negative reviews. Roger Ebert called his directing of the climactic sequence "incompetent," and he was nominated for Worst Director in the 1987 Golden Raspberry Awards.
He concentrated on TV movies after Jaws: The Revenge, including The Karen Carpenter Story, The Long Island Incident, Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, and the 2007 remake of the Sally Field docudrama Sybil.
Sargent spent time as the Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence for the Directing program at the American Film Institute Conservatory in Los Angeles.
Personal life Joseph Sargent and his wife Carolyn ( Nelson) Sargent laid the groundwork for Deaf West Theatre.
Death Sargent died of complications from heart disease at his home in Malibu, California, on December 22, 2014. He was 89.
Filmography Year Title Director Producer Notes1959Street-FighterLost film. 1966One Spy Too ManyRe-edit of a two-part The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode "Alexander the Greater Affair" with different shots and dialog1967The Spy in the Green HatRe-edit of a two-part The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episodes "The Concrete Overcoat Affair" with new scenes added1968The Hell with HeroesThe Sunshine PatriotTelevision film1970Colossus: The Forbin ProjectTribesTelevision film1972Maybe I'll Come Home in the SpringTelevision filmThe Man1973SunshineTelevision filmThe Marcus-Nelson MurdersKojak pilotWhite Lightning1974The Taking of Pelham One Two Three1975Friendly PersuasionTelevision filmThe Night That Panicked AmericaTelevision filmHustlingTelevision film1977MacArthur1979Goldengirl1980Coast to CoastAmber WavesTelevision film1981FreedomTelevision filmManions of AmericaMiniseries1983NightmaresMemorial DayTelevision filmChoices of the HeartTelevision film1984Terrible Joe MoranTelevision film1985Love Is Never SilentTelevision filmSpaceMiniseries1986 There Must Be a PonyTelevision film1987Jaws: The Revenge1989The Karen Carpenter StoryTelevision filmDay OneTelevision film1990The IncidentTelevision filmCaroline?Television filmIvory HuntersTelevision film1991Never ForgetTelevision film1992Miss Rose WhiteTelevision filmSomebody's DaughterTelevision film1993SkylarkTelevision film1994World War II: When Lions RoaredMiniseries1995My AntoniaTelevision filmStreets of LaredoMiniseries1997Miss Evers' BoysTelevision filmMandela and de KlerkTelevision film1998The Long Island IncidentTelevision filmCrime and PunishmentTelevision filmThe WallTelevision film1999A Lesson Before DyingTelevision film2000For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval StoryTelevision film2001BojanglesTelevision film2003Salem Witch TrialsTelevision filmOut of the AshesTelevision film2004Something the Lord MadeTelevision film2005Warm SpringsTelevision film2007SybilTelevision film2008Sweet Nothing in My EarTelevision film
Awards and nominations Sargent was nominated for several Emmy awards, winning four. Early in his career, he won a Directors Guild of America Award for the Kojak pilot. Sargent was nominated for eight DGA awards for television movies, more than any other director in this category. Year Association Category Nominated work Result1971Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama - A Single ProgramTribes1973The Marcus-Nelson MurdersDirectors Guild of America AwardDirectors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV Film1980Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing in a Limited Series or a SpecialAmber Waves1984Brussels International Fantastic Film FestivalGolden RavenNightmares1986Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing in a Miniseries or SpecialLove Is Never Silent1988Razzie Award Worst PictureJaws: The RevengeWorst Director1990Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing in a Miniseries or SpecialCaroline?1992Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or SpecialMiss Rose White1995Directors Guild of America AwardOutstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV FilmWorld War II: When Lions Roared1998Miss Evers' Boys1999Primetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing for a Miniseries or MovieA Lesson Before Dying2001Directors Guild of America AwardOutstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV FilmFor Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story2004Outstanding Directing in a Television FilmSomething the Lord MadePrimetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special2005Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directing – Miniseries or TV FilmWarm SpringsPrimetime Emmy AwardOutstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special
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External links
Includes details of awards.