Steven Spielberg | Biography, Movies, West Side Story, & Facts

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class="col-auto"> <div class="topic-left-rail md-article-drawer position-relative d-flex border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steven-Spielberg">Steven Spielberg</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg">Introduction</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref309039"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg#ref309039">Early life and work</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref309040"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg#ref309040">Commercial success</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref309041"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg/The-1990s">The 1990s</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref309042"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg/The-2000s">The 2000s</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref348907"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg/The-2000s#ref348907">The 2010s and beyond</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steven-Spielberg/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Steven-Spielberg">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="tlr-media-slider pb-10 mb-30"> <a class="section-header link-gray-900 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mb-10 mx-10" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steven-Spielberg/images-videos">Images & Videos</a> <div class="slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100 "> <div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex overflow-hidden text-nowrap ml-15"> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/176995-050-609666E2/Steven-Spielberg-2013.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/189572" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/95/176995-004-5715887E/Steven-Spielberg-2013.jpg" alt="Steven Spielberg" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-050-61D99A52/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/189570" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-004-C9CDBEAA/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" alt="Jaws" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-050-42EBF0B4/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/190605" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-004-231324C5/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg" alt="Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-050-1A07BE54/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/128056" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-004-D6D9EEE8/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg" alt="E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-050-6442BF7A/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/107506" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-004-EC38B6F7/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" alt="E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" height="50" /> </a> <a href="/video/alice-walker-the-color-purple-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction-author-advocate/294093" data-href="/media/1/559883/294093" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <div class="position-relative --aspect-ratio: 16/9"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/251608-138-14F56010/alice-walker-the-color-purple-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction-author-advocate.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop" alt="The colorful life of The Color Purple author Alice Walker" class="col-100" /> <div class="btn btn-sm btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; left:50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%)"> <em class="material-icons font-14" data-icon="play_arrow" > </em> </div> </div> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-050-3F1C2E26/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/97286" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-004-C9E42762/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" alt="Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-050-7E28D1ED/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/94056" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-004-1C286E84/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg" alt="Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-050-B9399BAC/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/191940" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-004-8B06E193/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg" alt="Filming of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/48/177648-050-833A43AA/Scene-Jurassic-Park-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/189571" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/48/177648-004-83773672/Scene-Jurassic-Park-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" alt="Steven Spielberg: Jurassic Park" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div 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loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/114923-131-785286EA/projection-screen-movie-theater-cinema.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema)." width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/quiz/oscar-worthy-movie-trivia" >Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/quiz/pop-culture-quiz"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/65/129465-131-8F637272/USA-Annual-Academy-Awards-Closeup-entrance-statue-2009.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.californiamuseum.org/inductee/steven-spielberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">California Museum - Steven Spielberg</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/355283|0/Steven-Spielberg/#overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Turner Classic Movies - Steven Spielberg</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/s/so-sz/steven-spielberg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">The Kennedy Center - Steven Spielberg</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.spielbergfilmarchive.org.il/" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Officila Site of Steven Spielberg</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-title">Britannica Websites</div> <div class="md-websites-ebk-subtitle">Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.</div> <ul class="list-unstyled bps-topic-web-sites lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Steven-Spielberg/313662" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steven Spielberg - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: Steven Allan Spielberg</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/contributor/Michael-Barson/9266163" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">Michael Barson</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 clamp-description text-black">Michael Barson is the author of more than a dozen books that examine various facets of American popular culture in the 20th century, about which he has been interviewed by National Public Radio on several...