10 Things You Never Knew About Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick is the mastermind behind some of the greatest films of cinema. His perfectionist personality enabled him to complete only 16 films during a 46-year span. However, each film is exceptional, and many of which have gone down as among the greatest in cinematic history.

Absolutely none of Kubrick’s films are basic, and the man behind them was a thoroughly original filmmaking auteur. Deeply private and considered reclusive in his lifetime, many do not know much about Stanley Kubrick despite the breadth and depth of praise his films have received.

10 He Started As A Photographer

When he was in high school, Kubrick was part of the photography club, instilling in him a love of the photographic arts. According to CNN, Kubrick worked as a photographer for the well-known and popular magazine Look.

The content of Kubrick’s photography work was wide-ranging. with many of his photographs being considered slice-of-life, showing the day-to-day existances of various regular people. One group beautifully captured by Kubrick is a group of Ringling circus performers in the late ’40s. Kubrick left Look magazine as well as traditional photography behind in 1950, to work on his own short films.

9 He Was Harsh To His Actors

While the cruel treatment the director aimed at The Shining star Shelley Duvall to get the performance he desired has become common knowledge among Kubrick fans, many of his other actors have discussed Kubrick’s brutal treatment.

According to Inside Hook, A Clockwork Orange star Malcolm McDowell recollected that he was spit on and had to sit through disturbing footage Kubrick wanted him to watch because the director was considering putting the footage in the aversion scene. Worse, when McDowell endured painful injuries while shooting, especially during the treatment scene when his corneas were scratched by the machine holding his eyelids open. Allegedly Kubrick was more concerned about when filming could resume rather than his actor’s health and well being.

8 He Had A Feline Fixation

Kubrick adored cats, keeping them as pets throughout the years. He even had a favorite cat named Polly. Kubrick’s cats enjoyed some privileges that even his human peers would not be allowed by the director. For example, the cats were always allowed in Kubrick’s editing room, which served as a fortress of solitude of sorts for the director.

When Kubrick had to be away from his cats for an extended period, he would leave a whopping 15 pages of instructions for the poor soul who had the responsibility of taking care of the director’s beloved pets. As an example of the life of luxury his cats led, Kubrick’s gave them Evian water to drink.

7 He Had German Filmmaking Influences

It is safe to say that Stanley Kubrick has had a massive effect on the film industry, spawning a number of copycats and cinematic homages. However, few know what other directors who influenced him and his work.

One of Kubrick’s greatest influences was the German director Max Ophüls, whose films were renowned for their cinematography and expressive camera movements. No Film School quoted Kubrick himself as saying, “Highest of all I would rate Max Ophüls, who for me possessed every possible quality. He has an exceptional flair for sniffing out good subjects, and he got the most out of them. He was also a marvelous director of actors.”

6 He Loved Boxing

Stanley Kubrick had a lifelong fascination with boxing. When he became a photographer, Kubrick made boxers the focus of much of his work. According to Far Out magazine, this eventually led to his first film about the sport of boxing, a short titled Day of the Fight. 

Only 16 minutes long, this documentary short captured boxer Walter Cartier preparing for his fight against Bobby James. Kubrick’s first ever film features many of what would become the director’s trademarks. The short is available for fans to watch on YouTube.

5 He Burned A Lot Of Bridges

Many with whom Kubrick crossed paths in the entertainment industry did not have great relations with him. Some came to feel betrayed by the director and swore off any future work with him. For example, George C. Scott refused to work with Kubrick ever again after co-starring in Dr. Strangelove (a film that hold up remarkably well). Allegedly Kubrick told the cast to behave silly for what he said were warmups, then he directed them to act normally for the actual takes. This was a ruse, as the silly takes were the ones used in the final product, which angered Scott immensely.

Another instance came when composer Alex North was hired to write original music for 2001: A Space Odyssey. North completed 40 minutes’ worth. Ultimately, Kubrick did not use any of the music North made specifically for the film and didn’t bother to alert North that his work would not appear in the film. North didn’t find out until he saw the film for the first time and noticed the omission of his score.

4 His Family Financed His First Feature Film

When Kubrick was ready to make the leap from short films to full-length features, he found himself in need of some help in the financial department. According to Film Comment, the film was financed by Kubrick’s father, a homeopathic doctor, and Kubrick’s uncle. This first film was Fear and Desire. 

Kubrick was only 25 when he made Fear and Desire. The plot follows four soldiers who crash land in a foreign area and must escape enemy territory through the horrors of war. Kubrick would later denounce the film, referring to it as amateurish. At the time, Kubrick was still unaware of many film principles and techniques, leading to this work containing various filmmaking errors.

3 He Preferred To Direct Nonorginal Screenplays

Fans of Kubrick have most likely realized that the majority of Stanley Kubrick’s best (and worst) films are adapted from books instead of wholly original screenplays. This was purposely done as Kubrick’s longtime co-writer Diane Johnson explained: “Kubrick always said that it was better to adapt a book rather than write an original screenplay and that you should choose a work that isn’t a masterpiece so you can improve on it. Which is what he’s always done, except with Lolita.” If a viewer looks at Kubrick’s filmography, they’ll notice that 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut, Barry Lyndon, and A Clockwork Orange among other films, all are adapted from books.

2 He Won Only One Oscar, And Not For Directing

Not many directors are as referential or as applauded as Stanley Kubrick. Yet the illustrious director won only one Academy Award during his entire career. Ironically, the Academy Award he won was not even for directing. Nominated multiple times for a number of his classic films, Kubrick only won for 2001: A Space Odyssey in the Best Special Visual Effects category.

1 He Could Have Made A Film With The Beatles

According to Factinate, when the Beatles decided that they wanted to star in a film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, they approached Kubrick to direct. Any other director probably would have jumped at the chance to have the most popular band in the world star in one of their films. However, Kubrick was not just any other director. He turned The Beatles down. Allegedly, Kubrick felt that the popularity of the book which would make it hard to adapt and meet audience expectations.

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