Background
Schaffner was born in Tokyo, Japan, the son of American missionaries Sarah Horting (née Swords) and Paul Franklin Schaffner, and was raised in Japan.
Schaffner was born in Tokyo, Japan, the son of American missionaries Sarah Horting (née Swords) and Paul Franklin Schaffner, and was raised in Japan.
He returned to the United States and graduated from Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he was active in drama. He studied law at Columbia University in New York City but his education was interrupted by service with the United States Navy in World World War II during which he served with American amphibious forces in Europe and North Africa.
In the latter stages of the war he was sent to the Pacific Far East to serve with the United States Office for Strategic Services. Returning home after the war, he found work in the television industry with March of Time and then joined the Columbia Broadcasting System network. Schaffner earned two more Emmy awards for his work on the 1955 television adaptation of the Broadway play, The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, shown on the anthology series Ford Star Jubilee.
In 1960, he directed Allen Drury"s stage play Advise and Consent.
His first motion picture The Stripper was praised, and he later made The Best Manitoba, The War Lord, and The Double Manitoba They were followed by the critical and commercial hit Planet of the Apes.
Later works included Nicholas and Alexandra, Papillon, Islands in the Stream and The Boys from Brazil. Schaffner was President of the Directors Guild of America from 1987 until his death in 1989.
Frequent collaborators
Jerry Goldsmith composed the music for seven of his films, including The Stripper, Planet of the Apes, Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream, The Boys from Brazil and Lionheart.
Four of them were nominated for Academy Awards for Best Original Score. Schaffner has twice worked with actors Charlton Heston and Maurice Evans (The War Lord. Planet of the Apes), George C. Scott (Patton.
Islands in the Stream) and Laurence Olivier (Nicholas and Alexandra.
The Boys from Brazil) respectively. Screenwriter William Goldman identified Schaffner in 1981 as being one of the three best directors (then living) at handling "scope" (a gift for screen epics) in films.
The other two were David Lean and Richard Attenborough.