"anyone who looks at something special, in a very original way, makes you see it that way forever."                -George Cukor [ref.2]

Today in 1899 one of the most magnificent directors in American cinema was born, George Cukor.  He directed such classics as The Philadelphia Story (1940), The Women (1939), Adam's Rib (1949), A Star is Born (1954), and Gaslight (1944).  He was even involved in the production of Gone With the Wind. [ref.1], but left because of rumors that Gable was uncomfortable with Cukor being Gay.  Cukor worked to fight against rampant homophobia in Hollywood. [ref. 3]

As a young man he loved the theater, under the influence of his mother who loved to entertain her quests by imitating the stars of the day.  In 1920 he formed his own theater company and by 1929 he made enough of a name for himself that he was recruited by Hollywood.

He started directing almost immediately.  He became known as a "woman's director" a label he didn't appreciate [ref.3].   He drew great talent out of actresses such as Katherine Hepburn and Joan Crawford.

His fabulous movies changed the face of Hollywood - their vibrancy and humor captured the heart of the audience and helped people forget their cares and woe's for a few hours, truly the magic of great film.

and here is a quote from one of my favorite movies by him, The Women,

"Countess DeLave: Oh, poor creatures. They've lost their equilibrium because they've lost their faith in love. Oh l'amour, l'amour."

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002030/

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/cukor_g.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Cukor