George Seaton
East side of the 1700 block of Vine Street
George Seaton

George Seaton

Born George Stenius on April 17, 1911 in South Bend, IN
Died July 28, 1979 of cancer in Beverly Hills, CA

George Seaton started out in Hollywood as a junior writer at MGM. Brand new and barely settled in, he was sent to David Selznick's office, where Selznick was in conference with six of the top comedy writers on the lot.

"They were having trouble with a comedy for Jack Pearl, 'Meet the Baron.' For five or six weeks they had been sitting there trying to get an opening that would give the proper motivation and justify the character. I was told to think about the problem and come back if I got an idea. I went back after lunch with a notion and told it. Selznick jumped up and said, 'That's it! That's it!' Then he looked at me almost angrily and said, 'I'll tell you why you got the solution. You didn't know how hard it was!' "

Looking back, it's clear that Seaton could only have accomplished all he did because he "didn't know how hard it was." Somehow, he managed to get everything done that he felt ought to be done — for his family, his friends and associates, his career, his community.

Seaton had very few acquaintances; he only had friends. He was willing to overlook and understand the foibles of others — except those who violated the rules of human kindness.

He received two Oscars in addition to the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, three Writers Guild Awards, a Foreign Correspondents Award, a Cannes Festival Award, New York Critics' Award, and many, many other awards and nominations for writing and directing. He was president of the Screen Writers Guild, vice president of the Directors Guild, president of the Academy and the only person in the history of the Writers Guild to be given all three of its most prestigious honors.

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    Academy Awards

    Year Category Work
    1943 Best Screenplay The Song of Bernadette Nomination
    1947 Best Screenplay Miracle on 34th Street Win
    1954 Best Director The Country Girl Nomination
    1954 Best Screenplay The Country Girl Win
    1961 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Win
    1970 Best Adapted Screenplay Airport Nomination
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