George Dewey Cukor (July 7, 1899 - January 24, 1983) was an American film director. Cukor's career flourished at RKO Studios where he directed a string of impressive films including What Price Hollywood? (1932), A Bill of Divorcement (1932), Dinner at Eight (1933), Little Women (1933), David Copperfield (1935), Romeo and Juliet (1936), and Camille (1937).

Interred at Forest Lawn (Glendale), Glendale, California, USA, in the Garden of Honor, unmarked. (Private area. Not accessible to the general public). Frances Goldwyn [Frances Howard (I)], wife of mogul Samuel Goldwyn, is buried next to Cukor at her request because of her long, but unrequited love for him.

He was replaced as director of Gone with the Wind (1939) because of constant disagreements with producer David O. Selznick over the script and direction (not as rumour had it because Clark Gable considered him better suited as a so-called woman's director).

Worked as Broadway director before going into the film business with Grumpy (1930).

He was famous for the parties he threw later in life for large groups of directors, many parties being attended by other directing legends such as Alfred Hitchcock (I), John Ford (I), Luis Buñuel, and George Stevens (I).

He was famous as a sophisticated, witty personality but was also in the habit (mainly to be naughty) of blurting out unexpected profanities.

Was voted the 18th Greatest Director of all time by Entertainment Weekly.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 163-172. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.

Did a few days work as intermediate director on Wizard of Oz, The (1939) (although he never actually filmed any scenes) after original director Richard Thorpe (I) had been dismissed. Victor Fleming was eventually hired to direct the picture. Coincidentally, Cukor's next film, Gone with the Wind (1939), also went on to be directed by Fleming after Cukor was fired due to disagreements with the film's producer, David O. Selznick.

He did not make a musical, or fully direct a film in color, until Star Is Born, A (1954).

Directed 21 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Fredric March, Basil Rathbone, Norma Shearer, Greta Garbo, James Stewart (I), Katharine Hepburn, Ruth Hussey, Ingrid Bergman (I), Charles Boyer (I), Angela Lansbury, Ronald Colman, Deborah Kerr, Judy Holliday, James Mason (I), Judy Garland (I), Anthony Quinn (I), Anna Magnani, Rex Harrison (I), Stanley Holloway, Gladys Cooper (I) and Maggie Smith (I). Stewart, Bergman, Colman, Holliday, and Harrison won Oscars for their performances in Cukor's movies.

In 1968, he accepted the Oscar for "Best Actress in a Leading Role" on behalf of Katharine Hepburn, who wasn't present at the awards ceremony

Enjoyed a successful working partnership with Katharine Hepburn, directing her in ten films over a period of 47 years: Bill of Divorcement, A (1932), Little Women (1933), Sylvia Scarlett (1935), Holiday (1938), Philadelphia Story, The (1940), Keeper of the Flame (1942), Adam's Rib (1949), Pat and Mike (1952), Love Among the Ruins (1975) (TV), Corn Is Green, The (1979) (TV).

Godfather of Mia Farrow

He was largely responsible for the ultimate "look" of the characters in the film Wizard of Oz, The (1939). Richard Thorpe (I), the film's first director, had decided on how the makeup should look, and had made some rather catastrophic decisions. He was eventually fired, and during a stopover at the film's set, Cukor gave some directorial suggestions (such as removing Judy Garland (I)'s blonde wig), which ultimately were used in the finished film.

He was rather heavy set when he first began directing. In fact, he looked very much like producer David O. Selznick physically. In later years, he lost weight and much of his hair.

Cukor was fired as director of Gone with the Wind (1939) only a month before Women, The (1939) was scheduled to begin filming. Producer Hunt Stromberg enlisted Cukor's services immediately upon his sudden availability.

Interviewed in Peter Bogdanovich's "Who the Devil Made It: Conversations With Robert Aldrich, George Cukor, Allan Dwan, Howard Hawks, Alfred Hitchcock (I), Chuck Jones (I), Fritz Lang (I), Joseph H. Lewis, Sidney Lumet, Leo McCarey, Otto Preminger, Don Siegel (I), Josef von Sternberg, Frank Tashlin, Edgar G. Ulmer, Raoul Walsh." NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1997.

Tried unsuccessfully to launch a big movie project starring Maggie Smith (I) as complex and troubled author Virginia Woolf.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 199-201. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.

Was the original choice to direct Seven Year Itch, The (1955); however, he turned down the project.

Was original choice to direct "Lady L" (1965).

Portrayed by Martin Ferrero in Gods and Monsters (1998).