</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> Michael Barson</span></div> <div class="font-serif font-12 text-gray-700"> <span class="qa-fact-checked-by">Fact-checked by</span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 qa-editor-popup font-12" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link font-12 "> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2025-02-15T00:00:00CST" >Feb 15, 2025</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Steven-Spielberg/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>In full: </dt> <dd>Steven Allan Spielberg</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Born: </dt> <dd>December 18, 1946, <a href="/place/Cincinnati">Cincinnati</a>, <a href="/place/Ohio-state">Ohio</a>, U.S. (age 78)</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Awards And Honors: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/Presidential-Medal-of-Freedom">Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Kennedy-Center-Honors">Kennedy Center Honors (2006)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/Academy-Award">Academy Award (1999)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/Academy-Award">Academy Award (1994)</a></dd> <dd><a href="/art/Irving-G-Thalberg-Memorial-Award">Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (1987)</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Notable Works: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/1941-film-1979">“1941”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/AI-Artificial-Intelligence">“A.I. Artificial Intelligence”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Always-1989-film">“Always”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Amistad-film-by-Spielberg">“Amistad”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Bridge-of-Spies">“Bridge of Spies”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Catch-Me-If-You-Can-film-by-Spielberg">“Catch Me If You Can”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Close-Encounters-of-the-Third-Kind">“Close Encounters of the Third Kind”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Duel-film-by-Spielberg">“Duel”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial">“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Empire-of-the-Sun-film-by-Spielberg">“Empire of the Sun”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Hook-film-by-Spielberg">“Hook”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Kingdom-of-the-Crystal-Skull">“Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Last-Crusade">“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Temple-of-Doom">“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Jaws-film-by-Spielberg">“Jaws”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Jurassic-Park-film-by-Spielberg">“Jurassic Park”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Lincoln-film-by-Spielberg">“Lincoln”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Minority-Report-film-by-Spielberg">“Minority Report”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Munich-film-by-Spielberg">“Munich”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark">“Raiders of the Lost Ark”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Ready-Player-One">“Ready Player One”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Saving-Private-Ryan">“Saving Private Ryan”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/Schindlers-List">“Schindler’s List”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Adventures-of-Tintin">“The Adventures of Tintin”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-BFG-film">“The BFG”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Color-Purple-film-by-Spielberg">“The Color Purple”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Post">“The Post”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/The-Terminal-film-by-Spielberg">“The Terminal”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/War-Horse-film-by-Spielberg">“War Horse”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/War-of-the-Worlds-film-by-Spielberg">“War of the Worlds”</a></dd> <dd><a href="/topic/West-Side-Story-2021-film">“West Side Story”</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Steven-Spielberg"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/the-goonies-2-sequel-confirmed-steven-spielberg-1236137090/" rel="nofollow">‘Goonies’ Sequel in the Works With Steven Spielberg and Chris Columbus Producing</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Feb. 14, 2025, 10:13 AM ET (The Hollywood Reporter) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/steven-spielberg-stop-et-sequel-drew-barrymore-1236118338/" rel="nofollow">Steven Spielberg Recalls “Hard-Fought Victory” to Stop ‘E.T.’ Sequel: “I Didn’t Have Any Rights”</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Jan. 26, 2025, 6:23 AM ET (The Hollywood Reporter) </span> </div> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/tcm-classic-film-festival-george-stevens-jr-honored-1236117867/" rel="nofollow">TCM Classic Film Festival to Honor George Stevens Jr. With the Robert Osborne Award</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Jan. 25, 2025, 10:31 PM ET (The Hollywood Reporter) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref137950"></span>Steven Spielberg</strong> (born December 18, 1946, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Cincinnati" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Cincinnati</a>, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Ohio-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Ohio</a>, U.S.) is an American motion-picture director and producer whose <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a> films—which ranged from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/science-fiction" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">science-fiction</a> fare, including such classics as <em>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</em> (1977) and <em>E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</em> (1982), to historical dramas, notably <em>Schindler’s List</em> (1993) and <em>Saving Private Ryan</em> (1998)—enjoyed both unprecedented popularity and critical success.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref309039"> <h2 class="h1">Early life and work</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg developed an interest in filmmaking as a child, and during his teens his <em><span id="ref1203389"></span>Escape to Nowhere</em> (1962), a 40-minute war <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/film" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">movie</a>, won first prize at a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/film-festival" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">film festival</a>. He next directed <em><span id="ref1203390"></span>Firelight</em> (1964), a feature-length science-fiction yarn, which was followed by an accomplished short about hitchhikers called <em><span id="ref1203391"></span>Amblin’</em> (1968). An executive at <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Universal-Studios" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Universal Studios</a> saw the latter film and tendered a contract to Spielberg, who began working in the studio’s television division after <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="attending" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/attending" data-type="EB">attending</a> California State College, Long Beach (now <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/California-State-University-system-California" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">California State University</a>, from which he would eventually receive a B.A. in 2002). He directed episodes of various TV series, notably <em><span id="ref1173579"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Columbo" class="md-crosslink ">Columbo</a></em>, <em>Marcus Welby, M.D.