American film director
Albert Band |
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| Born | Alfredo Antonini
(1924-05-07)May 7, 1924
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| Died | June 14, 2002(2002-06-14) (aged 78)
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| Other names | Artemio Antonini |
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| Occupation(s) | Film producer, film director, screenwriter |
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| Years active | 1951–96 |
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| Spouse | Jacquelyn Richardson |
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| Children | Charles, Richard |
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Albert Band (born Alfredo Antonini;[1] May 7, 1924, Paris, 14 arr. – June 14, 2002, Los Angeles) was an Italian-American film director and film producer. He was the son of artist Max Band, father of filmmaker Charles Band and of film composer Richard Band and the grandfather of Alex Band, Taryn Band and Rachael Band.
Life and career
Band was born in Paris, France, the son of Bertha (Finkelstein) and Max Band, an artist.[2][3] His mother was born in Marijampolė, Lithuania and his father was from Kudirkos Naumiestis, Lithuania.[4] His family is Jewish.[5] He escaped from Paris to the United States with his family prior to the occupation of France during World War II. He graduated from Hollywood High School.
Interested in film, he became an apprentice at Warner Bros.[6] where he developed contacts eventually becoming an assistant director on John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle,[7] then adapting the story The Red Badge of Courage for Huston's film of the same name.[8]
He made his debut as a producer and director in The Young Guns (1956), combining the two then-popular genres of Westerns and juvenile delinquent films. In the late 1950s, he moved to Europe, producing a variety of films, beginning in Sweden with Face of Fire (1959), based on another of Stephen Crane's stories, The Monster.[7]
