Brown (r.) w. Rudolph Valentino on the set of "The Eagle" (1925)

Born in Clinton, Massachusetts. Trained as an engineer, then woked in the automobile industry and operated his own car sales agency before turning to films in 1915 as an assistant to director Maurice Tourneur. The five years he spent as a disciple (and film editor) of the great European master were reflected in the aesthetic care, pictorial quality, and romantic flavor of Brown's own films, which he began to direct in 1920. Having established his reputation in 1925 with THE EAGLE, starring Rudolph Valentino and Vilma Blanky, Brown joined MGM and soon became one of the company's top directors. Above all, he became known as the man who could handle the company's most difficult star, Greta Garbo, and bring out the best of her. He directed two of her silents and five of her most successful talkies. Brown directed many quality productions for MGM through the early 50s, achieving his best moments in excursions into rural Americana in films like AH, WILDERNESS, OF HUMAN HEARTS, THE HUMAN COMEDY, THE YEARLING, and INTRUDER IN THE DUST. The latter is his only film with a clear social message, a plea for racial tolerance. For the most part, he subjugated his themes to his pictorial vision and was unabashedly sentimental in his celebration of romanticism. From 1947 he also produced all his films. Notable directing credits include THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1920), THE EAGLE (1925), FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926), WONDER OF WOMEN (1929), ANNA CHRISTIE and ROMANCE (both 1930), A FREE SOUL and POSSESSED (both 1931), EMMA (1932), ANNA KARENINA and AH, WILDERNESS! (both 1935), THE GORGEOUS HUSSY (1936), CONQUEST (1937), OF HUMAN HEARTS (1938), IDIOT'S DELIGHT and THE RAINS CAME (both 1939), EDISON, THE MAN (1940), THE HUMAN COMEDY (1943), THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER and NATIONAL VELVET (both 1944), THE YEARLING (1946), SONG OF LOVE (1947), INTRUDER IN THE DUST (1949), TO PLEASE A LADY (1950), ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD and IT'S A BIG COUNTRY (both 1951) and WHEN IN ROME and PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE (both 1952). After retiring from filmmaking in 1953 he became a successful businessman. In 1971 he donated land valued at $300,000 to his alma mater, the University of Tennessee, and helped establish the Clarence Brown Theatre for the Performing Arts at the University in Knoxville.    Nominated for Directing 1929-30: ANNA CHRISTIE and ROMANCE    Nominated for Directing 1930-1: A FREE SOUL    Nominated for Best Picture 1943: THE HUMAN COMEDY - Producer    Nominated for Directing 1943: THE HUMAN COMEDY    Nominated for Directing 1945: NATIONAL VELVET    Nominated for Directing 1946: THE YEARLING 6 nominations