</em>, and <em>Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law</em>. In 1971 he made his first television movie, <em><span id="ref785884"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Duel-film-by-Spielberg" class="md-crosslink ">Duel</a></em>, a taut, almost <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/claustrophobia" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">claustrophobic</a> exercise in psychosis that was more intense than typical TV fare (it was released theatrically in Europe). Although Spielberg permitted star Dennis Weaver—who played a motorist chased by a homicidal truck driver—to register a one-note impression of sweaty terror throughout the movie, his handling of the action sequences was staged and executed with bravado. The success of <em>Duel</em> enabled Spielberg to make theatrically released motion pictures, beginning with <em><span id="ref1173583"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Sugarland-Express" class="md-crosslink ">The Sugarland Express</a></em> (1974), a chase picture with deft accents of comedy but an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="inexorable" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/inexorable" data-type="EB">inexorable</a> movement toward tragedy; it was anchored by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Goldie-Hawn" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Goldie Hawn</a>’s performance.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker h3"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref309040"> <h2 class="h1">Commercial success</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="189570" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-050-61D99A52/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/189570"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-050-61D99A52/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-050-61D99A52/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300" alt="Jaws" data-width="1600" data-height="1041" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/47/177647-050-61D99A52/Richard-Dreyfuss-Jaws-Robert-Shaw-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/189570"><em>Jaws</em></a><span>Richard Dreyfuss (left) and Robert Shaw in a scene from <em>Jaws</em>.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg’s next movie, <em><span id="ref137951"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jaws-film-by-Spielberg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jaws</a></em> (1975), established him as a leading director, and it was one of the highest-grossing films ever. It featured <span id="ref1203393"></span>Roy Scheider as the police chief of a resort town who battles a man-eating <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/white-shark" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">white shark</a>. Joining him are <span id="ref1173586"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Dreyfuss" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Richard Dreyfuss</a> as a marine biologist and <span id="ref1203392"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Robert-Shaw-British-actor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Robert Shaw</a> as a shark hunter. The highly praised thriller received an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Academy Award</a> nomination for best picture, and its ominous soundtrack by <span id="ref1203394"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Williams-American-composer-and-conductor" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">John Williams</a> won an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Academy-Award" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oscar</a>. The film all but created the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="genre" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genre" data-type="MW">genre</a> of summer blockbuster—big action-packed movie released to an audience grateful to be in an air-conditioned theater—and it established many of the touchstones of Spielberg’s work: an ordinary but sympathetic main character is <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="enlightened" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enlightened" data-type="MW">enlightened</a> through a confrontation with some extraordinary being or force that gradually reveals itself as the narrative unfolds.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg then directed the mystical science-fiction tale <em><span id="ref1173585"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Close-Encounters-of-the-Third-Kind" class="md-crosslink ">Close Encounters of the Third Kind</a></em> (1977), which he also wrote. Dreyfuss was cast as the lead, and he submitted one of the best performances of his career, as a telephone lineman who encounters an <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/unidentified-flying-object" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">unidentified flying object</a> and subsequently becomes obsessed with UFOs. For the film, Spielberg received his first Academy Award <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="nomination" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/nomination" data-type="EB">nomination</a> for best director. Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography earned the film’s only Oscar, though the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/special-effects" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">special effects</a> were also praised. Spielberg became just the second director in history to score back-to-back $100 million grosses.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="190605" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-050-42EBF0B4/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/190605"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-050-42EBF0B4/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-050-42EBF0B4/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg?w=300" alt="Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark" data-width="1058" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/07/178807-050-42EBF0B4/Harrison-Ford-Indiana-Jones-Raiders-of-the.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/190605"><em>Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark</em></a><span>Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones in <em>Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark</em> (1981), directed by Steven Spielberg.