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Brian Jonathan Morris (2 March 1921 - 11 March 1993), mostly known by the name J.J. Morris, was an American-born Brunanter director and screenwriter. Early in his career Morris directed many succesful low-budget films for Studio 5, including Blood Stains (1958), Lost into the Fog (1963) and All about Max (1964). Later on, he managed to gain access into bigger budgets and directed a handful of critically acclaimed films. Among them are the award-winning movies The Cottage (1971) and Hidden (1985). He won the Barker Award for Best Director in 1971.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Morris was born in Ithaca, New York, the younger of three boys. His family was rather poor and after finishing school he did many different jobs for a living. When the United States entered the World War II in 1941, he joined the military in 1941. He served as a corporal, defusing land mines. Morris was involved in the liberation of Brunant in 1944 and after the war he decided to stay in Brunant.
Early career[]
In 1947 Morris was hired by Europa Films as a cameraman. Three years later his first screenplay was accepted by the company. He wrote the scenario of two more films and in 1956 he was chosen to direct The Abandoned House, a film combining mystery and thriller elements. His breakthrough came with Blood Stains, a thriller movie that was quite successful at the box office.
During the production of the 1961 action film The Fifth Column, Morris fell ill and Antoni Wisnowski was asked to complete the film. After recovering, he wrote and directed three successful action-thriller films: Lost in the Fog (1963), All about Max (1964) and The Mask of Pain (1965).
Critical success[]
Later works and death[]
Legacy[]
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Writer | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Man from Grijzestad | Morris' debut and his only film with Europa Films | ||
| 1953 | The Beauty and the Tramp | |||
| 1955 | The Magician of Koningstad | |||
| 1956 | The Abandoned House | Morris' directorial debut | ||
| 1958 | Blood Stains | Morris' first genuine thriller | ||
| 1959 | The Brigadier | |||
| 1961 | The Fifth Column | Morris shot only a couple of scenes, before falling ill | ||
| 1963 | Lost in the Fog | |||
| 1964 | All about Max | |||
| 1965 | The Mask of Pain | |||
| 1970 | Four Lives | |||
| 1971 | The Cottage | Won - Barker Award for Best Film Won - Barker Award for Best Director Won - Barker Award for Best Actress (Mary McEveety) Nominated - Barker Award for Best Screenplay | ||
| 1974 | Dark | |||
| 1977 | 12 O'Clock | The film was shown out of competition in the Rosetown Film Festival | ||
| 1980 | The Beginning | |||
| 1985 | Hidden | Won - Barker Award for Best Actor (Pieter Groenland) Nominated - Barker Award for Best Director | ||
| 1989 | Courage | |||
| 1990 | The Old Coat | Morris' last film and only drama |