- Born
- Died
- Birth nameGordon R. Hitchens
- Gordon Hitchens was born in California on March 3, 1925, settled in New York City in 1956. He began his studies at Columbia University where he received his bachelor's degree in English Literature and two graduate degrees, one in Cinematography and the other in Journalism. During this period, he met and married Diana Macbeth of New Rochelle, a fellow student at Columbia. For his master's thesis in cinematography he co-produced and co-directed the film Sunday on the River, which won several awards for its portrayal, in documentary form, of parishioners from a church in Harlem on their Sunday outing on the Hudson River.
Hitchens went on to earn renown as a documentary film journalist and jurist, covering international film festivals in Berlin, Moscow, Nyon, and Yamagata, among others, over his thirty year career. As an American organizer and assistant, he helped many aspiring filmmakers submit their documentaries to film festivals abroad, including films by some who were blacklisted in the U.S. In 1962, he founded Film Comment, a film opinion magazine, of which he was the editor until 1970. Film Comment has been published by the Film Society of Lincoln Center since 1984. In addition to his film festival and journalistic work, Mr. Hitchens also taught film studies courses at the School of Visual Arts, Hofstra University, NYU, Adelphi University, City University, Pratt Institute, the New School, and he retired as Associate Professor of Film Studies at CW Post College in Long Island in 1990. Over the years, he was a stringer for the weekly edition of Variety Magazine, and wrote articles for the New York Times, International Documentary, and Film Culture as well. In the mid-1990s, he wrote an original screenplay The Diamond Pilot which earned a prize from the Writers Guild of America Foundation.
During World War II, Hitchens served with the United States Merchant Marines, transporting munitions and supplies (often under heavy fire and without military escort), to Allied forces in the Pacific, Mediterranean and the Atlantic War Zones.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Janine Hitchens Parker
- SpouseDiana Macbeth (her death, 2 children)
- Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1968
- He is survived by his daughter, Janine; son, Laurence; four grandchildren; and brother Michael.
- He founded the magazine, Film Comment, in 1962 and was editor until 1970. He taught film studies at area colleges until 1990. He wrote for Variety magazine, New York Times, International Documentary, and Film Culture.
- He earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree and two Masters of Arts degree from Columbia University in New York City.
- He served in the United States Military during World War II.
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