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">After the disappointing <em><span id="ref1173587"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/1941-film-1979" class="md-crosslink ">1941</a></em> (1979)—which was received as an unfunny comedy, despite the presence of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-Belushi" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">John Belushi</a> and Dan Aykroyd—Spielberg directed <em><span id="ref1173589"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Raiders of the Lost Ark</a></em> (1981), a loving, expert (if slightly redundant) tribute to old adventure <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/serial-narrative-format" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">serials</a>. The film and its sequels, which starred <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harrison-Ford" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Harrison Ford</a> as handsome archaeologist <span id="ref1173590"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indiana-Jones-fictional-character" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indiana Jones</a>, used rich color cinematography, brisk editing, memorable musical soundtracks, and inventive special effects to create a cinematic experience that was typically light yet highly suspenseful. Spielberg received his second Academy Award nomination for best director; the film was also a best picture nominee.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/oscar-worthy-movie-trivia" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/114923-131-785286EA/projection-screen-movie-theater-cinema.jpg" alt="Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema)." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia</div> </div> </a><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="128056" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-050-1A07BE54/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/128056"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-050-1A07BE54/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-050-1A07BE54/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg?w=300" alt="E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" data-width="1600" data-height="1046" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/59/103159-050-1A07BE54/Henry-Thomas-Drew-Barrymore-Robert-MacNaughton-ET.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/128056"><em>E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</em></a><span>(From left) Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore, and Robert MacNaughton in <em>E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</em> (1982).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="107506" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-050-6442BF7A/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/107506"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-050-6442BF7A/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-050-6442BF7A/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300" alt="E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" data-width="1600" data-height="1009" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/57/103157-050-6442BF7A/Henry-Thomas-ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/107506"><em>E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</em></a><span>Henry Thomas in <em>E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</em> (1982), directed by Steven Spielberg.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg’s next film was even more successful. <em><span id="ref1173593"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/ET-The-Extra-Terrestrial" class="md-crosslink ">E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial</a></em> (1982) was a moving exploration of an alien encounter that cleverly <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="eschewed" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eschewed" data-type="MW">eschewed</a> the epic scale of <em>Close Encounters</em> for the microcosm of its effect on a single <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/California-state" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">California</a> family. Henry Thomas gave a strong performance as the boy who discovers and befriends the stranded alien, and Dee Wallace portrayed his sympathetic mom. The film also featured <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Drew-Barrymore" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Drew Barrymore</a> in one of her first roles. As with most Spielberg films to that point, the special effects were a large part of the movie’s appeal—in this case, the wonderfully <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="articulated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/articulated" data-type="MW">articulated</a> E.T.—but it was Spielberg’s mastery of human (and alien) emotion that made the movie a blockbuster. Both Spielberg and the film were nominated for Academy Awards, as were Melissa Mathison’s screenplay, Allen Daviau’s cinematography, and Williams’s score; only the latter won.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="294093" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="video" video-id="251608"><a data-id="251608" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/alice-walker-the-color-purple-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction-author-advocate/-294093"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/251608-138-14F56010/alice-walker-the-color-purple-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction-author-advocate.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="The colorful life of The Color Purple author Alice Walker" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/5iTdJG6i.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/08/251608-138-14F56010/alice-walker-the-color-purple-pulitzer-prize-for-fiction-author-advocate.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/OsvQxZ19.vtt", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/ejfbh9oc.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 3</div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="251608">The colorful life of <em>The Color Purple</em> author Alice Walker</span><span>Alice Walker published <em>The Color Purple</em> in 1982. With it, she became the first African American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/biography/Steven-Spielberg/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="97286" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-050-3F1C2E26/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/97286"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-050-3F1C2E26/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-050-3F1C2E26/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg?w=300" alt="Whoopi Goldberg in The Color Purple" data-width="1600" data-height="1080" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/53/90553-050-3F1C2E26/Whoopi-Goldberg-The-Color-Purple-Steven-Spielberg.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/97286">Whoopi Goldberg in <em>The Color Purple</em></a><span>Whoopi Goldberg in <em>The Color Purple</em> (1985), directed by Steven Spielberg.