Frank Perry

American film director

Born: August 21, 1930 · Died: August 29, 1995

Famous Persons

Who was Frank Perry?

Frank Joseph Perry Jr. (August 21, 1930 – August 29, 1995) was an American stage director and filmmaker. Frank Joseph Perry Jr. was born in New York City to stockbroker Frank Joseph Perry Sr. (1907–1970) and Pauline E. Schwab (1909–1965), who worked at Alcoholics Anonymous. He attended the University of Miami. Perry went on to form Corsair Pictures, privately financed by United Artists Theatres, which produced Miss Firecracker and A Shock to the System, then folded. His later films include Mommie Dearest and the documentary On the Bridge, about his dealing with prostate cancer. As a teenager, Frank Jr. began pursuing his interest in the theater with a job as a parking lot attendant for the Westport Country Playhouse in nearby Westport, Connecticut. Frank also studied under Lee Strasberg in New York.

Historical significance

His 1962 independent film David and Lisa earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay (written by his then-wife Eleanor Perry). The couple collaborated on five more films, including The Swimmer, Diary of a Mad Housewife, and the Emmy Award–nominated A Christmas Memory, based on a short story by Truman Capote. His 1962 independent film David and Lisa earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

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MLA

“Frank Perry.” thisDay, thisday.info/people/frank-perry/. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

APA

Frank Perry. (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://thisday.info/people/frank-perry/

Chicago

“Frank Perry.” thisDay. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://thisday.info/people/frank-perry/.

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