Franklin J. Schaffner

A master of the epic, Franklin J. Schaffner was an American film director born in Tokyo, Japan in 1920. Schaffner was active from the mid-1940s to the late 1980s, predominantly in the genres of drama, war, and science fiction, with his most famous films including "Planet of the Apes" (1968), "Patton" (1970), and "Papillon" (1973). He won an Academy Award for Best Director for "Patton" and was known for his grand cinematic storytelling and ability to merge historical context with individual character exploration. Schaffner, a global storyteller, had a unique ability to make audiences feel as if they were a part of the epic narratives he so masterfully constructed.