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="94056" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-050-7E28D1ED/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/94056"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-050-7E28D1ED/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-050-7E28D1ED/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg?w=300" alt="Oprah Winfrey in The Color Purple" data-width="1163" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">3 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/54/90554-050-7E28D1ED/Oprah-Winfrey-The-Color-Purple.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/94056">Oprah Winfrey in <em>The Color Purple</em></a><span>Oprah Winfrey in <em>The Color Purple</em> (1985).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">After <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/directing" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">directing</a> <em><span id="ref1173592"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Temple-of-Doom" class="md-crosslink ">Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</a></em> (1984), Spielberg adapted <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alice-Walker" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Alice Walker</a>’s <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pulitzer-Prize" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Pulitzer Prize</a>-winning novel <em><span id="ref914423"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Color-Purple-film-by-Spielberg" class="md-crosslink ">The Color Purple</a></em> (1985). The film explores an African American woman’s almost unbearably harsh, yet ultimately fulfilling, life. <em>Color</em> was roundly criticized for downplaying the novel’s lesbian element, for perpetuating <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="stereotypes" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stereotypes" data-type="MW">stereotypes</a> about black men, and for sentimentalizing life in the Deep South. Nevertheless, it found an audience that appreciated the cast—which included <span id="ref1203395"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Whoopi-Goldberg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Whoopi Goldberg</a>, Margaret Avery, and <span id="ref1203396"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Oprah-Winfrey" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Oprah Winfrey</a>, all of whom were nominated for Academy Awards—as well as the script (by Menno Meyjes) and the score (by coproducer <span id="ref1203397"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Quincy-Jones" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Quincy Jones</a>), both of which were also Academy Award-nominated. The film received a nomination for best picture, but Spielberg failed to earn an Oscar nod, a slight that created a small scandal at the time. More important, however, Spielberg had made one of the few commercially successful films about the experience of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-American" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">African Americans</a>, paving the way for similar projects to be green-lighted.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="191940" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-050-B9399BAC/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/559883/191940"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-050-B9399BAC/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-050-B9399BAC/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg?w=300" alt="Filming of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" data-width="1600" data-height="1122" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/178798-050-B9399BAC/George-Lucas-filming-Steven-Spielberg-Harrison-Ford.jpg" data-href="/media/1/559883/191940">Filming of <em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em></a><span>George Lucas (center), Steven Spielberg (seated left), and Harrison Ford during the filming of <em>Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</em> (1989).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg chose another critically acclaimed book as the basis of his next film. <em><span id="ref914425"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Empire-of-the-Sun-film-by-Spielberg" class="md-crosslink ">Empire of the Sun</a></em> (1987), scripted by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tom-Stoppard" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tom Stoppard</a>, was a carefully detailed re-creation of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a> prison-camp <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="milieu" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milieu" data-type="MW">milieu</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/J-G-Ballard" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">J.G. Ballard</a>’s autobiographical novel of the same name. But where <em>The Color Purple</em> was able to convey emotional truth, <em>Empire of the Sun</em> almost let the story about its young protagonist (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Christian-Bale" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Christian Bale</a>) drown under a wave of pyrotechnics. It was a box-office failure. Spielberg closed out the 1980s with <em><span id="ref1173567"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indiana-Jones-and-the-Last-Crusade" class="md-crosslink ">Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</a></em> (1989) and <em>Always</em> (1989), an <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="adaptation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adaptation" data-type="MW">adaptation</a> of the 1943 film <em>A Guy Named Joe</em>. Although <em>Indiana Jones</em> was a hit, <em>Always</em> failed to find an audience.</p><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD9 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Spielberg’s tendency toward broad storytelling may have hampered his attempts at more complex filmmaking, and <em>The Color Purple</em> and <em>Empire of the Sun</em>, in the view of many critics, lacked emotional depth or insight. Yet the aggressive commercialism and optimism of Spielberg’s films became the prevailing style in Hollywood in the late 20th century. His <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="pervasive" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pervasive" data-type="MW">pervasive</a> influence was recognized in 1986 by the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Academy-of-Motion-Picture-Arts-and-Sciences" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</a> when it honored him with the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/Irving-Thalberg" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Irving G. Thalberg</a> Award, given for excellence in producing.</p><span class="marker MOD9 mod-inline"></span> </section> <span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":3,"pageId":559883,"pageLength":1144,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.133.9"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-133/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.133.9' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"BIO_PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":true} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Steven Spielberg | Biography, Movies, West Side Story, & Facts | Britannica