Capra, Frank, Jr. 1934-2008

PERSONAL

Born March 20, 1934, in Los Angeles, CA; died of prostate cancer, December 19, 2008, in Philadelphia, PA. Producer. As the son of directing legend Frank Capra, Frank Capra, Jr., grew up in a household where movie stars were frequent guests, yet his parents provided a normal upbringing for their children with plenty of friends and family time. Capra studied at the California Institute of Technology and later graduated from Pomona College with a degree in geology. He then decided to pursue a career in film, combining his scientific background with movies and producing films that documented government research programs. During the Vietnam War, Capra enlisted in the Army Signal Corps and taught combat motion picture photography. Upon discharge from the Army, he found work in television, including on shows such as Gunsmoke and Dennis the Menace. Capra eventually began producing feature films, with Born Again in 1978, The Black Marble in 1980, and An Eye for an Eye in 1981. In 1983 producer Dino De Laurentiis sent Capra to North Carolina to scout for a house to burn in the movie Firestarter. Capra found the city of Wilmington, DE. Both Capra and De Laurentiis were so impressed with Wilmington that they decided to build a film studio there. In 1996 Capra was appointed president of EUE Screen Gem Studios in Wilmington. Television series such as Dawson's Creek and One Tree Hill and the films 28 Days and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood have been shot at the Wilmington studio. In addition to receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Capra was also a visiting professor as an instructor of film.

PERIODICALS

Variety, January 7, 2008.